Marine Protection Project

CADS Seeking Joint Venture on Marine Protection

Sierra Leone is located between latitude 7 degrees North and 10 degrees North on the West African Coast and she has a coastline of about 506 kilometers (315 miles) that consists mainly of sandy beaches, low coastal cliffs, small islands and several large mangrove lined estuaries. The overall area of Sierra Leone's EEZ is about 80,467km (50,000 sq. miles) and within this zone the area of the continental shelf to the 200m depth contour is about 36,269km. Square.

Geographically, the continental shelf is oceanographically stable and it is relatively isolated from the seasonal coastal upwelling of the North-West Africa, and the Central Gulf of Guinea currents by the Bissegos, Archipelgo and the Shoals of St. Ann in the South.

Ecologically, there are seven categories or stocks of marine resources and their classification is based on the biological distinctions and the method of targeting by fishing gears.

The stocks are: small pelagics, these are by far the most widely distributed and dominated mainly by carangids. They have a potential annual production rate of over 100,000 tons.

There are also the mixed demersals, dominated by croakers, threadfins, grunts, tongue soles and catfishes and occur inshore above the 50 meters thermocline. The annual production potential ranges between 50,000 and 80,000 tones.

And there are the large pelagics. This stock comprises mainly of tunas, yellowfins, skipjack, little tuna, frigate-tuna, and bullet tuna; which all occur seasonally, moving northward from the Liberian waters on to the Guinea Waters, between February and June.

Others include billfish, swordfish (xiphius gladius), sailfish (istiophorus albicans), dolphin (coryphaena equiselis), spanish mackerel (scomberomorus tritor) and inshore barracuders (sphyraena spp). The annual potential of this stock is between 10,000 and 20,000 tons.

There are the cephalopods. This stock includes cuttlefish, octopus, squid abd also substantial by catch of seabreams and other shelf fishes. Annual catch potential ranges between 5,000 and 20,000 tons. Shrimps are also in abundance. In fact there are sixteen species of which four, all peneids, are of commercial significance. These are penaeus notialis (southern pink shrimp), the parapenaepisis atlantica (white shrimps), the peneaus kerathrus (the tiger shrimp) and the parapenaeus longirostisis (deep water rose shrimp). These occur in depths ranging between 10 meters and 50 meters and are particularly abundant off the Freetown Peninsula. They are found in the shallow waters and have a northernly distribution. They also occur in the narrow southern shelf extending into Liberia.

There are deep water species also but at present no fishing exist for this. There are also the semi-pelagics (ballistes stock). These are mainly grey trigger fish (ballistes capriscus) and flying grunard (dactyloptenus uolitans) and they dominate between 30 meters and 50 meters. The annual catch potential for these exceed 250,000 tons.

Other resources, a number of invertebrates are also present in Sierra Leone's continental shelf area and their exploitation as of now is at a low level. These include spiny lobsters (panulrirus regius and panulirus mauritanicus which are fished mainly in the western area (Freetown Peninsula), mangrove oysters (cross O streatulipa) and other bivalves which occur in coastal fishing communities. At present there are no known estimates for these species but they are widely distributed.

Economically, the fishing sector of Sierra Leone has the potential of being a major contributor to the gross national product of the country. It is estimated that the annual marine fish catch amounts to approximately 150,000 tons. Using an average price of US$500 per ton, this amount to about US$75,000,000. If this gross value were to accrue to the earnings of the Sierra Leone economy, the net addition to the GDP of the country would be increased considerably. However, as more than half of the fish catch is not accounted for, the impact on the economy is minimal.

Jurisdictionally, although there are basic legal stipulations in the Fisheries Management and Development Acts of 1998 and the Fisheries Regulations of 1990 which take cognizance of the Articles and Paragraphs of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), however a lot still needs to be done in the area of Fisheries Protection and Conservation. This is mainly due to the lack of the necessary logistics such as patrol boats, aircrafts and even a properly trained marine guard. Nonetheless, an attempt to solve this problem was made by the Government of Sierra Leone signing a Joint Venture Agreement with a group called MacAllister Elliot and Partners first in 1991 to form the Maritime Protection Services Limited, then renewed in 1993. We must proudly state here that this group, MacAllister Elliot and Partners made contact withthe President/Chief Executive Officer, Kenday "Ken" Samuel Kamara, in 1993 in London and asked him to broker the renewed agreement between them and the then Government of Sierra Leone. And Mr. Kamara did succeed to broker the renewed agreement, which was signed in April 1993 in my presence by the then Minister of Marine Resources, Julius Maada Bio representing the Government of Sierra Leone, and Richard Buckingham representing MacAllister Elliot and Partners.

