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The Republic of Sierra Leone and the European Economic Community (EEC) have recently entered into an agreement establishing the principles and rules which will in the future govern the fishing activities of vessels flying the flag of Member States of the EEC in waters over which Sierra Leone has sovereignty or jurisdiction in respect of fisheries. Sierra Leone will permit fishing by EEC vessels in Sierra Leone’s fishing zone in accordance with the Agreement and the laws and regulations in force in Sierra Leone relating to fisheries.

The export of fish caught in Sierra Leone waters will help to satisfy the growing demand for fish products in European markets. The immediate benefit to Sierra Leone flagged fishing vessels of this Agreement will be to open up new opportunities of trade in these ports of call. Sierra Leone flagged vessels will enjoy an economic advantage realized through reduced cost of port dues and their cargoes in comparison to non-Sierra Leone flagged vessels that will have pay fees on their catches based on gross tonnage of fish caught. It is expected that many owners of fishing vessels will find re-flagging their vessels to Sierra Leone flag a serious consideration to garner the advantages created by the Agreement between Sierra Leone and the EEC.

Sierra Leone’s New Membershp Iotc And Iccat

In related news, Sierra Leone is a member of Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) and member of  the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) organizations. These organizations are dedicated to the management and conservation of tuna in the world’s oceans. As a nation with abundant fishing resources off its coast and which serve as an important food source for its population, Sierra Leone has an inherent interested in promoting the prudent management and sustainable development fisheries. As a member of these organizations, Sierra Leone hopes to send a clear signal that it is committed to a responsible policy for using and preserving global resources.

SLISR has been performing ship registration on behalf of the government of Sierra Leone from its offices in New Orleans for 3 1/2 years. Sierra Leone currently has almost 800 vessels under its registry and that number is expected to continue to expand. The types of vessels in the registry include tankers, bulk carriers, general cargo ships, fishing vessels and yachts. The registry places no restrictions on vessel size or crew nationality and offers flexible registrations including normal, special and bare boat charter in and out. Registration fees are extremely competitive and SLISR prides itself on efficient and prompt service to ship owners. The office
can be contacted through the website: www.sierraleoneship.com