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Liberia Media Advocacy Group for Fisheries and Ocean Governance, Sophie Congo Town, Monrovia (2025)

22/05/2024

For Immediate Release

NaFAA Workers Association Reinforces Vote of No Confidence in DG Emma Glassco

(Mon., Mon., May 20, 2024): The Workers Association of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) has reinforced its earlier decision expressing a vote of no confidence in the director generalship of Madam Emma Metieh Glassco. On May 6, 2024, the association held a press conference at its office in the Bushrod Island, calling for the removal of Director General Emma Metieh Glassco, a gathering which later witnessed disruption by officers of the Liberia National Police on the orders of Madam Glassco.

The decision to express a vote of no confidence arises due to consistent violations of the Hunan Resource Manual of NaFAA, the Fisheries Management Law of 2019, the National Code of Conduct for Public Officials, and the Decent Work Act of Liberia 2015.

The leadership of the NaFAA boss since 2018 up to date is characterized by constant unwelcome workplace harassment of staff, deduction of staff salary without remitting to NASSCORP, seizing seagoing fishery observers insurance allowance benefits, unreasonable administrative sanctions, undue denial of staff for capacity building training, refusal to pay employee’s wages, unplanned job change, assigning task beyond a person skill, intimidation using repeated threat of dismissal, and salary disparity immensely influenced by political affiliation.

These actions of Madam Glassco constitute a gross violation of Section 2.7 of NaFAA Human Resource Manual. Moreover, termination of employees on study leave, which is against Section 6.6 of the same HR Manual, highlights a serious violation, as it mandates full salary payment for the first 6 months and half salary thereafter.

Madam Glassco's refusal to appoint the Fisheries Advisory Council, as required by Section 3.3 of the Fisheries Management Law, indicates an intent to monopolize the Liberia's fishery resources. Furthermore, the unauthorized extension of permits for three Spain-Senegalese shrimp fishing vessels in the EEZ from six months to two years, without adequate oversight, breaches Section 10.24 of the Fisheries Management Law.

This illegal operation degrades the marine environment, violates international agreements (including the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), and has caused a significant decline in artisanal catch rates. It also damages Liberia's relationships with fisheries development partners, leading to the cessation of crucial training and sustainable programs.

The Workers Association calls on the Board of NaFAA and the Office of the President to address these concerns promptly and transparently. For the stability and effectiveness of NaFAA's operations, it is vital that this issue is resolved swiftly and justly. The resolution for this vote of no confidence has been communicated to the chairman and all members of the board of NaFAA, the Office of the President, the House’s committee on Fisheries, Minister of Labor, and all relevant authorities since May 2, 2024 and no redress.

A smoothly functioning fisheries sector is crucial for our nation's prosperity. We urge all stakeholders, including the Fisheries Committees of the Legislature, the Judiciary, civil society, international partners, and concerned individuals, to ensure NaFAA operates with integrity and accountability.

We reiterate our vote of no confidence in Madam Emma Metieh Glassco’s leadership and demand intervention from the board and the President’s Office to resolve this matter satisfactorily.

Signed: _________________________________
Sonkarlay Karnue
Asst. Gen Secretary, NaFAAWA
Cell #: 0886683478/0770683478

Approved: _______________________________
Jeremiah W. Nah
President, NaFAAWA
Cell #: 0777011459

18/05/2024

Emma Metieh Glassco is depleting NaFAA's coffers before her departure. Remove her now.

14/04/2024

Breaking!

NaFAA boss Emma Metieh Glassco apologizes for wrongfully replacing Director Ahmed Sheriff.

14/04/2024

Madam Glassco doesn't deserve to be the head of NaFAA. She's depleted the coffers of the entity.

11/08/2023

Fishermen to stage protest over “high” licensing fees

The Liberia Artisanal fishermen Association (LAFA), an umbrella organization for fishermen across the country, says it is at the verge of staging a protest in Monrovia.

The intent of the protest, according to the association president, is to bring the attention of the government to what he calls high licensing fees imposed by the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA).

Jerry Blamo informed a Fisheries Journal interview Friday that fishermen have been calling on NaFAA to reduce the fees owing to the high cost of living.

He said NaFAA had promised to lobby with the legislature and the office of the president for the reduction, but it is yet to come to fruition.

In the face of LAFA’s agitation, the fisheries authority has recalled all its staff earlier deployed to collect fisheries license fees. However, the LAFA president said he’s yet to receive any communication to that effect.

Blamo furthered that the association is open to any dialogue to resolve the matter in the interest of the Liberian fisheries industry.

11/08/2023

Troubled Cargo vessel captain sends out SOS call

The captain of a regional cargo vessel that inadvertently docked on the shore of Harper City in Maryland County on early Tuesday morning, has called on the Liberian government to swiftly intervene in rescuing his ship from destruction.