By the April 3, 1993 agreement signed, the company, MPSSL, was authorized to patrol Sierra Leone's waters, collect the increased license fees and claim a share of the foreign vessels catch, that any fines arising from the activities of the company paid direct to the Government of Sierra Leone, that the company should collect scientific data on the fishery so that sustainable yields should be determined and in turn would define a clear maximum fishing effort, and that the Government of Sierra Leone would mandate the officers of MPSSL to perform its obligations and make decisions as necessary. But unfortunately MacAllister Elliot and Partners and the ensuing MPSSL company did not fulfil its obligations, mainly due to the fact that the company had only one vessel, the MV Maritime Protector, to operate along the length and breath of Sierra Leone's waters. Added to this, the vessel was a very old vessel that had been used in the Artic Region since the 1950s. Also MacAllister Elliot and Partners lacked the general logistics and technical staff to monitor the biomass of Sierra Leone's Exclusive Economic Zone. The MPSSL fisheries protection and conservation program eventually phased out and no agreement was ever renewed, and to date the country's rich marine resources remain unprotected, free for all resource.

Therefore taking into consideration all the pertinent information so far shared with you, it is our passion and unflinching desire in CADS to work with any interested investor on the protection and conservation of Sierra Leone's fisheries, and by ensuring that the proper logistics and expertise are put to work, and look forward to establishing a well coordinated system of protection of the marine resources of Sierra Leone's waters by employing all the necessary logistics and manpower.

The investor should be prepared to provide the necessary vessels for fishery inspection and coastal guarding of the Sierra Leonean territorial waters, and not to repeat the mistakes of MacAllister Elliot and Partners, we are aware of.

The fact is, exploitation of Sierra Leone's marine resources has constantly grown between 1961 and the present. Prior to 1961, there were only five vessels of low catching power that had been exploiting Sierra Leone's marine resources. Presently 39 years later, there are over 100 licensed vessels and more than half that number poaching. This is as a result of the fact that Sierra Leone had constantly been unable to supply the resources/logistics to protect her marine resources from unlicensed fishing, resulting in an over exploitation, lack of benefits to the country and an overall damaging effect to the resources eco-system. Therefore, on behalf of the Sierra Leonean people, we will be so gratified to have any investor to register deep interest in cooperating with CADS in a program to ensure the conservation and proper exploitation of these resources in the interest of the Government of Sierra Leone and parties concerned. We can facilitate a joint venture on industrial fishing as well as brokering a sustainable agreement with the Government in Sierra Leone for protection and conservation of the eco-system from poachers.

For further information please contact the National Coordinator
CADS Sierra Leone
45 Bathurst Street, PMB 1290
Freetown, Sierra Leone
West Africa
Tel: (232 22) 224603
Fax: (232 22) 224439
Email: cadsglobal@aol.com

