Introduction

Sierra Leone is a country widely recognized for its beautiful beaches, which are major points of attraction for entertainment and tourism to locals and internationals. But the West African nation is struggling with a persistent issue as its renowned Lumley and Aberdeen beaches are marred by layers of unsightly brown seaweed. This predicament has been around for several years, decreasing the joy of locals and tourists who seek to have a good time in the untouched white sands and crystal-clear waters. This piece will help highlight some of the challenges they pose to the fishing and tourism industry.

Seaweed, Tourism and the fishing sector

The surge in seaweeds on Freetown’s most visited beaches not only poses environmental challenges, but has the propensity of chasing tourists away. The obscene brown seaweed choked the coastline of Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown, destroying fishing nets, clogging boat engines as well as disruption to tourism in the country known for its white sand beaches. The stench keeps tourists away and the deposits affected the fishing industry.

For beachgoers, the reemergence of seaweed is more than just a visual and olfactory disturbance. It’s a disruption to their cherished weekend routines. The invasion of seaweed has sparked numerous theories about its causes. Some believed that offshore oil drilling and mining activities were to blame for the algae surge.

However, an investigation into the occurrence indicates that it is a natural occurrence. The research further notes that while there are high levels of nutrients in the coastal waters, which can promote algae growth, this is not related to mining or exploration activities since the phenomenon has been observed in other countries as well.

The seaweed covering Sierra Leone’s beaches is primarily Phaeophyta or brown algae. These large, dense mats of seaweed create a unique environment for marine life, but for those seeking a day at the beach; the impact is less than ideal.

According to some fishermen on the beach, the seaweed has destroyed fishing nets and clogged boat engines, adding that they have to move from one position to another to escape the seaweed, but it keeps appearing.

Beach cleaning exercises, the role of tourism sector 

Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs together with the National Tourist Board, embarked on the removal of dirt and seaweed on the surface of Lumley beach. The move, orchestrated by the Minister and her Deputy was aimed at ensuring that the beach, a prime touristic attraction is habitable through regular cleaning.

In Sierra Leone, the rainy season always pose serious challenge in up keeping the beach because of the relentless flow of seaweed, waste and dirt on the beach. Therefore, authorities have to maintain robust stance during rainy seasons in order to mitigate the recurrence.

The Surf Rake is the only sand cleaner that easily removes wet, heavy seaweed and mounds of sargassum. Beach cleanup can be a struggle when sargassum weed is continually deposited on the beach. For many beach resorts and communities, sargassum weed can make beach cleanup a daily effort, which necessitates some kind of beach cleanup machine. The Surf Rake excels at removing large amounts of seaweed in both wet sand areas, where the ocean deposits seaweed on a daily basis, and thick piles of dried sea grass farther up on the beach. So this method is much more effective if employed by authorities to address seaweeds on beaches.

However, Sierra Leone is not the only country battling with it, neighboring countries like Ghana, Senegal, and Mauritania encounter similar problems. This global issue demands heightened awareness, concerted action, and innovative solutions to ensure the well-being of millions of people affected and the sustainability of the planet.

Conclusion

Sierra Leone’s white sand beaches, long admired the world over, used to host around 30,000 tourists a year until the civil war in 1991. A daily clearing exercise using dredgers has been underway since, but the seaweed is still collecting in large volumes and the stench is keeping tourists away and the deposits affecting the fishing industry. Thus, the government has a robust role to play to deal with the issue of seaweeds on the beaches.