Besides being the tourist attraction of Sierra Leone, the turquoise lagoon with palm trees here is also a seasonal breeding ground for fish and turtles. In May, however, the Sierra Leone government announced plans to build a fishing port and processing complex in the village. The project has raised concerns about its devastating effects on the local landscape, threatening animal species and polluting the environment. AFP . Black Johnson is the proposed site for the construction of an industrial harbor in Sierra Leone. Photo: Handout. Consequences of China’s “investment” Sierra Leone’s Fisheries Ministry said China is funding a $55 million project to build a fishing port to create jobs and support the local fishing industry in the poor country. But, instead of winning praise, Beijing’s actions are causing controversy in the African country. Mr. Tommy Gbandewa, also known as Tito, the owner of the eco-lodge, is leading the opposition to the plan to build on green plots. “If the Chinese come here, the environment will stink. The beaches will stink,” he said. “The water here will be dirty because of engine oil and a lot of noise, fishing boats will be everywhere.” This controversy is at the heart of a longstanding source of tension in Sierra Leone, between development advocates and conservationists on the other. Opposition is heightened as the government is looking to promote ecotourism to boost its economy. Eco-lodge owner Tommy Gbandewa is leading the charge against a Chinese-funded harbor construction plan. Photo: AFP. Sierra Leone is one of the world’s poorest countries and is still recovering from a civil war that claimed the lives of about 120,000 people nearly two decades ago. Although there are rich fishing grounds, the exploitation of fishery resources in this country is still limited. Not only that, according to Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Fisheries, in May, there were about 140 foreign fishing boats catching the country’s fish. These ship owners then processed and sold Sierra Leone’s seafood abroad “with little or no benefit to Sierra Leone”. Even so, despite receiving Beijing’s funding to build a modern fishing pier, the ambiguity in the implementation plan made locals wary. Some believe that the Chinese investors intend to build the fishmeal factory, although the government of Sierra Leone has denied the allegation with AFP . In recent times, a series of fishmeal factories have mushroomed along the West African coast. These factories harvest large quantities of seafood and often release foul-smelling waste, polluting water sources, wreaking havoc on the local environment and hindering tourism development. The fishmeal factory emits toxic waste that is a threat to local communities in Sierra Leone. Photo: Handout. Fishermen’s association spokesman Wudie Bakie Koroma said he would support the harbor construction if taken seriously. “If the fishmeal production (factory) is included in the project, we will firmly oppose it,” he stressed. Against this backdrop, the Chinese diplomat in the capital Freetown Du Zijun announced that the new Chinese-invested project is to build a harbor, not a “fishmeal factory”. “The accusations of not caring about protecting the environment and destroying the ecological environment are purely sensational hypothetical information,” he added. “We have a right to the land” Immediately after the news that the government signed a $ 55 million agreement with Beijing for China to build a project on 100 hectares of exposed sea and forest, locals have repeatedly petitioned to reverse the government’s decision. Mr. Tito said discontent was widespread. Government officials arrived with armed men to survey the construction site. “But I’m Sierra Leone and I have a right to the land,” Mr Tito said. In the wake of the controversy, Fisheries Minister Emma Kowa Jalloh, on a recent visit to the Black Johnson village, promised landowners would be compensated. According to the minister, the Chinese government will provide “subsidy” to build the project, while the government of Sierra Leone invests with land. Half of the required land area is owned by the state, the rest will be taken through the decision to acquire. “We are not occupying land,” she said, noting that the project was “very necessary” to create jobs for thousands of people. The new project is expected to be built in the village of Black Johnson. Photo: AFP. However, Dr Sama Banya, honorary president of the Sierra Leone Conservation Society, said the project would have a “catastrophic” impact on tourism and the fishing industry. Environmental NGO Green Scenery accused the government of failing to properly account for the project’s environmental impact and urged the plan to be scrapped. “Black Johnson is the only ecotourism site left in Freetown, we need to protect it,” said organization director Joseph Rahall. However, not all locals are against the harbor planning. Village chief Pa Lamin Kargbo said the port could help improve places where people still face daily shortages of water, electricity and schools. He explained that much of the friction with the government is due to a lack of dialogue. “We are calling for a peaceful resolution of the problem, so that everyone is a winner,” he said.