Occasioned by rough sea, the vessel accidentally docked right opposite Lake Shepherd in Harper, leaving nine crewmen stranded.

John Kwame informed a Fisheries Journal interview in Harper on Friday that the sooner the government, through the Liberia Maritme Authority, the better chance the ship stands to be rescued.

According to John, the vessel, which carries a Cameroonian flag, has been in Liberia since April 2023, for the purpose of commuting between Monrovia and Harper.

11/07/2023

Big International Fisheries Meeting Kicks Off in Liberia Today

The 23rd annual meeting of the Fisheries Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic (CECAF -FAO) kicks off in Liberia today, July 11, 2023.

The international fisheries meeting is being organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, (FAO) in collaboration with the Liberian government through the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA).

According to a NaFAA press release the meeting will be held at Farmington Hotel in Margibi County from July 11-14, 2023 with 19 countries and 4 observers expected to participate.

The meeting will be held under the theme “Practical solutions to strengthen fisheries management and sustainability in Fisheries Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic” (CECAF) and it will be attended by some 60 delegates from member countries and observer partners.

Meanwhile, NaFAA Director General Madam Emma Metieh Glassco has expressed optimism of a successful hosting of the fisheries meeting and described the event as one of the biggest for the Liberian fisheries sector.

22/06/2023

NaFAA, Conservation International sign US$2 empowerment grant for fishmongers

Liberia-The government of Liberia through the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) and Conservation International (CI) have signed a 2 million United States dollars grant management agreement to enhance women’s participation in fisheries under the World Bank financed Liberia Sustainable Management of Fisheries Project.

NaFAA Director General, Madam Emma Metieh Glassco, signed on behalf of the Liberian government while CI Senior Vice President for Africa, Madam Suzanne Ngo-Eyok, signed on behalf on her institution.

Speaking at the ceremony held at NaFAA corporate headquarters on Bushrod Island Freeport Tuesday June 20, 2023, Director General Glassco said the project seeks to engage and support dialogue with financial institutions to target women entrepreneurs as a viable market and enhance their financial products offering through hands-on financial literacy, and business management training for women-owned small and medium enterprises.

Madam Glassco said the grant intends to empower women to develop their businesses progressively from macro-businesses to micro-businesses which would include adopting climate-smart interventions, educating other women-owned enterprises, and ultimately earning positions as small- and medium-scale enterprises with proven credit absorptive capacities when they would be linked with the formal financial market.

The funding is part of World Bank’s US$40 million loan and grant to the Liberian government for the improvement of the fisheries industry. Represented at the signing ceremony was Mr. Fisseha Tessema Abissa, World Bank Task Team leader for Fisheries and Forestry Projects.

In a brief statement, Mr. Abissa expressed optimism the project will help Liberia transitioned from semi-industrial fishing to industrial fishing, but said this was impossible without the involvement of women.

Earlier, Conservation International Senior Vice President for Africa, Madam Suzanne Ngo-Eyok, said giving women the opportunity to invest and benefit from the fisheries sector was one effort geared towards sustainably managing the sector due to their importance.

08/06/2023

The fisheries sector provides about 65 percent of the animal protein needs of Liberia. Fishmongers, who are mainly women, determine the overall quality of the fish being consumed daily, but work under extremely difficult conditions. There's absolutely no shelter for them while in search of fish at different beaches across the country to supply the local market. The Liberia Media Advocacy Group for Fisheries and Ocean Governance, owner of Fisheries Journal, is working on a project to erect what is known as 'Fish Waiting Stations' to ease this problem. The photos below sum up the need. Fishmongers in Liberia deserve better!

05/06/2023

Liberian fishing communities still threatened by unaccepted fishing Practices

As the world observes the 6th anniversary of the International Day Against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing on Monday, June 5, the Liberia Media Advocacy Group for Fisheries and Ocean Governance (LiMAGFOG) says Liberian fishing communities are still being threatened by unacceptable fishing practices along the coast of Liberia, urging government to take immediate actions to curtail the problem.

Given birth to on 5 December 2017 through a United Nations General Assembly resolution, the International Day for the Fight against IUU Fishing is annually observed to primarily promote awareness of the threats posed by illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing activities to the sustainability of fisheries resources.

The local media advocacy group has for the last few days been holding media awareness against IUU fishing in a few fishing communities, cautioning local fisherfolk to report bad fishing practices.

