Published: July 9, 2025
MONROVIA — The Government of Liberia, through the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), has lauded the European Union-funded “Communities for Fisheries” project for what it described as a transformative and enduring contribution to the country’s fisheries governance and coastal livelihoods.
At the official closeout ceremony held on July 7, 2025, in Monrovia, NaFAA Acting Director General J. Cyrus Saygbe, Sr. commended the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), the project’s implementing partner, for its “dedicated, efficient and high-impact implementation” since the project’s launch in December 2020 under the EU-Liberia Agriculture Programme.
“The European Union has twice extended its support to this project because of its remarkable success,” Mr. Saygbe declared. He pointed specifically to the creation and operationalization of Collaborative Management Associations (CMAs) in Grand Kru, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, and Margibi Counties as “a game-changer for local accountability and participatory fisheries governance.”
The project has also helped decentralize fisheries management in Liberia by establishing five CMA offices and constructing a sixth, which is nearing completion. Mr. Saygbe emphasized that these structures, along with community-level engagement, have significantly advanced NaFAA’s decentralization agenda — a major strategic objective of the institution.
Beyond institutional reforms, the initiative has delivered substantial socioeconomic benefits to coastal residents. According to NaFAA, more than 1,000 women from 30 fishing communities have been empowered through Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), giving them access to micro-credit and increasing their participation in local economic activities. Mr. Saygbe described the results as “a meaningful contribution to gender inclusion and coastal resilience.”
The EU-Liberia partnership has been praised for promoting sustainability, transparency, and innovation in Liberia’s maritime space. Speaking alongside Mr. Saygbe, European Union Head of Delegation to Liberia, Mr. Jeroen Withamp, said the EU was “proud of the integrity and efficiency demonstrated by EJF” throughout the project’s life cycle.
Mr. Saygbe also used the occasion to announce that Liberia will host World Fisheries Day 2025 on November 21 — a significant milestone that will bring international attention to the country’s growing role in global fisheries diplomacy and marine sustainability.
He further highlighted Liberia’s recent international milestones in the sector, including its full accession to the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI), its endorsement of the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency, and the ratification of the BBNJ Agreement (the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction treaty), a major UN-led effort to protect the high seas.
“This project is a benchmark model for future fisheries development,” Mr. Saygbe concluded. “It has not only strengthened our institutional framework but empowered coastal communities and made Liberia a credible voice in international marine governance.”
The closeout ceremony, attended by stakeholders from across the country, marked the end of a project that many in Liberia’s fisheries sector now view as a turning point for sustainable and community-led marine management.
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