September 11, 2019
By Yusufu S. Bangura
The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has yesterday (Tuesday 10th September) warned management of Sierra Palms Resort not to encroach on mangroves swamp as those areas are meant for the protection of lives and properties by the government.
Speaking during a monitoring process at the back of Sierra Palms Hotel, Lawyer for EPA, Tamba Sangbah, said the reason they decided to pay a visit along the beach area was that they realised that some places along the beach have been encroached on.
He said mangroves is very an important area in Sierra Leone and that they at EPA were supposed to protect those areas, as they play pivotal roles for the daily existence in society.
“We want to warn the Sierra Palm hotel not to encroach on the mangroves as it is very important for our society and also serves as a sink for animals, like fishes as that is where they breed. So, if they tamper with those areas it would affect the biodiversity. I also want to warn Cape Sierra hotel to obtain their EAI license,” he said.
He noted that there was a demarcation that they should not go beyond, but that a lot of them along the beach have gone beyond it.
He said they monitored the mangroves s swamps so that the hotel management could visit the EPA office to agree on the re-vegetation of plant they have destroyed.
He noted that Sierra Palms hotel has encroached greatly on the site and that they were willing to comply with the EPA and they asked the management to go to the officer. He added that, they did it because there is an environmental concerned alone those areas.
He mentioned that, if they destroy those areas it would have a very damming effect on the environment and they cannot operate without obtaining a yearly license from EPA, so they warned them not encroach on it.
He noted that if anybody fails to comply with them, they have the mandate to institute legal proceedings against the individual or institution in the court of law.
