MONROVIA – The Director General of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority of Liberia (NaFAA) has officially launched a new Fisheries Project, the “European Union-Technical Assistance Food Systems Governance– Fisheries,” stating during the launch that the project is essential to enhancing the development of the Liberian Fisheries sector.

“I would like to thank the EU first for its strong financial and technical support to the Liberian fisheries sector,” she said Wednesday, November 6, 2024, adding that the EU-Technical Assistance Food Systems Governance Fisheries project is important in two critical areas – improving the value chain and helping Liberia lift the yellow cards.

“The launch of the technical assistance project is more laudable, especially in terms of two critical parts including improving the value chain and helping Liberia lift the yellow cards,” she said further.

Ms. Glassco reiterated that lifting the yellow card is important for Liberia not only in gaining access to the EU markets or renewing the EU sustainable partnership agreement but also attracting other foreign investments.

According to her, the European Union has one of the biggest fish markets as such lifting the yellow with assistance from the new fisheries project, which would revitalize the Liberian fisheries sector to gain economic returns.

“As you know the EU has one of the World’s largest fish markets, so lifting the yellow is the right path in revitalizing the fisheries sector to gain the economic returns,” she said.

The NaFAA Director General further urged the European Union to also direct its technical assistance to Liberia’s accreditation to its markets to enhance economic boost.

“Liberia does not have access to any market in terms of export, especially the EU markets because it has not been accredited as a country as such,” she said, adding: “I would like to commend the President of the Republic of Liberia for his recent appointment of a Director General at the Standard Laboratory”.

She said having access to markets is critical and getting accreditation from the European Union and the United States is a major milestone for any fisheries nation including Liberia.

At the same time, the head of the Delegation of the European Union to Liberia, Ambassador Nona Deprez, urged the Management of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority to utilize the team of the EU-Technical Assistance Food Systems Governance-Fisheries project they are employed to deliver in the interest of the Liberian fisheries sector.

Commenting on the lifting of the yellow card, the EU Ambassador said lifting the yellow card is one of the preconditions to restart the negotiation of a Sustainable Fisheries Partnership and the first step to meeting the revenue target.

“This is technical assistance to NaFAA,” she said. “We have been able to put together a great team of experts, these are people who know Liberia, who know the sector, not just mere consultants, these people are well paid, make the best use of them, if you make the best team of them, they can help transform the sector.”

She noted that a lot of progress has been made but a lot is needed to be done to lift the yellow card and enhance the growth within the sector.

The EU Ambassador urged both NaFAA and the Maritime Authority to coordinate their efforts to ensure the lifting of the yellow card for improvement within the Liberian fisheries sector.

Ambassador Deprez assured the Liberian Fisheries Authorities that the European Union is not leaving the fisheries sector which is why it has supported a new fisheries project to provide technical assistance.

The EU-Technical Assistance Food Systems Governance – Fisheries project is a two-year activity to strengthen the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority, NaFAA, and improve the management of the fisheries sector.

Providing an overview of the project activity, the Project Lead, Glasgow B. Togba mentioned that the EU-Technical Assistance Food Systems Governance-Fisheries Project is intended to strengthen governance in the fisheries sector and to develop the fisheries value chain with a focus on setting up and strengthening of local governance and fisheries co-management associations with possible delegated functions from NaFAA.

Mr. Togba also indicated that the activity is being implemented by GFA Consulting Group and Landell Mills.

He said the activity also aims to identify promising entrepreneurial talents along the fisheries value chain with a focus on local production and marketing and propose a realistic action to be funded by the EU to strengthen the fisheries value chain focus on the domestic market.

Between 2024 and 2026, the consulting firms will help strengthen NaFAA in the areas of governance, co-management, ending illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, fisheries value chain, and transparency.

Mr. Togba disclosed that the EU-TA Food Systems Governance-Fisheries Project will focus on five main areas of work including Governance, Fight against Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing activities, Value Chain Development, Depenalization and promotion of the fisheries sector in the media landscape.