Rome, Italy – The Director General of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) held a successful bilateral engagement with Manuel Barange, the Assistant Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, in Rome, Italy, during the 36th Session of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI 36) at FAO headquarters in the Canada Room.
The recent bilateral meeting focused specifically on the development of aquaculture (fish farming) in Liberia. The FAO has committed to focusing on aquaculture development in Liberia through a partnership in the fisheries sector, with a specific emphasis on strengthening Liberia’s legal framework and building technical capacity. This initiative aims to attract investments to the fisheries sector.
Furthermore, the FAO’s involvement in Liberia’s aquaculture sector aims to transition from subsistence fish farming to a more sustainable, commercially viable aquaculture sector. This will create job opportunities, directly impact livelihoods, strengthen food security, and provide a substantial supply of fresh fish to local markets. The focus will be on two main species: tilapia and catfish.
During the discussion, Madam Emma Metieh Glassco, Director of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority, referred to aquaculture as the future of Liberia’s fisheries sector.
Additionally, the FAO will ensure women’s participation in aquaculture through capacity-building initiatives, enabling them to produce fish feed to enhance aquaculture development in Liberia.
Madam Glassco, expressing her enthusiasm about the engagement with the FAO Assistant Director-General, noted that given the growing demand for wild-capture fisheries, which is adversely affected by factors such as climatic conditions, aquaculture development with FAO technical support will lead to positive transformations across Liberia.
Meanwhile, Liberia, through the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority, will soon send an official request to the FAO to initiate the signing of a partnership agreement for its intervention in the aquaculture sector.
Under the pending technical agreement, there will also be a technical exchange program between countries, including Egypt, which has progressive aquaculture development programs in Africa.
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