The Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone (HRCSL) held a community outreach and advocacy event on June 4, 2025, in selected communities within the Western Area Rural, aiming to empower small-scale fishers with knowledge of their human rights.
The initiative, organized by the Commission’s Directorate of Climate Change and Information Services, seeks to enable fishers to participate more fully in decisions affecting their livelihoods.
The engagement took place at St. Peter’s Hall in Tombo as part of the Sustainable Oceans project, a collaborative effort between the HRCSL and the Danish Institute for Human Rights, funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.
The primary objective of the event was to raise awareness about key human rights issues impacting small-scale fishing communities and facilitate the establishment of Human Rights Committees specifically for these fishers.
During the session, stakeholders from the fishing communities shared their experiences and the challenges they face. Abdul Rahman Sesay, a fisherman from the Tokeh Community, highlighted the difficulties of fishing in the high seas. He explained that while their “Gana” boats once yielded good catches, this is no longer the case due to the presence of trawlers.
“The areas we used to visit to catch good and enough fish for our livelihoods are no longer beneficial to us because we are being outmuscled by the trawlers,” Sesay stated. “We now use almost 150 liters of fuel to go deep into the sea for fishing as compared to 70 liters before, but most times we return with little or no fish to sell.”
Wudie Koroma, Public Relations Officer of the Sierra Leone Artisanal Fishermen’s Union, alleged that small-scale fishers have endured abuse and humiliation over the years but often lack the knowledge of where to report such human rights violations. He expressed that the engagement with the Commission had significantly improved their understanding of their rights and responsibilities concerning human rights and small-scale fishing.
HRCSL Chairperson, Mrs. Patricia Narsu Ndanema, outlined the Commission’s mandate to protect and promote human rights across the country, referencing its functions as stipulated in Section 7(2) of the Act.
She affirmed the Commission’s commitment to continuous engagement with fishing communities, particularly small-scale fishers, to ensure that issues hindering their human rights are addressed.