Over 4000 local youths work on foreign owned industrial fishing vessels on Sierra Leonean waters. These men provide crucial labour for the sector which is said to account for 30 percent of fish consumed locally and is a major foreign currency earner for the government.
But these young men say they have always worked under deplorable conditions that amount to gross violation of their human rights in the hands of mainly Chinese crews, which they want to stop.
They have threatened to embark on an indefinite strike action until a set of their demands are met.
This report by ManoReporters looks at their concerns and the players involved.