Institute of Tourism and Island Development

The Story of Tasso Island

The British began to visit the Sierra Leone River Estuary from 1500 onwards on a regular basis, including voyages by John Hawkins and Thomas Hampton in October 1562 and Sir Francis Drake in 1666.
From a search of the literature, the first direct reference to Tasso Island appears in 1635 as the 'ilha de taco (Carvalho). Early relationships between the British and local rulers appear to have been fractious and a trader noted in 1659 that the English had returned to Tasso, while a Dutch account, written in 1662, refers to the ‘English on Tasso’ and the fact that they had had a quarrel with the King of Carecole and abandoned the Island.
The Royal African Company of England was established in 1660 by the Duke of York (Later King James ll) and the first record of permanent settlement appears in the companies records when its London Agents instructed its ships captains to establish ‘factories’ on Sherbro (York) and Tasso Islands. These ‘factories’ were semi-fortified compounds designed to hold trading goods until the ‘trade winds’ were blowing in a favourable direction for sailing ships to travel to and from England.
Early settlement of Sherbro, York, Banana, Tasso and Bunce Islands was undertaken in negotiation with the resident kings and their chiefs (in the case of Tasso, the Bulloms from the Lungi peninsula) and throughout the next two centuries these agreements were critical, guaranteeing use of the land and the payment of rent to the local chief. Early references are made to the Chief of Kumba Bai village on the Rokel River and it is interesting to note that the strongest supporter of the Tasso Ecotourism Project today is Chief Pa KumbaBai of Oko Town.
Due to the risk of hostilities from rival trading nations, each European country set out to build permanent forts which could be garrisoned against invasion. In 1664, the British challenged the supremacy of the Dutch by attacking forts in Ghana and mistreating Dutch traders elsewhere along the Guinea coast. The Dutch, under Admiral De Ruyter, retaliated and destroyed Britain’s first fort on Tasso Island (see "Dapper’s Account of the Dutch Raid on Tasso Island, 1664" below) which was subsequently replaced by a new fort on the neighbouring ‘Bens’ Island, variously called Bence and Bunce Island over the years.
Dapper’s Account of the Dutch Raid on Tasso Island, 1664
On the island in the River of Serre-Lions, the English possessed a small Fort, erected for the more secure managing of their Trade, which in the Year Sixteen hundred sixty and four, the tenth of December, the Dutch under the Conduct of the Admiral De Rutter, with a Fleet, without reason, surprizd and took; wherein they found four or five hundred Elephants-Teeth, a good number of Copper-Kettles, Iron Bars and about sixty or seventy lasts of Salt; the later parcels, with some other inconsiderable Merchnadises, they left there; but the Teeth and other Wares of consequence they brought over to the returning ships.
Although Bunce Island was to become the long term British stronghold, Tasso Island remained as its principal plantation and factory due to its greater size and opportunities for producing agricultural and other produce. A visitor to Bunce Island noted in 1722 that they had passed the remains of the Tasso Lodge, abandoned because of high mortality (no doubt because of the swampy nature of the Island) , but the author also implied that final abandonment only took place in recent years (Houston, 1725).
In the 1680’s and 1690’s Tasso Island, along with James Island at the mouth of the Gambia River and York Island close to Sherbro, formed the three slaving stations for the Royal African Company.
Slaves were shipped to Jamaica, Barbados and the Leeward Islands from these locations but at the same time ships were returning directly to London and other English Ports carrying camwood, bees-wax, hides and ivory.
The Royal African Company was continually pressing its local agents to develop new trading activities, one of which was the manufacture of indigo dye from two species of plants; one imported from India and the other growing naturally in the lowland forests of Sierra Leone.
Tasso became the main centre for experiments in the production of Indigo which was a complex process and involved dirty and debilitating work – both in planting and tending the indigo seeds and vines and in harvesting the leaves which were steeping in water and chemicals and then pounded to release the dye component. "Tending the fermenting leaves, which let off disgusting fumes and attracted swarms of flies, was easily the most unpleasant of the indigo processing tasks" (Kriger, 2010). Numerous attempts were made to grow and process indigo from 1684 to 1699, with two successful harvests being recorded on Tasso in 1695 and 1697. The 1697 harvest produced 246 lbs of indigo cake which was shipped to London the following year.
Work on indigo production was carried out by local ‘free’ Africans and mixed race ‘gromettos’, many of whom were reluctant to be involved. In 1692, four carpenters, who had been hired to build the vats on Tasso, deserted the company and in December 1693, fifteen men and three women ran away, taking with them "four muskets, four fowling shotguns, and two pairs of pistols" (Kriger).
The challenges in growing indigo were not confined to the difficulties of employing workers; seedlings rotted in the rains or were eaten by caterpillars, the local population was afraid of frequent raiding parties from French ships, and buildings and stores were at risk of being burnt to the ground by rival traders and privateers.
The development of synthetic dyes eventually destroyed the natural indigo market. By 1702, the Royal African Company was exhorting its agents to try growing cotton instead, together with supplies of ginger, sugar-cane, peper, spice, gum, trees and drugs insisting that "in the garden on Bens Island or at Tasso Island they set, sow and plant all things that might be improvable for trade". (Kriger).
Little has been found in the historical record of activities on Tasso during the 18th Century, but it is clear that the island continued to be used as a support to the main slaving and trading activities on the neighbouring Bunce island, including supplying most of that island’s needs for fresh water from the springs at Oku Town which are still used today.
Note on Historical Research
As part of the Tasso Ecotourism Project, serious study is being undertaken, through use of national and international archives, to trace the history of Tasso Island, together with local exploration on the island.