Speaking to LiMAGFOG reporters in the densely populated fishing community of West Point, Emmanuel Joe, local fishers are going out of business due to illegal fishing activities carried out by industrial fishing vessels. According to Nagbe, their nets are regularly being destroyed by foreign or industrial fishing vessels while intruding in fishing zones exclusively meant for local fishers.
“We’re catching hard times in the hands of those big fishing vessels. They normally leave their areas and come to the place we throw our nets and destroy them. Sometimes our canoes are destroyed. You see some of the canoes here were destroyed by those people. They can’t go fishing anymore”.

He said the situation has made local fisherfolk challenged in paying their fisheries license fees to government.

“Sometimes they say we can’t pay our license fees. It’s not deliberate. How do you get money to pay your fees when your canoe is damaged by those big fishing vessels on the sea?”.
Another fishermen Harrison Wlehwleh said even though the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (the regulator of the fisheries sector of Liberia) has taken measures to curtail this bad fishing, Wlehwleh holds the view that the action of those industrial fishing vessels is deliberate.

“The government through NaFAA is doing well, but some of those big vessels do these things deliberately. I can tell you they can mean what they do to us. They can come down to us and clear our fishing nets. This is really suffering us here”.

During a tour of Maryland, Grand Kru, Sinoe and River Cess last month by the head of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), Mrs. Emma Metieh Glassco was informed at every townhall meeting that illegal and or migrant fishing was causing hardship for them. The fishermen requested that the government put this practice to an end.

In 2020, the Environmental Justice Foundation released a report that six Chinese supertrawlers had arrived in Liberia, capable of taking over 12,000 tonnes of fish a year – nearly twice the nation’s sustainable catch.

“This reportedly sparked outrage among canoe fishers, who fear for their jobs and food security. Liberia is now the third West African country to witness a sudden increase in Chinese industrial trawlers in the last six months - a deeply worrying trend when many of these countries rely on the food and livelihoods provided by healthy fisheries.

The Liberia Artisanal Fishermen’s Association was joined by local community fisheries associations in calling on the government to consider the livelihoods and food security of coastal communities and reject the request for fishing licenses”, the EJF report is quoted as saying.

In the midst of the reported threat, it's said the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) has done much in combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

An investigation conducted by the Liberia Media Advocacy Group for Fisheries and Ocean Governance has established that NaFAA has set up a Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Department for the sole purpose to combat IUU Fishing in Liberia.
We also found that the fisheries authority established a Scientific Observer Program to ensure Fisheries Observers are deployed on all licensed industrial vessel. Observer is responsible to gather data on catches on board all vessel which are used to make management decision.

NaFAA has established an inspectorate regime where Fisheries Inspectors are responsible to conduct pre and post inspections on licensed vessels before and after every fishing operation. The Observer and Inspector information are analyzed by Research & Statistics Department to ascertain consistency pr discrepancy.
It is established that the fisheries regulator has trained staff in diverse disciplines to execute all these functions. Periodic trainings are still ongoing.

NaFAA is collaborating with other relevant institutions like Ministry of Defense/Liberia Coast Guard (LCG), Liberia Maritime Authority, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Commerce, NPA, etc. to ensure other institutions come in when NaFAA doesn't have the authority to execute certain measure.

26/04/2023

Liberia to Host Next FCWC Ministerial Conference

The Liberian Government through the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) has committed to host next year’s Annual Session of Ministerial Conference of the Fisheries Committee of the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC).

A NaFAA press release says last year’s conference was held in the Ghanaian capital of Accra, from November 30 to December 2, 2022.

The commitment was made in Monrovia on Wednesday April 26, 2023 by Director General Emma Metieh Glassco when the new Secretary General of the FCWC, Dr. Antoine Caston Djihinto paid an acquaintance visit to authorities of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority. The conference intends to enhance regional fisheries cooperation.

Madam Glassco informed the visiting FCWC official that her administration was excited that her country, Liberia, was selected to host the conference, noting that the Liberian government through its fisheries management body will ensure the successful holding of the gathering.
Responding to request by the Director General for the FCWC to provide technical assistance to ensure the EU’s yellow card on Liberia’s fisheries is lifted, Dr. Djihinto extolled NaFAA for the level of reforms that support responsible fisheries, promising to lend support to efforts that would lead to removing the yellow card.

The meeting between Madam Glassco and Dr. Djihinto also highlighted proposals for a joint patrol between Liberia and Cote D'ivoire, follow-up on the ratification of Convention C188 and the Cape Town Agreement on working conditions on board fishing vessels.

The Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC) is an intergovernmental body established in 2007, with a Secretariat hosted in Tema, Ghana. The FCWC facilitates cooperation in fisheries management between its member countries: Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria. The countries have several shared fish stocks and identified the need for cooperation and shared management of these resources.

Liberia Media Advocacy Group for Fisheries and Ocean Governance

22/05/2024

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