FREETOWN, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Sierra Leone has started construction of its first industrial fishing port, with the help of Chinese funding, a major step in the country's drive to modernize its fisheries sector and to boost its blue economy.
A launch ceremony was held Thursday by China Aid, in collaboration with the Sierra Leonean government, at Black Johnson Village in the Western Area Rural District, about 35 km south of the capital Freetown.
In his keynote address, President Julius Maada Bio said the port would help Sierra Leone tap into the global blue economy, reduce annual losses estimated at 42 million dollars in the fisheries sector, and create jobs. He pledged government support, including in infrastructure and regulatory systems.
The Julius Maada Bio Industrial Fishing Port is designed to handle 20,000 metric tons of fish annually. The project is being implemented by CRCC Harbor & Channel Engineering Bureau Group Co., Ltd., a Chinese firm.
Key infrastructure includes a 500-meter quay, a 300,000-square-meter basin, administrative offices, and a fish trading market, alongside facilities for fish processing, ice production, and net manufacturing.
Jin Xiaodong, who heads the CRCC Harbor team for the port, said the company will deliver a high-quality project in line with safety and schedule requirements while creating jobs and promoting skills transfer.
Chinese Ambassador to Sierra Leone Zhao Yong said the milestone project reflects over 40 years of fisheries cooperation between the two countries. He pledged continued support.
Sierra Leonean Minister of Finance Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura said the fisheries sector contributes about 7.5 percent to the country's gross domestic product and that the new port will significantly increase revenue.
Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources Princess Dugba described the project as pivotal to national development, noting that 252 acres of land have been secured for the facility. He called for more private-sector investment. ■
