Sand Mining Drowning Fisherfolk in Poverty

ST. PAUL BRIDGE – On the banks of the St. Paul River in Montserrado County, the day starts early. Paddles slicing through the water as fishermen set out before sunrise. For generations, the people along this river have survived on fishing.

But their way of life is fading away.

Where once nets came back filled with fish, now they return almost empty. Children wait on the shore for fathers whose catch can no longer feed them. The silence of empty boats has replaced the laughter that once echoed along the riverbanks.

For Roosevelt Kollie, a fisherman from St. Paul Bridge, a suburb outside Monrovia, who has fished here for over 40 years, the change is personal and painful.

“I have been fishing on this river for more than 30 years, but since companies started mining sand on the river, the fish migrated,” says Kollie. “Places where we used to catch huge quantities are now empty. The river is dying, and so is our livelihood.”

In the last decade or so, fishers like Kollie have seen their catches vanish after several companies began mining sands on the St. Paul River. This is not only changing their way of life but also drowning the fishing community in poverty.

Since 2011, the Ministry of Mines has issued 89 sand mining licenses for rivers and beaches across Liberia, including one that was issued on the 30th of October, official records show. Nineteen of those licenses were awarded for the St. Paul River, with seven currently active. Most of the licenses came after the Liberian government banned beach sand mining in 2012. The move was meant to curb coastal erosion. However, experts say it has piled pressure on rivers, hampering fishing.

Inland fishery plays a crucial role in sustaining rural life across Liberia. While ocean fisheries often take center stage, rivers, lakes, and wetlands are essential to thousands of families. A 2017 report estimated that 1,460 people engaged in inland fisheries, and the subsector produced 25 percent of the fish for rural communities.

“Fish depend on the riverbed for food. When sand is mined, it destroys their habitat and forces them to migrate into the sea,” says Dr. Eugene Shannon, former Minister of Mines and Energy. “Sometimes they return, and sometimes they’re killed by strong ocean currents. It’s not just bad for the river, it’s devastating for the people who depend on it.”

“[Sand mining] disrupts spawning and nursery grounds and leads to sedimentation, which reduces water quality and oxygen levels,” adds Ahmed Sherf, Director for Environment and Climate Change with the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA). He adds that sand mining damages mangroves, which serve as breeding and feeding grounds for various fish species.

Fishermen know this all too well.

‘’When it rains, my home leaks like outside. My children hold their books so they don’t get wet. Some days they get ready for school, but have to stay home because I can’t afford their remaining school fees,’’ says 42-year-old fisherman, Francis Wreh.