By Aruna Turay
Local fishermen and fishmongers at fishing hubs across Freetown have expressed concerns over the exhibiting piles of seaweed on the beaches.
They say the weeds have badly affected fishing processes and have also damaged several of their fishing nets.
The fishermen said the seaweeds have also reduced fish sales along the beach, adding that before now, they use to be visited by tourists who came to the beach to buy fish and other sea foods.
“Due to the stinking smell of the weeds when piled, most of these tourists have stopped visiting the beach to but fish from us,” a local fisherman told this writer.
For some years past now, Sierra Leone has experienced influx of seaweeds which has been destroying the beauty of the beaches and fishermen say this year’s influx seems far worse than the past years.
Alpha Turay, a boat owner and senior fisherman at Wan Pole on Lumley Beach said whenever the drop their fishing nets to fish, they ended up pulling it out with piles of seaweeds.
He said: “We have been cleaning the weeds almost every day but it keeps coming. We have been changing fishing positions so as to avoid the weeds but our nets still keep damaging.” Turay said.
He appealed to government and other authorities to help save them from the huge financial lose.
At Sugarland Beach Resort, the Manager Aruna Foday said the odour from the piles of seaweed on the beach has stopped lots of customers from visiting the resort.
Photo Credit: Saidu Bah