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Business Ideas for Investors Investments Exploratory Presentation: Professionals Seeking Investors CADS Seeking Joint Venture on a Counter-Barter Trade Basis: Rice Business Proposal CADS Seeking Joint Venture on Marine Transportation: CADS Mariner Project	CADS Seeking Joint Venture on Marine Protection Sierra Leone is located between latitude 7 degrees North and 10 degrees North on the West African Coast and she has a coastline of about 506 kilometers (315 miles) that consists mainly of sandy beaches, low coastal cliffs, small islands and several large mangrove lined estuaries. The overall area of Sierra Leone's EEZ is about 80,467km (50,000 sq. miles) and within this zone the area of the continental shelf to the 200m depth contour is about 36,269km. Square. Geographically, the continental shelf is oceanographically stable and it is relatively isolated from the seasonal coastal upwelling of the North-West Africa, and the Central Gulf of Guinea currents by the Bissegos, Archipelgo and the Shoals of St. Ann in the South. Ecologically, there are seven categories or stocks of marine resources and their classification is based on the biological distinctions and the method of targeting by fishing gears. The stocks are: small pelagics, these are by far the most widely distributed and dominated mainly by carangids. They have a potential annual production rate of over 100,000 tons. There are also the mixed demersals, dominated by croakers, threadfins, grunts, tongue soles and catfishes and occur inshore above the 50 meters thermocline. The annual production potential ranges between 50,000 and 80,000 tones. And there are the large pelagics. This stock comprises mainly of tunas, yellowfins, skipjack, little tuna, frigate-tuna, and bullet tuna; which all occur seasonally, moving northward from the Liberian waters on to the Guinea Waters, between February and June. Others include billfish, swordfish (xiphius gladius), sailfish (istiophorus albicans), dolphin (coryphaena equiselis), spanish mackerel (scomberomorus tritor) and inshore barracuders (sphyraena spp). The annual potential of this stock is between 10,000 and 20,000 tons. There are the cephalopods. This stock includes cuttlefish, octopus, squid abd also substantial by catch of seabreams and other shelf fishes. Annual catch potential ranges between 5,000 and 20,000 tons. Shrimps are also in abundance. In fact there are sixteen species of which four, all peneids, are of commercial significance. These are penaeus notialis (southern pink shrimp), the parapenaepisis atlantica (white shrimps), the peneaus kerathrus (the tiger shrimp) and the parapenaeus longirostisis (deep water rose shrimp). These occur in depths ranging between 10 meters and 50 meters and are particularly abundant off the Freetown Peninsula. They are found in the shallow waters and have a northernly distribution. They also occur in the narrow southern shelf extending into Liberia. There are deep water species also but at present no fishing exist for this. There are also the semi-pelagics (ballistes stock). These are mainly grey trigger fish (ballistes capriscus) and flying grunard (dactyloptenus uolitans) and they dominate between 30 meters and 50 meters. The annual catch potential for these exceed 250,000 tons. Other resources, a number of invertebrates are also present in Sierra Leone's continental shelf area and their exploitation as of now is at a low level. These include spiny lobsters (panulrirus regius and panulirus mauritanicus which are fished mainly in the western area (Freetown Peninsula), mangrove oysters (cross O streatulipa) and other bivalves which occur in coastal fishing communities. At present there are no known estimates for these species but they are widely distributed. Economically, the fishing sector of Sierra Leone has the potential of being a major contributor to the gross national product of the country. It is estimated that the annual marine fish catch amounts to approximately 150,000 tons. Using an average price of US$500 per ton, this amount to about US$75,000,000. If this gross value were to accrue to the earnings of the Sierra Leone economy, the net addition to the GDP of the country would be increased considerably. However, as more than half of the fish catch is not accounted for, the impact on the economy is minimal. Jurisdictionally, although there are basic legal stipulations in the Fisheries Management and Development Acts of 1998 and the Fisheries Regulations of 1990 which take cognizance of the Articles and Paragraphs of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), however a lot still needs to be done in the area of Fisheries Protection and Conservation. This is mainly due to the lack of the necessary logistics such as patrol boats, aircrafts and even a properly trained marine guard. Nonetheless, an attempt to solve this problem was made by the Government of Sierra Leone signing a Joint Venture Agreement with a group called MacAllister Elliot and Partners first in 1991 to form the Maritime Protection Services Limited, then renewed in 1993. We must proudly state here that this group, MacAllister Elliot and Partners made contact withthe President/Chief Executive Officer, Kenday "Ken" Samuel Kamara, in 1993 in London and asked him to broker the renewed agreement between them and the then Government of Sierra Leone. And Mr. Kamara did succeed to broker the renewed agreement, which was signed in April 1993 in my presence by the then Minister of Marine Resources, Julius Maada Bio representing the Government of Sierra Leone, and Richard Buckingham representing MacAllister Elliot and Partners. By the April 3, 1993 agreement signed, the company, MPSSL, was authorized to patrol Sierra Leone's waters, collect the increased license fees and claim a share of the foreign vessels catch, that any fines arising from the activities of the company paid direct to the Government of Sierra Leone, that the company should collect scientific data on the fishery so that sustainable yields should be determined and in turn would define a clear maximum fishing effort, and that the Government of Sierra Leone would mandate the officers of MPSSL to perform its obligations and make decisions as necessary. But unfortunately MacAllister Elliot and Partners and the ensuing MPSSL company did not fulfil its obligations, mainly due to the fact that the company had only one vessel, the MV Maritime Protector, to operate along the length and breath of Sierra Leone's waters. Added to this, the vessel was a very old vessel that had been used in the Artic Region since the 1950s. Also MacAllister Elliot and Partners lacked the general logistics and technical staff to monitor the biomass of Sierra Leone's Exclusive Economic Zone. The MPSSL fisheries protection and conservation program eventually phased out and no agreement was ever renewed, and to date the country's rich marine resources remain unprotected, free for all resource. Therefore taking into consideration all the pertinent information so far shared with you, it is our passion and unflinching desire in CADS to work with any interested investor on the protection and conservation of Sierra Leone's fisheries, and by ensuring that the proper logistics and expertise are put to work, and look forward to establishing a well coordinated system of protection of the marine resources of Sierra Leone's waters by employing all the necessary logistics and manpower. The investor should be prepared to provide the necessary vessels for fishery inspection and coastal guarding of the Sierra Leonean territorial waters, and not to repeat the mistakes of MacAllister Elliot and Partners, we are aware of. The fact is, exploitation of Sierra Leone's marine resources has constantly grown between 1961 and the present. Prior to 1961, there were only five vessels of low catching power that had been exploiting Sierra Leone's marine resources. Presently 39 years later, there are over 100 licensed vessels and more than half that number poaching. This is as a result of the fact that Sierra Leone had constantly been unable to supply the resources/logistics to protect her marine resources from unlicensed fishing, resulting in an over exploitation, lack of benefits to the country and an overall damaging effect to the resources eco-system. Therefore, on behalf of the Sierra Leonean people, we will be so gratified to have any investor to register deep interest in cooperating with CADS in a program to ensure the conservation and proper exploitation of these resources in the interest of the Government of Sierra Leone and parties concerned. We can facilitate a joint venture on industrial fishing as well as brokering a sustainable agreement with the Government in Sierra Leone for protection and conservation of the eco-system from poachers. For further information please contact the National Coordinator CADS Sierra Leone 45 Bathurst Street, PMB 1290 Freetown, Sierra Leone West Africa Tel: (232 22) 224603 Fax: (232 22) 224439 Email: cadsglobal@aol.com .