Saidu Kabia, deputy Harbor Master at the Tambacular Wharf at Aberdeen in the west of Freetown,has said on Friday August22, 2020 thatgovernment regulationssometimes resulting in fishermen catching little or no fish, thus causing some to go out of business and becomejobless.
Kabia said thatrecently, the government hasoutlawed the use of monofilament fishing nets which they had been using, which he insisted had left the fishermen with few fishing nets.
He said thatdue to limited fishing nets,some of the fishermen have been left jobless because they do not have the most basic tool of their trade.
“TheGovernment has recently told us that the use of certain fishing nets wouldimpair fishing in the country, so we should restrict the use of certain fishingnets. Now that we have condemned some of our nets they had made no efforts to support us. We usually buy a bundle of fishing net Le 1,250,000, and now that we are not having catch we are unable to buy enough nets.”
He added that government’sannual taxation is also affectingthem, adding that, theyare paying Le 1,000,000 for Snapper and Capital fishing boats and Le 1, 500,000 for the other sets of fishing boats.
He added that they find it very difficult to fish and manage our lives in the wharf because theregulations are constraining them.
He drew attention to the fact that currently they only have55 boats operating from the Tambacular Wharf serving over 70 fishermen, adding that this had affected them for over six years now.
Kabia stated that,government used to give fishing and rescuing boats to fishermen in another wharfs, but they had not been given any attention over six years now. “We have no support from the government but they are always giving us regulations,” hestressed.
“Staying here without a catch is not only affecting the traders, but we also.”
He further explained that there is no toilet facility at the wharf which he said has negatively affected not only the fishermen, but also regulars there. He said that, they also lack boats and machines,and called on the government to assist the fishermen at the without board,fishing and rescue boats, and fishing nets.
By Ibrahim S. Bangura
25/8/2020. ISSUE NO:7894