Night Watch Newspaper

“THE FISHERY DEAL” — AN OPEN STATEMENT TO THE BIO ADMINISTRATION AND PEOPLE OF SIERRA LEONE

Emmanuel Christian Thorli

PRESS STATEMENT

SUBJECT:   “THE FISHERY DEAL” — AN OPEN STATEMENT TO THE BIO ADMINISTRATION AND PEOPLE OF SIERRA LEONE

We, Sierra Leone Advocacy Movement (SLAM-GLOBAL), write on behalf of millions of  Sierra  Leoneans  –  from  coastal  fishing communities to inland families who depend on fish for food – to demand accountability, transparency and fairness in the proposed Russia–Sierra Leone fisheries deal.

This statement is a people’s voice: we speak for fishermen mending nets at dawn, for mothers feeding their children on bonga and sardinella, and for all citizens who have a stake in our oceans. We commend the Bio administration’s effort to diversify the economy through the fisheries sector, but we have grave concerns about how this deal has been negotiated and about its hidden costs.

Our analysis of the available information shows that, far from being a straightforward boon, the agreement as currently conceived risks becoming a “back-door travel subsidy” for the State House, rather than a sustainable boon for the people of Sierra Leone. We see a pattern that must change. Our laws even guarantee citizen participation – for example, the Fisheries Act reserves seats for artisanal fisher associations on key committees and requires quota decisions to be made “in consultation with relevant stakeholders” – yet, in reality, the Russia deal was negotiated in camera, with no public hearings or environmental-social impact assessments announced. Sierra Leoneans have only seen the headlines (an announced 40,000‐tonne quota and “up to twenty” Russian trawlers); the fine print on licence fees, revenue-sharing, observer rules and landing obligations remains hidden. This secrecy is unacceptable. As the law envisions, the people must be involved – the fishery belongs to all of us, not just distant fleets or a few officials.

Fish are our lifeblood: They supply roughly 64–80% of all animal protein eaten in Sierra  Leone  and  are  irreplaceable  for  low-income  diets.  Almost  850,000 schoolchildren now rely on school-meals programs that feature fish. If 40,000 tonnes a year are exported unchecked, we risk hunger and malnutrition on our shores. Has any impact study been done on how this export flow would affect the retail price of bonga, sardinella or horse-mackerel in Freetown markets, or the feeding of our children? We have seen no transparency on this, and yet it is critically important. Before shipping boatloads of fish abroad, the Bio administration must ensure that enough fish remain at home to feed our people.

Meanwhile, there is the question of who benefits. Right now, Sierra Leone’s fisheries contribute about 10% of GDP, yet over 90% of that revenue goes to industrial operators. Without strict ring-fencing, any extra licence fees from Russia will simply pour into the Consolidated Fund and disappear into general expenditures – with only “tiny crumbs” trickling back to the fisheries development fund or coastal communities. In other words, our natural wealth will continue to be captured by distant-water fleets and a handful of Freetown elites, as has happened with past resource deals.

To make matters worse, the Bio administration already spends lavishly on official travel. Sierra Leoneans are funding the most expensive presidency to move around in the sub-region. The current annual travel budget for the President and entourage is over US$12 million – more than the entire first-year payment from Russia’s licence fees (estimated at only US$8–10 million). In effect, the promised fishery windfall could be swallowed by existing travel costs. As one analyst put it, our governments are risking that this deal becomes nothing more than “another episode in the long-running pattern of resource-for-entourage politics”. Every dollar our leaders spend on chartered jets, five-star hotels and per diems is a dollar not spent on hospitals, schools, fishery patrol boats, or nets for our youth. Sierra Leoneans see this clearly: jet- setting is seen as a direct trade-off with basic services. We cannot allow our fish – our children’s food – to be used to underwrite endless VIP travel.

We therefore call on the Bio administration to take immediate action:

Will revenue-sharing support micro-credit and childcare so women can earn more? As it stands, the briefings are silent on these points – a silence we cannot accept.

We urge you to consider that when Sierra Leone goes to the ballot box, citizens will not forget whose expenses they paid for and whose needs were ignored.

We believe in Sierra Leone’s potential. If done right, this deal could help diversify our economy and modernize our ports – generating $90–$110 million/year in new exports if 40,000 t are landed and processed locally. We could see 300–400 new jobs in a Freetown hub, plus a 10% domestic-landing requirement boosting local supply by~4,000t of fish. Young graduates could find work as observers and lab technicians. But as things stand, the most likely outcome is that the new fish ships crowd our coasts, overfish our stocks, and the big catch ends up on foreign plates – while ordinary households see no benefit. In the worst case, weak monitoring leads to overfishing and food shortages (with 63% of our people depending on fish protein), leaving our nation poorer and our trust in government shattered.

Sierra Leone has a proud history of resilience and stewardship of its resources. Our Constitution empowers citizens to claw back oversight. We remind our leaders that this deal can only be a true success if Sierra Leoneans see that it is fair, sustainable and shared. In the spirit of our national motto “Salone for All”, we call on Mr. Bio, Hon. MPs, the Fisheries Ministry and all responsible officials to heed this plea. The world is watching how we balance immediate revenues against our future – let us choose wisely.

Calls to Action: In solidarity, SLAM-Global stands with the people of Sierra Leone. We pledge to keep shining light on the facts and championing reforms. We will work with honest officials, community leaders, and youth activists to move from protest to progress. The challenges of climate change, health, and education are immense—but together we can overcome them if resources are managed fairly. Our message to any leader is this: Serve Sierra Leone, not your own comfort. We call on all stakeholders—government branches, media, religious and civil society organizations—to join us in insisting that every Leone of public money be spent with integrity, transparency, and equity.

It is our duty to the generation suffering now, and to those yet to come, to demand better. SLAM-Global will continue to track budgets, advocate publicly, and support any move toward more just governance. The path forward must be built by all of us. We are the voice of citizens demanding solutions, and we will not be silenced.

SLAM-Global urges all stakeholders to immediately implement the reforms above. Let this be a turning point where citizens no longer feel the state is “trading away the future”.

We end with a pledge: We will continue to speak up for our seas, our people and our children. We will celebrate this deal if it delivers real jobs, food security and clean oceans – and we will fiercely oppose it if it becomes just a spectacle for wealthy elites. The choice is in your hands.

— Photo © Alamy Stock Photo (Image ID 2C59N8F). Rights-managed, editorial use.

© Christopher Herwig / Aurora Photos (2007). Editorial-use only.

© Uzman Unis Bah / Mongabay (2019). Editorial-use only.

P.S. We invite you to explore our recently published analysis in a book, “Building a Nation: Good Governance and Democratic Principles in Sierra Leone.” As we unite for change in 2025, this resource provides valuable insights for activists, policymakers, and concerned citizens committed to Sierra Leone’s transformation. Find it here: link.

Yours faithfully,

Dr. Alfred A. Veenod Fullah

DIRECTOR-GENERAL

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