Ocean grabbing: a threath to food security in Sierra Leone

b. The pivotal role of small scale fishery

In 2003 the Working Group on Small-Scale Fisheries meeting held in Bangkok, acknowledged the necessity of a unique definition concerning small scale fisheries (SSF's) (FAO 2005). The importance of small-scale fishery and its contribution to the development of several areas of a country was then established. At a national level, they can generate foreign exchange from

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international trade. The international trade of fish increased considerably the last 30 years and SSFs play a growing part in stimulating fish exports and thus the GDP (FAO 2005). In order to function, fishery involves other activities and can therefore create a `trickle up' effect that benefits the national economy. Last but not least, SSFs contribute to the economy through the taxes. As we mentioned before, the fishery sector in Sierra Leone is mostly artisanal, employing small-scale fisherfolks³⁰. The production of such fisheries is intended for direct consumption, local or domestic markets, as only about 2.5% of small scale fishing is frozen and then destined to be sold on the global market (WorldFish Center 2017). Nonetheless, export have slowly increased in the past 30 years thanks to better market integration and globalization (FAO 2005).

c. Foreign-investments oriented policy

Despite the elaboration in 2007 of the Policy and Operational Framework for Fisheries of Sierra Leone which indicated a real willingness to take into account small-scale fisherfolks and to implement policies that include them in promoting sustainability, it would seem that the government is actually conducting a policy much more focused on relations with international firms especially from Asia and the European Union. Although the industrial sector is much smaller³¹, it seems to be favoured by the government in comparison to the artisanal sector which employs over half a million people (WorldFish Center 2011). Foreign investment is particularly considerable in the private sector. By selling important numbers of operating licences to Asian and European companies, the Government of Sierra Leone lets foreign companies take an increasingly important place in the private sector. Let us recall that the revenue generated by these licenses amounts to US$ 2.5 million, a significant financial windfall for Sierra Leone who needs serious inflows of money to face the aftermath of the Ebola crisis. The economic benefits created through the exploitation of fish stocks can restore economic growth and with it improve social development, reduce poverty and therefore food insecurity. If a government expects to rely on its renewable natural resources, it must first asses the value and the quantity which can be exploited in a sustainable manner in order for them to service the economy. When natural resources are discussed, a question often arises: why do countries with so much natural resources tend to have so little economic growth? This paradox called the `resource curse' or `paradox of plenty' (Frankel 2012) (Venables 2016) often occurs in developing countries like

³⁰ Ibid, p.10

³¹ Less than 10 companies as of 2016

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Sierra Leone, which built their growth on their abundant natural resources, attracted by the rapid financial benefits. But in reality, for plenty of reasons development based on natural resource is fragile and unsustainable especially if the resources are not appropriately managed. Even though the industrial fishery sub-sector is smaller, it is more profitable and represents the backbone for revenue generation in the fishery sector (GoSL, Agenda for Change 2008).

European Union and West African fisheries agreements

Unlike what they announced EU-West African fisheries agreements did not improve the management of marine resources in West African waters. On the contrary, they contributed to the depletion of fish stocks, directly impacting the livelihoods of small scale fisherfolks. Established in 1976 by the European Council, there is two types of Community Fisheries Agreements (CFA). First, `mutual agreements' based on access rights exchanges and second, which define the conditions for the purchase of access rights to fishing areas under the sovereignty of non-member States. Since the first agreements was signed approximatively 700 vessels from the EU pay for permanent or temporary fishing licences in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of West African countries. These agreements are essentially built on make-believe that a better management scheme will be established but also that the new management scheme would effectively protect West African marine resources from overexploitation and illegal fishing practices. These kind of agreement only look to negotiation and indirectly control the marine resources of the countries they are in business with. Fishery regulations requires a considerable striking force. For legislations to be respected they must be legally enforceable. Numerous West African countries have concluded bilateral treaties with foreign countries and organizations such as the EU. These treaties are governed by the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, meaning they are a matter of international law. In reality, we can observe that these agreements, which in theory should serve the interests of the nation, serve rather private interests (Pachauri, Jacquet et Tubiana 2011).