Search

4.40. The Liberian fisheries sector has significant development potential but is facing numerous challenges in the areas of infrastructure, input supply, export capacity, and fisheries management, including Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. The Fisheries and Aquaculture Management and Development Law, 2019 emphasizes the need to combat IUU fishing in Liberian waters. The Fisheries Committee of the West Central Gulf of Guinea notes that "the annual catch within the EEZ of Liberia is much higher as poaching is rampant due to the complete lack of Monitor, Control and Surveillance (MCS)".

4.41. According to the Fisheries and Aquaculture Management and Development Law, Liberia's artisanal fisheries play a major role in securing livelihoods and have the potential to make a greater contribution to food security, poverty alleviation, and sustainable development, (...)

4.43. (...) At present, there are no licensed shrimpers operating in the Liberian waters until a comprehensive stock assessment has been conducted to determine the maximum sustainable yield. (...)

4.44. Liberia is a member of the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC) and the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). Furthermore, Liberia is a cooperating, non-contracting party to five regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs): Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC); North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC); Western Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC); Southern Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization (SPRFMO); and Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC). The country's status in these RFMOs "requires Liberia to cooperate on the management of tuna and tuna-like species, be assigned quota for certain species and imbed the RFMOs recommendations into national legal frameworks and management decisions". Furthermore, "in order to ensure effective control over its distant-water fishing fleets, Liberia requires strict compliance with the terms of fishing licence, transhipment authorization, transhipment notice, fishing permit, marine notice and by implementing and enforcing conservation and management measures through effective monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS); mechanism including observer coverage, electronic monitoring and satellite-based vessel monitoring systems (VMS) in order to provide information on the location of fishing vessels engaged in distant water fishing, port inspection and pre-licensing inspection".

4.45. Liberia has taken steps to reform its fisheries management regime, including:
(...)
• 2011 - Declaration of a ban on demersal fishing by foreign-owned vessels. These two measures (in 2010-11) appear to have led to a recovery in fish stocks;
(...)
• 2018 - Adoption of a national plan of action to combat IUU fishing, in accordance with the international plan of action (IPOA-IUU) and the regional IUU plan of action by the FCWC. Losses from IUU fishing in Liberian waters were estimated at USD 12 million. From 2011 to 2018, Liberia imposed fines for IUU fishing totalling USD 6.7 million;
• 2019 - In line with the national IUU plan of action, Liberia acceded to the FAO Port State Measures Agreement, aimed at preventing vessels engaged in IUU fishing from using ports and landing their catches ;
• 2019 - Adoption of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Management and Development Law, 2019 , which governs the management, conservation, development, and sustainable use of fisheries and aquaculture;
(...)

4.47. Liberia has concluded bilateral market access agreements with the European Union and Senegal.
• EU-Liberia Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA), 2015 - The agreement and its five-year protocol, which expired on 8 December 2020, provided the European Union with fishing opportunities of 6,500 metric tonnes of tuna and other highly migratory species for 28 tuna purse seiners and 6 longline vessels, to be monitored with VMS. The European Union's financial compensation was EUR 3.25 million over five years, of which 50% was allocated for the access to the Liberian fisheries and 50% for the implementation of Liberia's fisheries policy. There has been no new protocol since the last one expired in 2020.
(...)

4.53. The legal framework comprises, inter alia:
(...)
• The Environmental Protection and Management Law, 2002 provides for the legal framework for the sustainable use and conservation of natural resources. According to the authorities, mining projects require an Environmental Impact Assessment (except for Class C licence operations).

4.54. Mineral licences are issued by the MME's [the Ministry of Mines and Energy] Department of Mineral Exploration and Environmental Research (D'MER) for reconnaissance, prospecting, and exploration activities.

4.69. Liberia's electricity generation is based almost entirely on hydropower and fuel. The main power system is the Greater Monrovia system, which serves the capital and its surrounding areas and counties with a total installed generation capacity of 126 MW, consisting of the Mount Coffee hydroelectric plant (88 MW) (...)

4.71. The Liberia Rural and Renewable Energy Agency (established under EO No. 38 of 6 January 2012) has the mandate to facilitate renewable energy projects in rural areas. It serves as a gateway for donor funded projects, based on a Master Plan.