Published: June 19, 2026
MOMBASA, Kenya – The Government of Liberia has secured a grant of US$500,000 through Oceans5 to support the review and modernization of Liberia’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Management and Development Law of 2019. The funding represents a significant outcome of commitments and partnerships fostered during the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice in 2025 and reinforced at the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa in 2026.
The initiative, titled “Creating Greater Fisheries Transparency in Liberia,” will be implemented by the Environmental Justice Foundation in collaboration with the Government of Liberia through the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority. The project aims to strengthen transparency, accountability, and governance within Liberia’s fisheries sector while enhancing the country’s capacity to combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.
A key objective of the project is to support the incorporation and implementation of the principles of the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency, which Liberia championed and endorsed during the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice. The legal review will also support Liberia’s efforts to ratify the International Labour Organization Work in Fishing Convention (C188), strengthening protections and standards for fishers operating within the sector.
The grant marks a major milestone in Liberia’s ongoing fisheries governance reforms and demonstrates growing international confidence in the country’s commitment to sustainable ocean management. By enhancing transparency measures and strengthening legal frameworks, Liberia aims to improve monitoring, enforcement, and accountability across its fisheries sector.
The initiative is also expected to contribute significantly to Liberia’s efforts to address concerns raised under the European Union’s fisheries governance framework and advance the country’s pathway toward the lifting of the nearly nine-year EU Yellow Card, which has served as a warning mechanism regarding the fight against IUU fishing.
Sealing this deal, the Director General of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority, J. Cyrus Saygbe Sr emphasized that the project underscores the country’s determination to build a transparent, sustainable, and responsible fisheries sector that safeguards marine resources, promotes fair labor standards, and delivers long-term economic benefits for coastal communities and future generations.
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