Mrs. Kowa Jalloh thanked them for their efforts in promoting sector in spite of their numerous constraints. The Minister who visited the Joint Maritime Committee’s Headquarter in Murray Town, Sulima Fishing Community, the newly rehabilitated fisheries quarters and jetty in Gbondapi, Fish farming Experimental Station in Bo said, she was there to identify herself with their activities and expressed concern over the derelict and poor conditions of infrastructures and facilities of the ministry’s Outstations in the localities she visited and assured them that with their support, she will do her utmost to address the situation. The Minister, having listened to concerns raised by staff and representatives of the various fishing communities, said government thought it necessary to put the fisheries sector high on its ‘’New Direction Agenda” because of the important role it plays in national development promised to look into them with a view to revamping the sector. She said, she believes in team work, commitment and hard work, hoping that stakeholders in the sector will renounce all forms of vices that would impede the development of the sector illegal fishing and give her the maximum cooperation required to push it forward.
Welcoming the minister earlier, representatives of the various entities, including heads of Units in the ministry, Community leaders and fisher folk, congratulated the new minister on her appointment and wished her well in her undertakings. Following brief meetings with the minister, the stakeholders intimated her about a number of achievements and challenges they are now facing, including lack of adequate funds, poor state of infrastructure such as roads, equipment and fishing gears, working conditions, practice of illegal fishing, weak monitoring and Surveillance, inadequate electricity supply and lack alternative livelihood for fisher folk who renounce bad fishing methods. The Minister also visited the Sierra Fishing Company and the Sabco Fishing Company in the Eastern part of the city where she was also briefed about their operations.
