Sierra Leone has agreed to sell China 250 acres of protected rainforest and beach in a 55 million dollar deal to build an industrial fishing harbor.

The harbor will be built on the Black Johnson beach fringe located in the western peninsula of Sierra Leone pictured above. It’s home to multiple endangered species. It's speculated the construction will destroy the pristine rainforest, plunder local fish stocks, and pollute fish breeding grounds and other ecosystems.

The deal is designed for a fishing harbor that will centralize all fishing activities and benefit both countries economically. The plan, however, is vague and leaves out critical details about how it will be built and eventually function. Local activists in Sierra Leone were the first to call out the government’s lack of transparency, and the deal is starting to capture global attention. Government officials worry more resistance will derail the project, so the more we share this story, the more likely it is we can save the land.

Two legal campaign groups have already written to the government demanding to see the environmental and social impact assessment studies and evidence that shows why the land was chosen as the most suitable place for the harbor.

It’s important to fight this plan because the fishing communities in West Africa are already experiencing environmental degradation. The construction of this harbor will increase the likelihood of extractive activates in the region, meaning the climate situation will worsen in a place that has already been pushed beyond its ability to adapt.

Help Sierra Leoneans and the Climate by signing this petition: https://www.change.org/p/president-julius-maada-bio-and-the-sierra-leone-government-save-black-johnson-beach-from-toxic-industrial-fish-factory?recruiter=1122646328&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_message&utm_term=psf_combo_share_initial&recruited_by_id=5cbe72d0-b406-11ea-afc9-45b2eca60097&share_bandit_exp=message-28795670-en-US

Photo: Taiwan News