Implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Governance of Tenure and on sustainable small scale fisheries in the fisheries and aquaculture legislation in Sierra Leone

This FAO Legal Paper looks at and evaluates the present laws and policies relating to sustainable small-scale fisheries in the fisheries and aquaculture legislation in operation in Sierra Leone and makes recommendations to align them with the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT). This Paper provides a brief introduction of the fisheries sector in Sierra Leone, focusing on the small-scale sect or with an overview of the uses and access rights to resources. It provides an analysis of institutional structure and fisheries management and identifies the importance of inclusion for certain communities and traditional systems in order to improve livelihoods and economic prosperity for the state. This Paper forms part of a series of legal assessment reports for Sierra Leone against the VGGT, which were endorsed by the Committee on World Food Security in May 2012.