Benoy Kumar Barman
Mohammad Mamun Ur Rashid
The coastal city of Buchanan in Grand Bassa County, Liberia hosted the first World Fisheries Day to be celebrated by Liberia’s National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA). The event brought together government officials, students, fishmongers, artisanal fishers, and development partners, and marked an important moment of visibility and momentum for NaFAA.
Strengthening Liberia’s Fisheries Future
WorldFish represented the Seeds4Liberia project at the event, alongside the project’s donor organization, the European Union Delegation to Liberia, which was represented by its head, H.E. Dr. Nona Deprez. In her speech, Dr Deprez emphasized her institution’s commitment to supporting Liberia’s fisheries and aquaculture sector and reminded the audience of Liberia’s fisheries potential for economic growth, job creation, food security, and nutrition, stating that the building blocks for achieving these goals already exist and will be built upon.
“I stand here in the coastal town with communities around us, and I also feel the potential of fisheries in terms of contribution to the economy, job creation, food security, and nutrition security. Of course, we know that there is a lot to be done, but the building blocks exist – the community is there, laws and regulations are in place, and Government structures are being developed and strengthened locally and nationally. This is indeed a very good foundation,” said H.E. Dr. Deprez.
A central highlight of her speech was the Seeds4Liberia project, which is funded by the European Union. The project aligns with Liberia’s national development strategies and is boosting fisheries and aquaculture for food security and economic growth.
“The Seeds4Liberia project looks at having quality fry and fingerlings for an efficient and effective aquaculture. This will also strengthen food safety by improving inspection, testing, and certification, and by developing standards and norms to support business development for fish farmers and artisanal fishers,” she said.
Deepening the Project’s Impact
The EU-funded Seeds4Liberia project aims to enhance the value chains of rice, cassava, coffee, soybeans, and fish by addressing challenges such as human capacity development and the lack of certified seed. It focuses on strengthening farmers' capacities, private seed enterprises, and government agencies, delivering significant quantities of certified seeds and quality fingerlings throughout the project lifespan.
AfricaRice, the lead implementing institution of the project, is partnering with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and WorldFish to implement the EU-funded Seeds4Liberia in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), the Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI), National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), and the Liberia Agricultural Commodity Regulatory Authority (LACRA).
As Liberia looks to the future, World Fisheries Day reminded us that the country’s waters contain more than just fish—they embody the potential for progress, resilience, and opportunity.
The celebration included an overview of Liberia’s fisheries and aquaculture sector, remarks from local fisheries actors and development and donor partners, and an exhibition where attendees learned more about fish species and the history of Liberia's fisheries and interacted with local fishers. Fisheries actors and development partners were encouraged to continue collaborating to ensure that the sector is a sustainable agent for Liberia’s development.
Cover photo: (l-r) WorldFish Fisheries Expert Mohammad Mamum-Ur Rashid, NaFAA’s Acting DG J. Cyrus Segbe, and Head of EU Delegation to Liberia, H.E Dr. Nona Deprez) Photo: George A. Harris, AfricaRice