The Liberian Government has received additional Fishing gear for free distribution across the nine coastal counties to local fishermen to increase their efforts and improve their livelihoods.
Speaking Wednesday, January 22, 2025, during the inspection of the huge consignment of fishing gear/implements from the people of Japan through the Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO of the United Nations at the Warehouse of CFAO Mobility, the Authorized Agent on Bushrod Island, Madam Emma Metieh Glassco commended the Government of Japan for the additionally supply of motorized engines and other fishing implements.
The Japanese Government donated to the Liberian government through the Fisheries Authority, several fishing implements, including 100 pieces of 15-horsepower Yamaha Outboard Engines, 100 pieces of GPS Navigation System Devices, 100 pieces of Lifejackets, 100 pieces of Float Boat Security Lights, 100 pieces of horns, and 100 pieces of Bouys.
Director Glassco stated that the different supplies of fishing implements will be distributed to fishermen through their various cooperatives following some days of training to enable them to use those implements/gears appropriately to improve their livelihoods.
It can be recalled in 2019, the Government and people of Japan made an initial donation of several pieces of various types of Yamaha outboard engines to Liberia. Those engines were subsequently distributed free of charge to Liberian Fishermen through their Cooperatives.
In another development, Madam Glassco has assured the management of CFAO Mobility, the Authorized Agent, that NaFAA will work closely with other Agencies and line Ministries to ensure a Memorandum of understanding, (MoU) is signed to supply the Liberian Fishing Communities with more fishing implements/gears as their would-be some tax reduction to facilitate the MoU.
“Most often our local fishermen get their nets and engines from neighboring countries at huge cost, so such a MoU will enable those fishermen to purchase their fishing gears at a reasonable cost and the company would receive some level of tax reduction as NaFAA would hold discussions with relevant government agencies on the matter”
Responding to Madam Glassco comment, the Managing Director of CFAO, the Authorized Agent, Navin Chander said his entity is willing to work cooperatively with the Management of NaFAA to help supply the Liberian fishing communities with more fishing gear/implements.
He disclosed that his entity is producing and selling fiberglass boats in Senegal and would welcome an agreement to supply local fishermen with those boats to help improve their catch.
Meanwhile, the FAO OIC Representation in Liberia Dr. Ahmed Ibrahim Gashash said the fishing gears are intended to transform small- scales fishermen’s primitive fishing method of using paddling dough out canoes with sail to improve wooden vessel power by 15 horsepower Yamaha outboard engines including modern fish technologies such as lifejackets, buoys, GPS, Navigation system to detect fishermen location, float boats security lights and horns.
Dr. Gashash said the equipment and materials are expected to be used by the beneficiaries’ fishing crew to supply the expected fifteen fish processing facilities in the nine coastal counties of Liberia.
