21/11/2025
LIBERIA MARKS MAIDEN WORLD FISHERIES DAY AFTER 28 YEARS.
By: Romeo USayee
For the first time since its inception twenty-eight years ago, Liberia, today joins the rest of the world to mark this year’s World Fisheries Day (WFD). The day is used to raise awareness about the critical importance of healthy aquatic ecosystems, sustainable fisheries management, and the social and economic value of marine and inland resources. World Fisheries Day is also used to recognize the critical role that fisheries play in food security, livelihoods, and cultural heritage.
In Liberia, the fisheries sector contributes an estimated 10% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), positioning it among the most valuable agricultural subsectors in the country. Beyond its economic value, fisheries underpin food security, poverty alleviation, social inclusion, and resilience in rural and coastal communities. Women play a particularly significant role in post-harvest processing and fish trade, while artisanal fisheries account for the majority of national fish supply.
Nine coastal counties out of the fifteen counties in Liberia. The country is made up of an extensive network of marine and inland water resources, stretching along a 570-kilometer coastline and enriched by productive river systems and estuaries. These natural assets sustain thousands of coastal and riparian households, provide
employment, and serve as a vital source of nutrition and income.
With the global theme of the celebration being, ““Blue Transformation in Action”,
Liberia has adopted a national theme of “Investing in Social Protection to Secure Equitable Blue Transformation in the Fisheries Sector”. This national theme is timely, as it affords the country an opportunity to review ongoing efforts to address the EU yellow card issued to the country in 2017, end all forms of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices, protect artisanal fishers, promote of healthy fisheries sector and respect for both national and international fisheries laws.
This is also an opportune time to celebrate the resilience and contributions of fishermen and fishmongers, while drawing attention to the need for policies and practices that ensure the long-term sustainability of marine resources. It is also the time to encourage partnerships, share best practices, and renew commitments for responsible and sustainable fisheries.
Since Saturday, November 15, 2025, the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) together with partners and donor agencies such as the European Union, have been organising a series of events to sensitize various stakeholders on the importance of fisheries to livelihoods, food security and environmental conservation.
The events included a sports tournament, career day and inter-university fisheries
debate, awareness and clean-up campaigns and employee’s day. It is being climaxed today with a durbar at Buchanan, in Grand Bassa County, where all employees of NaFAA will be in their ocean blue t-shirt, demonstrating their collective commitment to the sustainable development of the fisheries sector.
World Fisheries Day is a global occasion that highlights the critical role of fisheries and aquaculture in sustaining communities, preserving marine ecosystems, and contributing to national economies. In recognition of this, wearing ocean blue will serve as a unifying visual representation of our shared responsibility to protect aquatic
resources and promote responsible fishing practices.
Liberia is currently benefiting from the European Union Technical Assistance Food Systems Governance Fisheries Activity to strengthen governance in the fisheries sector and to develop the fisheries value chain with focus on the setting up and strengthening of local governance and fisheries co-management associations. The goal is to create growth in the fisheries sector in Liberia, improve fisheries governance and reduce poverty.
The objective of this activity is to improve management of the fisheries sector in Liberia, through strengthening the role of NaFAA as regulator, supervisor and coordinator. The project aims to identify promising entrepreneurial talents along the fisheries value chain with focus on local production and marketing and proposes a realistic action to be funded by the EU to strengthen the fisheries value chain with focus on the domestic market.
Since its inception, the activity has been focusing on five main areas of work at NaFAA to help improve management of the fisheries sector in Liberia. These include strengthening the NaFAA’s management and leadership, building enforcement capacity against IUU fishing, supporting artisanal fisheries development led by the private sector, decentralizing and empowering local fisheries communities, and enhancing visibility and advocacy through media training and investigative journalism
to ensure accurate reportage on sustainable fisheries.
This week, the EU also revealed that in 2026, it will be rolling out a new project targeting local fishers in all 9 coastal counties of the country to strengthen decentralized governance structures, develop stronger small businesses, protect the marine environment and reduce all forms of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices in Liberian waters.
Therefore, this year’s World Fisheries Day celebration is important for Liberia’s fisheries and must be used to promote inclusive policy dialogue on sustainable fisheries, highlight governance reforms, support gender-responsive programming, advance national commitments to marine conservation, social protection, climate resilience and align with international frameworks such as the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and the Sustainable Development Goals.
