Published: April 7, 2026
On March 30, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai claimed Liberia has 579 kilometers of coastline and 200 Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). President Boakai made the statement during the opening ceremony of the National Fisheries Investment Conference held from March 30 – 31 in Margibi County. The President added that despite Liberia’s vast marine resources, the country continues to import large quantities of fish annually.
The Claim
An exact excerpt from President Boakai’s statement reads: “Liberia possesses 579 kilometers of coastline and a 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) rich with marine life.”
President Boakai made the statement during the National Fisheries Conference held from March 30 — 31 in Liberia
Rating Justification
To fact-check this statement by President Boakai, let’s first define coastline and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). EEZ is a sea area that extends up to 200 nautical miles (about 370 kilometers) from a country’s coastline, where that country has special rights to explore, use, and manage marine resources. The concept is defined under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Meanwhile, a coastline is the dynamic boundary, line, or narrow strip of land where the sea or ocean meets the land, often shaped by erosion, waves, and tides
We conducted an online search and reviewed credible sources to verify the statement by the Liberian leader.
We found Liberia’s profile by the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC)—a regional body that supports fisheries management among West African countries— it shows that Liberia has 579 kilometers of coastline and an EEZ covering about 246,152 square kilometers, within which the country has exclusive rights to exploit marine resources.
FCWC country profile on Liberia shows that the country has 579 kilometers of coastline and an EEZ covering about 246,152 squares
Also, NaFAA’s 2025 Quarterly Performance Report indicates that Liberia enjoys a quite long coastline of 579 kilometers and an EEZ of 246,000 km², as one of the largest maritime jurisdictions among its neighbors in West Africa.
Conclusion
Based on the available evidence, we conclude that the claim made by President Boakai that Liberia holds 579 kilometers of coastline and 200 Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is CORRECT.
According to the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea and NaFAA, Liberia has about 579 kilometers of coastline and an Exclusive Economic Zone that extends up to 200 nautical miles offshore, covering roughly 246,152 square kilometers.
Editor’s Note:
This fact check was produced by Local Voices Liberia with support from the European Union through the Liberia Media Empowerment Program (LMEP). The funder had no say in the editorial decision leading to the production of this fact-check report. Read the original fact-check report here.
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