GOAL Sierra Leone launches bid to transform marine pollution management and create clean coasts and sustainable economic opportunities, at UN Ocean Conference 2025 - GOAL Global Skip to content

GOAL Sierra Leone launches bid to transform marine pollution management and create clean coasts and sustainable economic opportunities, at UN Ocean Conference 2025

 

June 10, 2025 • 4 min read

GOAL Sierra Leone, in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED) and the Ministry of Fisheries, will host a side event on Thursday, 12th June, at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France. The event, titled ‘Clean Coast Sierra Leone:  Promoting Sierra Leone’s Blue Economy Potential and Opportunities’ will highlight the blue economy investment opportunities including plastic recycling which can greatly help to address the urgent issue of marine pollution and its devastating impact on Sierra Leone’s coastal communities, marine biodiversity, and key Blue Economy sectors.

The event will generally presents a significant platform to showcase Sierra Leone’s Blue Economy potential, investment opportunities, and the progress made in the blue economy governance. The conference aims to propose concrete solutions and mobilise resources for significant investment in the blue economy, which resonates with Sierra Leone’s objective of hosting the proposed side event.

Key speakers at this UN Ocean Conference side event include:

  • Benjamin Bockarie, Programme Coordinator, Blue Economy, Food Security & Livelihood, GOAL Sierra Leone
  • Sheku Sei, Director of Fisheries at Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resource, Sierra Leone
  • Alpha Kapri Bangura, Director of Public Investment Management at Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, Sierra Leone

Speaking in advance of the side-event, Benjamin Bockarie, Programme Coordinator, Blue Economy, Food Security & Livelihood, GOAL Sierra Leone, said

“Sierra Leone faces a significant marine pollution crisis that jeopardizes the health of coastal communities and the environment. Over 70% of household waste, including plastics and fishery by-products, ends up in the ocean due to inadequate waste management systems. This pollution has devastating effects on marine life, fisheries, and the potential for sustainable tourism, costing the country millions of dollars in lost income and environmental damage each year.”

“To address this growing crisis, GOAL Sierra Leone is committed to a bold vision for transforming marine pollution management and creating sustainable economic opportunities. Our aid agency is aiming to establish decentralised Coastal Waste Recovery & Innovation Hubs in three districts: Kambia, Western Rural, and Western Urban—with a focus on circular economy solutions” continued Benjamin Bockarie.

The outline plan to establish these decentralised Coastal Waste Recovery & Innovation Hubs in Sierra Leone includes.

  • Establishing nine waste collection centres and material recovery facilities in targeted communities.
  • Partnering with local innovators to pilot waste-to-energy and recycling technologies.
  • Conducting coastal waste audits to assess the scale of pollution in target communities.
  • Launching behavioural change campaigns aimed at reaching 500,000 people through radio, school clubs, and digital platforms.
  • Engaging government and civil society to strengthen marine pollution reduction policies.

The expected benefits of this marine pollution management scheme are as follows.

Economic

  • Creation of over 1,000 green jobs in waste management and eco-enterprise.
  • A 40% reduction in post-harvest fish loss, boosting income security for fishers.

Social

  • Improved public health through cleaner environments and better waste management systems.
  • Empowerment of women and youth as leaders in ocean protection and climate action.

Environmental

  • Restoration of coastal ecosystems and marine biodiversity, contributing to healthier oceans.
  • Significant reduction in GHG emissions through the conversion of waste to biogas and plastic substitution.

Investment Ask: Driving Impact for Sustainable Oceans

To bring this transformative vision to life, GOAL Sierra Leone is seeking a total investment of $2.8 million over the next three years. This funding will enable the development of necessary infrastructure, capacity building, and advocacy efforts to drive lasting change.

About GOAL Sierra Leone

GOAL has been working in Sierra Leone since 1999, initially responding to the aftermath of the civil war, and later playing a central role in the 2014 Ebola response. Today, with a team of 137 staff, GOAL operates in nine of the country’s 16 districts, delivering programmes in Food and Nutrition Security, Health, and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) that strengthen long-term resilience. In 2024 alone, these programmes reached over 700,000 people.

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Editor’s notes

Key statistics about marine pollution in Sierra Leone:

  • Sierra Leone ranks 102nd out of 180 countries on the Environmental Performance Index (EPI, 2022) for ocean health.
  • An estimated 14,000 tons of plastic waste enters Sierra Leone’s waters annually (World Bank, 2021).
  • Fishing contributes 9.5% to Sierra Leone’s GDP, yet declining fish stocks threaten the food security of over 500,000 coastal dwellers.
  • Research from the UNEP (2020) indicates that investing $1 in marine pollution reduction can generate up to $7 in economic returns, supporting sectors such as tourism, fisheries, and health.