Africa-Press – Liberia. Liberia’s Vice-President, Jeremiah Kpan Koung, is expected to commit Liberia to the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency. The Vice-President will also announce a new string of fisheries transparency commitments at the third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, France, including unprecedented measures to reveal who truly profits from fishing in Liberia’s waters.
Together, these steps break new ground in Liberia’s commitment to a sustainable, legal and ethical fisheries. The Vice President will attend the event with a high-powered delegation representing the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Liberia Maritime Authority, and the Ministry of State.
On 3 June 2025, Liberia made history by being elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. This historical achievement reaffirms Liberia’s leadership on the global stage and the country’s commitment to championing change across the sub-region.
Liberia’s non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council provides it with a powerful platform to highlight the connection between ocean health, maritime security, and sustainable development, underscoring Liberia’s commitment to the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency at UNOC3.
Liberia’s commitment to the Charter is a landmark moment in global efforts for a more sustainable ocean. The Charter is built on ten low- or no-cost principles that promote access to essential data, such as tracking vessels across the ocean or recording who ultimately profits from their activities.
Access to this data is vital to stopping illegal fishing and human rights abuses at sea, as tackling illegal and unsustainable fishing begins with identifying them, said the Vice-President today.
These measures are crucial for the economy in Liberia, where fisheries provide about 80% of the population’s protein and serve as a crucial source of government revenue, contributing approximately 10% to Liberia’s GDP. The fish trade represents a significant economic activity for women, who account for 60% of the fisheries workforce.
In attendance at UNOC in Nice, France, Vice-President, His Excellency, Jeremiah Kpan Koung, will also announce a series of new measures underlining the Liberian government’s strong support for a safe, economically thriving fisheries sector in the country. This is in line with the government’s national development agenda, the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID).
During his speech at the event ‘No Safe Harbour: Exposing the True Beneficiaries of Crime at Sea’, His Excellency Jeremiah Kpan Koung – Head of Liberia’s Delegation to UNOC – will make clear the steps in the current process for registering fishing vessel that ensures the country’s fisheries remain safe and prevents any vessels engaged in illegal activities from using Liberia as a safe harbor.
The Vice-President’s speech will also announce immediate steps requiring beneficial ownership – who ultimately profits from a given vessel’s activities – to be declared as a prerequisite for fishing in Liberian waters and made accessible to relevant local and international agencies upon request.
Following Liberia’s commitment to the Lisbon Declaration in 2022, alongside the African Union’s Blue Economy Strategy and the ratification of the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA), the government has emphasized its ocean leadership on the global stage by committing to the Charter for Fisheries Transparency today.
This is in addition to Liberia’s recent accession to the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) and plans to ratify key agreements on biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction, working conditions on fishing vessels, and safety training and equipment for fishers. Liberia has also established co-management associations in six of its nine coastal counties and is working to cover the remaining counties.
His Excellency Jeremiah Kpan Koung, Vice-President of the Government of Liberia, at the event will emphasize how, as a nation, our future, from economic activity to food security, is closely tied to a healthy ocean. He will outline Liberia’s vital role in ensuring the sustainable governance of global ocean and our commitment to ending IUU and ensuring fisheries transparency is unwavering.
His Excellency Jeremiah Kpan Koung will highlight the government’s commitment to restoring Liberia’s fishing industry to its former glory, before the protracted civil conflict, and standing up as a leader across the continent and the world. Noting the work ahead to achieve this, and the strong collective partnerships required to succeed.
Steve Trent, CEO and Founder of the Environmental Justice Foundation, a development partner in Liberia’s fisheries sector, in his support message to the government, said: “Liberia’s commitment to the Charter for Fisheries Transparency is just one of many ways the government is showcasing its long-term vision for re-energizing its fisheries sector.”
“The low-cost and no-cost solutions of the Charter for Transparency, which Liberia has committed to implementing, will transform its fisheries sector for the better, benefiting the lives and livelihoods of people across Liberia. Vice-President Hon. Jeremiah Kpan Koung and the Government of Liberia are demonstrating exceptional leadership in the global fight against illegal fishing.”
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