The ceremony
Following six inshore patrol vessels launched last year for community surveillance, Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources with support from World Bank has on Monday 27th July 2021 commissioned two additional vessels at the Joint Marine Times Committee (JMT) to intensify monitoring of the country’s territorial waters, and to curb Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.
According to the Permanent Secretary of Fisheries and Marine Resources Mrs. Elizabeth H. Ellie, unlike the previous vessels that were bought by the Ministry Fisheries in collaboration with Ministry of Finance, the two vessels that were about to be commissioned were giving to the ministry as support from world bank in the fight against IUU fishing.
In her statements, the Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources Hon. Emma Kowa Jalloh explained that the territorial water of Sierra Leone is large and endow with natural resources, therefore people are coming from other countries to extract resource from the waters illegally. She went on saying that, the ministry needed more patrol vessels to protect the country’s water, and thanked the World Bank for it tireless effort towards Fisheries Sector.
She continued that the boats, will be distributed to Kambia and Sulima out stations, as they are stations closer to porous borders of which dwellers largely engage in fish activities. She said the boats will not only be used by Fisheries Officer, but also other player in the Fisheries Sector for the purpose of monitoring the waters. She called on those that will be using the boats to put the country first whiles on board the vessel. She assured the general public that the vessels will be used for it intended purpose.
The Director of Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources Mrs. Khadijatu Jalloh, reiterated that the ministry was constrained in monitoring the territorial waters, and that had to partner with local and international bodies to help in that direction. She mentioned Yellow-card that the ministry had received from European Union (EU) as warning for not complying with roles of addressing the IUU fishing as a member state. She ended that the boats will be of a great help to the ministry in the light of monitoring the country’s waters, and that Sierra Leone waters will eventually be recognized internationally as an ideal fishing ground.
The chairperson of Parliamentary Committee for Fisheries Hon. Neneh Lebbie expressed her thanks and appreciation to the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources for its immense contribution into what she described as bread-basket of this nation. She went on calling on actors in the fish sector to embrace the idea of patriotism, and make individual difference, by putting the country’s interest first, for the development of the sector. She applied to the representative from the Ministry of Finance to support Ministry of Fisheries get at list four drones to take pictures and check on the activities of industrial and artisanal fisher folks, which according to her is less expensive.
The Director General for Performance Management and Service Delivery Edward Kamara, who was the key note speaker, started his statement by saying that he would be delivering Statement on behalf the Chief Minister. He continued that in the New Direction manifesto and Medium Term National Development Plan, fisheries as a sub-sector contributes 12 percent to the GDP, employs over 500,000 people, and is the predominant economic activity of the coastal people of Sierra Leone. He added that in a bid to promote Blue Economy and food security, the Government will empower the Artisanal fishermen by proving them appropriate fishing nets to support their fishing operations, as fish remains the primary source of protein for people in the country.
Mr. kamara noted that we gathered that day to commission two inshore patrol vessels provided for the Ministry of Fisheries by World Bank. He took few steps to the point where one of the ceremonial boats was decorated and placed, and then cut the rope. Himself, ministers and other stakeholders of the occasion went on board the other vessel, and officially tested it operating system.