Coffee stenophylla is said to have a great taste. Photo: RBG KEW. In the dense rainforest of Sierra Leone, scientists have rediscovered a species of coffee that has disappeared in the wild for decades. This is a plant that can help ensure the future of coffee, which is already affected by climate change. In 2050, climate change halves coffee production On April 19, researchers said, this coffee tree has a name Coffea stenophylla , is able to withstand higher temperatures than Arabica coffee accounts for 56% and Robusta coffee accounts for 43% of global production. Stenophylla has been shown to have a premium taste, similar to Arabica. Botanist Aaron Davis, who leads research on the anti-climate change stenophylla coffee. Photo: Inews. Botanist Aaron Davis, who led the study published in the journal Nature Plants , said, before disappearing, stenophylla plants were grown in regions of West Africa and exported to Europe until the early 20th century. According to Mr. Davis, the stenophylla coffee tree has not been seen in the wild in Sierra Leone since 1954 and in the Ivory Coast since the 1980s. This is given as an evidence. Climate change is a pressing concern for the billion-dollar coffee industry. Many coffee farmers around the world are experiencing the negative effects of this phenomenon. The taste of Arabica is considered excellent and offers a higher price than robusta, which is mainly used for instant and blended coffee. But Arabica has a limited tolerance to climate change, and research has shown that global production of this coffee can drop by at least 50% by mid-century. The fruit of the stenophylla tree is dark black. Photo: Reuters. Unlike the red and sometimes yellow berries of Arabica and robusta, the stenophylla fruit is dark black. The coffee beans are inside the fruit. The stenophylla coffee grows at an average annual temperature of 24.9 ° C, 1.9 ° C higher than Robusta and up to 6.8 ° C higher than that, the researchers said. arabica coffee. Rediscovered stenophylla “proves the future” of the coffee industry Dr Davis said the rediscovery of stenophylla could help “prove the future” of the coffee industry, to support the economies of some tropical countries and provide livelihoods for more than 100 million farmers. people. Stenophylla can be used with minimal domestication, as a high value coffee for farmers in warmer climates. “In the long run, stenophylla provides us with an important resource for breeding a new generation of climate resistant coffee, as it has great taste and good heat resistance. “If historical reports on coffee leaf rust resistance and drought tolerance are believed to be correct, this will be a useful asset for coffee plant breeding”, Mr. Davis added. This study also included the evaluation of 18 coffee tasters on the taste of stenophylla species. A small sample of this coffee bean has been roasted and made into coffee, then enjoyed by a group of coffee connoisseurs. The report showed that more than 80% of the judges were unable to distinguish the difference between Stenophylla and Arabica when tasted. Accordingly, this species has a complex flavor, with a natural sweetness, high average acidity, and a fruity taste when sipping in the mouth. The rediscovered stenophylla grows wild in Sierra Leone. Photo: RBG KEW. From December 2018, Dr. Davis and study co-author Jeremy Haggar of the University of Greenwich and coffee developer Daniel Sarmu searched wild stenophylla in Sierra Leone, where it is historically grown as a coffee tree about a century ago. Initially, they discovered a single tree in central Sierra Leone. They then discovered a healthy population of wild stenophylla some 140 kilometers southeast of Sierra Leone. “Both sites are tropical rainforest, but stenophylla tends to appear on drier, more open areas: ridges, slopes, and rocky areas,” said Dr. Davis. According to Davis, stenophylla is threatened with extinction amid massive deforestation in three countries where it is growing wild: Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast. “I think we are extremely optimistic about the future,” said Jeremy Torz, co-founder of the Union Hand-Roasted Coffee special coffee business in East London, which hosts the tasting of the coffee. stenophylla can deliver ”. Dr. Davis hopes one day that stenophylla will be re-grown in Sierra Leone on a large scale. “I think within five to seven years we will see stenophylla enter the market as a niche, high-value coffee, and then I think it will be more popular,” he said.

The new coffee variety Coffea Stenophylla has been forgotten for decades and has just been rediscovered. Photo: Reuters. In the dense rainforests of Sierra Leone, scientists have rediscovered a new species of coffee that has not been seen in the wild for decades – a species they think could help secure the future. of valuable items but are being affected by climate change. On April 19, researchers announced that the new coffee species, Coffea stenophylla, was more resistant to temperatures than Arabica (56% of global production) and Robusta (43%). ). Stenophylla has been shown to taste superb, they added, to be similar to Arabica. Botanist Aaron Davis, who led the study, was published in the journal Nature Plants According to the report, the new species of coffee Stenophylla was grown in parts of West Africa and exported to Europe until the early 20th century, and then abandoned after Robusta coffee was popularized. Many farmers around the world coffee belt are experiencing the negative effects of climate change – a pressing concern for a multibillion-dollar industry. The taste of Arabica coffee is considered excellent and offers a higher price than Robusta, which is mainly used for the production of instant and blended coffee. But Arabica coffee is less resistant to climate change. Research has shown that its global output could decline by at least 50% by the middle of this century. Stenophylla grows at an average annual temperature of 24.9 degrees C – 1.9 degrees C higher than Robusta and up to 6.8 degrees C higher than Arabica, the researchers said. . The rediscovery of Stenophylla coffee could help in the “future proof” of the coffee industry that supports the economies of some tropical countries and provides livelihoods for more than 100 million farmers, Mr. Davis – coffee research team leader at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – said. “The idea is that Stenophylla can be used with minimal domestication, as a high value coffee for farmers in warmer climates,” he said. Stenophylla coffee provided us with an important resource for breeding a new generation of climate-resistant coffee trees, as it has excellent taste and high heat resistance. “If historical reports on the coffee’s resistance to rust (a fungus that ravaged coffee trees in Central and South America – PV) and the coffee plant’s drought tolerance is correct, then it is.” This means that it becomes even more useful to propagate the coffee plant, “Davis added. The study included taste assessments with 18 coffee tasters. Stenophylla has been found to have a complex flavor, with a natural sweetness, a medium high acidity, and a fruity taste when felt in the mouth. In December 2018, Davis and study co-author Jeremy Haggar of the University of Greenwich and coffee developer Daniel Sarmu looked for Stenophylla in nature. Initially, they discovered a single tree in central Sierra Leone. About 140 km (87 miles) southeast of Sierra Leone, they found a healthy population of Stenophylla. “Both sites are rainforest, but Stenophylla tends to appear on drier, more open areas: ridges, steep slopes and rocky areas,” Davis claims. Stenophylla has not been seen in the wild in Sierra Leone since 1954 and anywhere since the 1980s in Ivory Coast, he added. Stenophylla is threatened with extinction amid massive deforestation in three countries where it is known to grow wild: Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast, the study’s new study author wrote. Unlike the red and sometimes yellow fruit of Arabica and Robusta, the fruit of the Stenophylla tree is dark black. The coffee beans are inside the fruit. Jeremy Torz, co-founder of Union Hand-Ro Rang Coffee special coffee business in East London, where part of the flavor test took place, said: “I think we are extremely optimistic about the future Stenophylla can bring “.