Liberia Secures US$500K Grant to Strengthen Fisheries Transparency, Reform Sector Law | News

The Government of Liberia has secured a US$500,000 grant from Oceans5 to support the review and modernization of the country’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Management and Development Law of 2019, marking a significant step toward strengthening governance and sustainability in the sector.

The funding outcome stems from international commitments and partnerships forged during the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice in 2025 and reinforced at the 11th Our Ocean Conference held in Mombasa in 2026.

The initiative, titled “Creating Greater Fisheries Transparency in Liberia,” will be implemented by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) in collaboration with the Government of Liberia through the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA).

The project is designed to strengthen transparency, accountability, and governance in Liberia’s fisheries sector while enhancing national capacity to combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing activities.

A central component of the initiative is support for the integration and implementation of the principles of the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency, which Liberia championed and endorsed at the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice.

The legal review process will also support Liberia’s efforts to ratify the International Labour Organization Work in Fishing Convention (C188), aimed at improving labor standards and protections for fishers operating in the sector.

Officials say the grant represents a major milestone in Liberia’s ongoing fisheries governance reforms and reflects growing international confidence in the country’s commitment to sustainable ocean management.

By strengthening legal and regulatory frameworks, the project is expected to enhance monitoring, enforcement, and accountability mechanisms across the fisheries value chain.

It will also contribute to Liberia’s broader efforts to address compliance concerns under the European Union’s fisheries governance framework and support progress toward lifting the nearly nine-year EU Yellow Card, which serves as a warning over efforts to combat IUU fishing.

Speaking on the development, the Director General of NaFAA, J. Cyrus Saygbe Sr., said the initiative underscores Liberia’s commitment to building a transparent and responsible fisheries sector.

He emphasized that the reforms will help safeguard marine resources, improve labor conditions, and ensure that the sector delivers long-term economic benefits to coastal communities and future generations.

The project is expected to play a key role in advancing Liberia’s vision for a more transparent, sustainable, and accountable blue economy.