Monrovia-The government of Liberia through the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) continues to strengthen its international corporations with regional fisheries management bodies for the enhancement of its fisheries programs.
The latest is the renewal of its membership with three Regional Fisheries Management Organizations, (RFMO).
A NaFAA press release stressed that the membership status allows for a country who has flagged vessels, to operate within (RFMO) either as a Contracting party (CP) or Cooperating Non-Contracting Party (CNCP).
The NaFAA press release added that, this demonstrates Liberia’s willingness to fight Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing and attracts confidence in its legal framework so as to ensure compliance with international best practices; and demonstration of control over its distant water fleets.
Additionally, renewing the Cooperating Non- Contracting Party (CNCP) status enables Liberia flagged refrigerated cargo vessels to conduct transshipment operations in the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization (SPRFMO), and the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPFC) areas legally with transparency and accountability to these (RFMOs).
These three RFMOs are part of the five RFMOs Liberia is party to. The objective of these organization is to promote cooperation among the Contracting Parties (Members) and Cooperating among Non-Contracting Parties, with a view to ensuring, through appropriate management, the conservation and optimum utilization of stocks (fish) covered by the organization’s establishing Agreement and encouraging sustainable development of fisheries based on such stocks.
