The Liberian Government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Monrovia for fisheries research.

The agreement was executed by the government through the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA).

NaFAA noted that fisheries stock assessments are key to management, which focusses on the effects of fishing and other factors that describe the status of fish stock.

They also provide information such as the size of fish stock, as well as predict how fish stock will respond to current and future management measures.

The fisheries sector is said to be one of the key contributors to the national economy and employs approximately 40,000 people directly or indirectly.

NaFAA director general Emma Metieh Glassco said: “We have not been able to give out any fish license for those fisheries, because we do not have any recent statistics on the status of the fish stocks so that whole fish regime has not been operated for a very long time.”

Glassco further added that fisheries data has not been available for several decades, and the new collaboration agreement will allow the country to access current fisheries data.

Due to lack of data, NaFAA has been unable to make informed decisions or issue other fisheries licenses, Glassco said.

Additionally, the MoU is expected to strengthen the ecosystem approach to management in the wake of climate and pollution impacts.

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