Sierra Leone has launched construction of its first industrial fishing port, a $55 million project backed by China and aimed at modernizing the country’s fisheries industry. Located in Black Johnson Village, the Julius Maada Bio Industrial Fishing Port will include docking facilities, cold storage, fish processing centers, warehouses, and waste-treatment systems. Officials say the port could handle up to 20,000 metric tons of fish annually, generate more than $60 million in yearly revenue, and reduce post-harvest losses. The fisheries sector currently contributes 7.5% to Sierra Leone’s GDP. President Julius Maada Bio called the port vital to national development, while local communities anticipate job creation and skills transfer. By modernizing infrastructure, Freetown aims to leverage China’s new zero-tariff policy on African exports and transition the fisheries sector from artisanal practices to a globally competitive blue economy.
IOL