Principal Sources include:
• Paul Hair, Adam Jones, Robin Law (1992) Barbot on Guinea: The Writings of Jean Barbot on West Africa, 1678-1712, Vol 1 & 2. Hakluyt Society.
• Dapper, Ofert, Translated by John Ogilby, 1668
• The Records of the Royal African Company held in The National Archives
• , Kew, London.
• James Curry (2013) Commercial Agriculture, the Slave Trade and Slavery in Atlantic Africa, edited by Robin Law, Suzanne Schwarz, Silke Strickrodt.
• Simon Schama (2007) Rough Crossings; The Slaves, the British and the American Revolution. Harper Collins.
• © Peter Nelson; Bristol, February 2018

INSTITUTE OF TOURISM AND ISLAND DEVELOPMENT
(I-TID SL)

Institute of Tourism and Island Development ( I-TID SL) is a research based entity that provides pragmatic solutions to island tourism development; and also identifies inherent development gaps that can be filled by innovative community entrepreneurial capacities and local appropriate technologies.
In meeting the global challenges and demand for Island tourism development, the Institute will periodically provide situational analysis of Island destination management, product brand offerings and critical issues on environmental sustainability, climate variability and island resilience. The following will therefore be looked into:

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• Models for sustainable destination development,
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Islands have thus become popular tourism destinations worldwide, providing diverse travel experiences for tourists of different types, and tourism has long been one of the driving forces of island development which, in turn, has the potential to reinforce Islandness

Tourism has been an economic development opportunity, which potential diversifies livelihoods, reduces poverty, and empowers island communities.
The incoming of outsiders/tourists reduces insularity, changes island environments and sometimes disrupting local culture and lifestyles
Therefore, the engagement of island communities, particularly vulnerable groups that may have little prior experience with tourism, should be facilitated to ensure their access to benefits while managing potential costs.

Experience the new world of tourism where vehicles cannot go; but where you can have the richness of nature and unique cultural values; fun and receptive hospitality.
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ISLAND TOURISM AND LOCAL COMMUNITY LIVELIHOOD

Island Beauty and Tourism Development

Tourism is the vector that builds the bridges of cooperation and friendship; the road for development and poverty reduction; and History, being the root of tourism development and historical preservation of cultural civilization. IslandAid Sierra Leone in collaboration with the twenty two island communities within the five river locations( Atlantic ocean, Roklel rivert, Bangasoka, Great scarcices and Sewa/mao rivers is therefore poised to change the narratives of Island myth to the new world of tourists destinations

Island Vulnerability and the threats of climate change are congenial twins, wshich effects have to be arrested by innovative actions. Mr Tejan Saccoh of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hammered home the growing risk of climate change on the Islands' ecosystems, which warranted immediate remedial intervention/actions. IslandAid Sierra Leone is therefore seeking the action of community stakeholders, political leaders, development agencies and others to catalyse commitments for environmental sustainability and sustainable tourism development.

Mr Dura Koroma, Executive Director IslandAid Sierra Leone was piloting the STEP Initiative, being a solution to island poverty. This Initiative is in line with implementation strategies of UN Agenda 21, which promotes sustainable tourism development to eliminate poverty in the island communities. Mr Koroma being a forward looking personae with novel innovative ability, to positively impact local communiuties, has collaborated with IslandAid West Africa and Business Coalition for Island Resilience and Development (BIRD) to organise Island Mix Fiesta and Cultural Exhibition in December 2019, to showcase the Islands' unique cultural identity and traditional heritages that are of touristic value

National Tourist Board poised to promote island tourism. Mr Alex, Tourism Officer pointed out the need for community based tourism within a healthy environment, using the STEP Initiative and Ecotrust model that create the viable economic space for the promotion of Island Eco-concept and green economies

Mrs Bintu Moseray, Coastal Risk Manager, UNDP was escalating policy strategies that enhance community based tourism, environmental sustainability and resilient islands against the growing risk of climate change, deforestation, biodiversity loss.and habitat destruction

The CEO, Business Coalition for Island Resilience and Development (BIRD), Mrs Hawa Koroma escalated Islands' vulnerability and untapped potentials in Island Tourism at the Biodiversity Day Celebration on 22nd May 2019 at Pepel Island