Africa-Press – Liberia. The National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NAFAA) Director General, Emma Metieh Glassco, has revealed additional strategies to improve Liberia’s fisheries sector for the next sixteen months.
Speaking to the Liberia News Agency (LINA) in an exclusive interview at the just-ended 2022 Special Cabinet Retreat in Ganta, Nimba County, Madam Glassco outlined some predicament at the NAFAA, and disclosed strategies to address the challenges.
The NAFAA official said that there have been a lot of casualties on the sea, noting that most of the canoes go fishing and get lost.
She said as part of NAFAA’s safety program, it has introduced life jackets to distribute to all fishing cooperatives across Liberia, adding that there are two forty-foot continues in the country, and additional containers will arrive anytime soon.
She noted that NAFAA is introducing satellite monitoring system to track canoes movement while at sea, explaining that the transponder B’ satellite device will be installed on all canoes in order to track their location while at sea.
“Our system will monitor them and we will be able to track their location whenever they are facing difficulties and we will know through the device, and we are working closely with the Liberia Coast Guard authority so that they can be rescued.”
Madam Glassco also said that NAFAA will be constructing landing sites, storage facilities, introduce ice-making machines to provide good hygienic conditions for harvested products, increase the value of the fish that will be harvested for export on the international market.
“And the reason our fish have not been exposed on the international market is because they are not harvested under good condition. They get spoiled before the end of the day because there are no storage facilities and we don’t have ice to keep the fish in good condition,” she explained.
Meanwhile Madam Glassco asserted that the NAFAA is working to transition from canoes to boats to increase the production and have surplus on the local market to reduce importation of fish.
“We are also introducing those vessels and giving them to our Fishery Cooperatives so that they can increase their daily earnings. And those boats are built in the way that they can resist harsh weather condition,” Glassco added.
“We will import some of these boats, but we are planning to bring the factory to Liberia to produce them here and it is part of our agreement with the company. We told them bring your equipment to Liberia so that you produce more boats and Yamaha engines.
Since the ascendancy of Madam Glassco as head of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority, there have been significant progress made in the Liberian fisheries sector.
The National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) was created by an Act of National Legislature on October 9, 2017.
It functions as a full-fledged autonomous body pursuant to the Public Authorities Law of the Republic of Liberia.
The mandate of NaFAA under the Act is to manage all fisheries resources within the natural habitat of the Republic of Liberia and the natural assets, heritage and sovereign rights of the Liberian people.
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