MONROVIA – Liberia has received a significant boost to its marine governance agenda following the approval of a US$500,000 grant aimed at modernizing its fisheries legal framework. The funding, secured through Oceans5, is expected to deepen transparency, improve accountability, and support long-term reforms in the country’s fisheries sector as part of ongoing international commitments on ocean governance. The Analyst reports
Liberia has secured a US$500,000 grant to advance major reforms in its fisheries sector, aimed at strengthening transparency, improving governance, and modernizing key legal frameworks. The support, provided through Oceans5, reinforces the country’s growing international partnerships in sustainable ocean management and fisheries accountability. The Analyst Reports,
The Government of Liberia has secured a US$500,000 grant through Oceans5 to support the review and modernization of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Management and Development Law of 2019. The funding marks a key milestone in Liberia’s participation in global ocean governance initiatives, emerging from commitments made at the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice in 2025 and reinforced at the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa in 2026.
The initiative, titled “Creating Greater Fisheries Transparency in Liberia,” will be implemented by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) in partnership with the Government of Liberia through the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA). It seeks to enhance transparency, accountability, and governance across Liberia’s fisheries sector while strengthening national capacity to combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.
According to a dispatch from Nairobi, Kenya signed by Lewis E.B.Konoe, Director, Communications and Media Services, a central component of the project is the integration of the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency, which Liberia endorsed during the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice. The reform process will also support Liberia’s bid to ratify the International Labour Organization Work in Fishing Convention (C188), aimed at improving labor protections and working conditions for fishers across the industry.
The grant is widely viewed as a strong endorsement of Liberia’s ongoing fisheries governance reforms and reflects growing international confidence in the country’s commitment to sustainable ocean resource management. By strengthening legal and institutional frameworks, the initiative is expected to improve monitoring systems, enforcement capacity, and sector-wide accountability.
The project is also anticipated to contribute to Liberia’s broader efforts to address longstanding concerns under the European Union fisheries governance framework, including progress toward the possible lifting of the EU Yellow Card warning related to IUU fishing compliance.
Speaking on the development, the Director General of NaFAA, J. Cyrus Saygbe Sr., emphasized that the initiative underscores Liberia’s determination to build a transparent and sustainable fisheries sector that protects marine ecosystems, promotes fair labor practices, and delivers long-term economic benefits for coastal communities and future generations.
The partnership between Liberia, Oceans5, and implementing stakeholders marks another step forward in aligning the country’s fisheries governance with international best practices and strengthening its role in global ocean sustainability efforts.