The Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Elisabeth Manns has expressed the urgent need to enhance her ministry’s Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Systems with a view to prevent, deter, and eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing activities. Speaking during the first Steering Committee Meeting of the Global Environmental Facility Additional Financing Project (GEF/AF) under the West African Regional Fisheries Programme (WARFP) at her ministry’s Conference Hall, Youyi Building in Freetown, Mans said it is a grant of $10 million USD for the three Ebola affected countries of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. $5 million USD, she said, was allocated to Guinea and $4 million was allocated to Sierra Leone and Liberia had only $1 million. She said the project was in response to government’s request for further support to the fisheries sector and thanked the World Bank for its continued contribution to the management and development of the industry.
The World Bank Task Team Leader and Senior Natural Resource Economist, Jingjie Chu, said proper management of both the Artisanal and Industrial fisheries sector require a lot of education and commitment. Chu said they were aware of the fact that the nation needs help to bolster its fisheries sector. She urged the ministry to work in close collaboration with communities and urged stakeholders especially those in the Artisanal sector to provide strong leadership, emulate best practices and renounce illegal fishing. “You are killing your future and your children’s future,” she warned. The country is currently weak in terms fisheries management and encouraged all to work together and ensure the project is successfully implemented.
Minister Manns lamented that illegal fishing activities cut across the region, citing regional approaches as the only way it can be addressed. She described the Steering Committee as an important structural element in project implementation and hoped its decisions will have a far-reaching effects.
The Director of Fisheries, Kadijatu Jalloh said the project will support some of the ministry’s activities including strengthening good governance and sustainable management of the fisheries, reduce illegal fishing and increase contribution of the fish resources to the local economy, project management monitoring and evaluation. Describing fish as an important source of animal protein for majority of Sierra Leoneans and a commodity for trade and revenue generation, she cited the need to address the issue of lack of middle level staff of the ministry.
The Programme Coordinator, Integrated Projects Administration, Ministry of Finance, Alpha Sesay said their main objective is to support the ministry of Fisheries to achieve its objective as stipulated in the project document and looked forward to working amicably with all stakeholders involved in the project implementation process.
Regional Monitoring and Evaluation Expert, West African Regional Fisheries Programme Coordinating Unit under the Sub regional Fisheries Commission in Senegal, Ibrahim Turay, said they supervise and coordinates activities of stakeholders in the industry and entreated those implementing the project work in line with laid down rules and regulations.
Giving a brief background about project the West African Regional Technical Team Leader, Salieu Sankoh said it is a follow-up to the parent program with the purpose of scaling up activities under WARFP. On progress made so far, Sankoh intimated that they have prepared Terms of Reference for Legal Advisers., Scientific Observer Program and support staff, trained MFMR staff on concept note writing, conducted training on Community Surveillance, adding that there has been an improvement in the distribution of Canoe registration number plates among others. He highlighted a number of challenges, including delay in Client connection and activation and called for the acceleration of the Scientific Observer Program and commencement of regular patrols by PV, S I Koroma.
AT/25/11/17
Monday November 27, 2017.
ADVERTISEMENT