Misleading, Liberia Does Not Import 88% of Its Fish Stock

On June 10, Simeon Freeman, Political Leader of the Movement for Progressive Change (MPC), claimed on the OK Morning Rush on OK FM that Liberia imports 88% of its fish stock. Mr. Freeman made the claim while discussing the economic potential of Liberia’s fisheries sector.

According to him, Liberia has significant opportunities to increase domestic fish production and reduce reliance on imports.

The Claim

An excerpt of Mr. Freeman’s statement reads: “Liberia imports 88% of her fish stock.”

Rating Justification

To verify the claim, we reviewed data from the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority’s (NaFAA) 2025 Research and Statistics Annual Technical Report.

NaFAA is Liberia’s autonomous fisheries management agency, established in 2017 to oversee the sustainable development, regulation, and conservation of the country’s fisheries and aquaculture resources while promoting food security, economic growth, and community participation in the sector.

According to the report, Liberia’s average annual fish consumption stands at 45,549 metric tons.

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Imports

Of the country’s average annual fish consumption of 45,549.39 metric tons, the report indicates that the average annual imports stand at 19,999.85 metric tons.

This means about 44% of the total annual consumption of the 45,549.39 metric tons was imported.

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Domestic

The report also showed that average annual domestic fish production accounts for 25,549 metric tons, representing 56% of the total annual consumption demand.

This shows that Liberia’s domestic fish production exceeds what it imports for consumption.

Conclusion

Based on these findings, the claim by MPC Political Leader Simeon Freeman that Liberia imports 88% of its fish stock is misleading.

The latest data from NaFAA show that imported fish accounts for nearly 44% of national fish consumption, while domestic production accounts for approximately 56%.

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