Sierra Leone’s decision to suspend artisanal fishing throughout February 2026 is being framed by authorities as a necessary step toward protecting marine ecosystems, but for thousands of small scale fishers along the country’s coastline, the policy means an entire month without income in an economy where daily earnings often determine daily survival.
The closed season, announced by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, will run from February 1 to 28 and applies to the artisanal fisheries subsector, which employs an estimated 70 percent of Sierra Leone’s fishing population. From midnight on January 31, all artisanal fishing canoes are expected to remain anchored at their designated landing sites, with enforcement backed by the navy, police, and other security agencies.
“We understand the talk about protecting fish, but how do we feed our families for one whole month,” Mohamed Kamara, an artisanal fisher at Goderich beach near Freetown asked. “Fishing is what we do every day. If we don’t go to sea, there is no money and no food.”
Seasonal fishing closures are not new in Sierra Leone, but until recently they applied mainly to industrial fishing companies. Artisanal fishers, who rely on small canoes and daily catches, had largely been exempt. The government has now made seasonal closures for both industrial and artisanal fisheries a yearly policy, with artisanal fishing halted every February and industrial fishing suspended in April.
Officials say the closure gives fish stocks time to spawn and rebuild, helping to secure long term sustainability. But fishers and coastal communities say the policy shifts the burden of conservation onto those least able to absorb the shock.
“For people in offices, one month may look small,”Fatmata Conteh, a fish processor and trader in Tombo stated. “But for us women who smoke and sell fish, when the canoes stop, our own work stops. That month means debts, hunger, and children staying home from school.”
The government has warned that the closure will be strictly enforced, with penalties including the confiscation of fish, engines, and fishing gear, as well as heavy fines. Fishers say this has created fear in communities where many already struggle to maintain their boats and equipment.
“If they seize my engine, that is the end of my livelihood, Ibrahim Sesay, a canoe owner in Tombo said. “Even after the closure, how will I return to fishing without an engine?”
While the ministry has assured consumers that arrangements with industrial fishing companies will ensure uninterrupted fish supply to markets, artisanal fishers argue that this does little to address their own loss of income. Many also point out that industrial fleets are better positioned to survive closures, while small scale operators have no savings or alternative livelihoods to fall back on.
The ministry has acknowledged the hardship the closure may cause but insists it is not intended to punish fisherfolk. However, civil society groups and community leaders say conservation policies must be paired with social support, such as food assistance, cash transfers, or temporary alternative work, to avoid pushing already vulnerable households deeper into poverty.
As Sierra Leone joins other West African countries in tightening fisheries management amid declining stocks, the February closure highlights a broader dilemma facing environmental policy across the region. Without safety nets, fishers warn that sustainability measures risk becoming another source of suffering for communities already living with economic uncertainty.
“We all want the fish to come back,” Kamara said. “But if protecting the sea means our children go hungry today, then something is missing in this plan.”
