The Fisheries and Aquaculture Regulations, 2019. Statutory Instrument No. 6 of 2019.

These Regulations further provide for sustainable management of fish resources and aquaculture in Sierra Leone. They implement in part provisions of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2018. The Regulations are divided into 7 Parts: Preliminary (I); Fisheries Conservation and Management (II); Licence, Authorisation and Registration Requirements and Procedures (III); Conditions and Requirements for Fishing, Transhipment, the Use of Ports and Fish Aggregating Devices (IV); Information, Records, Returns, Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Register (V); Fish Processing and Marketing (VI); Offences, Fines, Penalties and Liabilities (VII). The Regulations are completed by 14 Schedules.
As for fisheries management and conservation, the Director of Fisheries shall encourage, in the spirit of shared responsibility, the participation of stakeholders, including community associations, in the development of management plans for artisanal fisheries and marine protected areas, in accordance with section 11 of the Act. The Inshore Exclusion Zone referred to in section 18 of the Act consists of all waters seawards of the low-water line Zone. along the coast of Sierra Leone to the line connecting the following coordinates of latitude and longitude as set out in the First Schedule. An industrial fishing vessel shall not fish in this zone. The Minister may declare marine protected areas and may delegate to a local area management authority, the power to develop community by-laws specifying management measures for the managing access rights and implementation of conservation measures. The Regulation set out prohibited fishing gear and methods and prohibits the leaving of objects abandoned at sea. Fishing for turtles or immature rays or sharks shall be prohibited. the Minister may declare endangered fish species, the fishing of which shall be prohibited.
These Regulations set out conditions and procedures for the issuing of licenses and authorizations and the conditions to which a licence shal be subject (in particular for industrial vessels). They specify preconditions for the granting of a foreign fishing licence. These may be issued in case of a surplus of allowable catch indicated in a fisheries plan. The Minister shall investigate the history of the fishing vessel and its beneficial owner as regards IUU fishing activities. The Director shall also ensure that the flag State’s competent authority has authorised the foreign fishing vessel to fish and to operate beyond the flag State fishery waters. The Regulations set out the circumstances in which a licence shall be refused. The Regulations also provide rules relative to use of ports, use of fish aggregating devices, reporting, information as regard suspected IUU activities, granting of licences to operate a fish processing fish processing establishment, licence to process fish on a fishing vessel, the landing of sharks and transshipment of fish. Introduction into the fishery waters, of any genetically modified, alien or exotic fish requires a licence.
An operator of a fishing vessel shall not less than 72 hours prior to transhipment, apply to the Director for a transhipment, loading or local landing authorisation in accordance with the conditions and in the form specified in the Eighth Schedule. A transhipment, loading or local landing authorisation shall specify when and where transhipment, loading or local landing shall take place and shall be subject to such conditions as the Director may endorse. A foreign fishing vessel shall obtain a written authorisation issued by the Director for the use of a Sierra Leone port and shall notify in advance port entry. The Director shall not grant such authorisation to a vessel if he or she is satisfied that the vessel- (a) has engaged in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing or fishing related activities or in support of such activities; or (b) is an illegal, unreported and unregulated listed vessel. Port services may be denied to a foreign fishing vessel. All foreign fishing vessels shall be inspected. Fish shall be landed at ports designated by the Minister.