By Saio Marrah
The Ministry of Fisheries says it is mediating in a row between local fishermen and foreign industrial fishing trawler owners following threats of strike action over working condition.
The local fishermen say their foreign employers, who are mainly Chinese, overwork them without adequate pay and do not provide them enough food, among many other concerns.
The are also unhappy with their union leaders whom they say are not representing their interests. They vowed not to go to sea until their concerns are addressed.
Industrial fishing is estimated to account for about 30 percent of fish consumed locally. And the subsector is dominated by foreign boat owners, mainly Chinese and Koreans.
But in line with Sierra Leone’s fisheries laws, foreigners can only register to operate in the country through locally registered Sierra Leonean owned companies which serve as agents between these foreign trawler owners and the government. They also recruit the local laborers.
There are about half a dozen of these companies registered by the Ministry of Fisheries, which names Sierra Fishing and SABCO Fishing companies as the two largest.
Neither of the two companies responded to our request for comment.
The local fishermen say they do all the work on the boats at sea in conditions that are akin to slavery. They say they have no proper place on the boats to sleep. The foreign crews they work with are also often abusive with them, they add.
Last week a group representing the aggrieved fishermen staged a peaceful protest in front of Youyi Building, the home of the Ministry of Fisheries, demanding for the government to act on their concerns.
The ministry this week hosted the representatives of the group at a meeting where they prevailed on them to resume work while they seek redress for their concerns.
The Fisheries Ministry had said that current laws give responsibility of welfare of workers in the sector to the Ministry of Labour. But in the absence of action by the Labor Ministry, it says it decided to intervene to avoid a potential escalation of the situation with a negative effect on the sector.
Ibrahim Turay, Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, presided over the meeting with the fishermen on Tuesday, May 3rd. He acknowledged the risk and danger associated with their job, which he described as the “most risky and dangerous” in the world.
Among the four issues that were raised by the fishermen: Salary, food, accommodation and the legitimacy of their union leaders, the ministry vowed to urgently address the issues of food and accommodation immediately while seeking a more permanent solution.
Officials disclosed that the companies had agreed to a temporary payment of L1, 500, 000 monthly salary. They are currently paid Le1, 100, 000, which they say is usually deducted by the companies for various reasons, in addition to a fixed L55, 000 union due deduction.
According to the agreement with the ministry, none of these deductions will be made in the course of the next three months, when the companies are also expected to make improvement in the quality of their food.
Alie Fofanah, one of the protest leaders who attended the meeting, confirmed that they have agreed to the temporary measure. He said after the three months period, if they do not see any further improvement, they will resume their strike.
Fofanah told ManoReporters that some of his colleagues have confirmed that the companies have already bought for them new foams to sleep on.
Deputy Minister Turay also pointed out at the meeting that they will set out a standard which the companies will be required to abide by henceforth. He also said that the ministry will be sending out inspectors to monitor compliance of the trawlers for especially hygiene requirements as well as the quality of food given to the workers.
