The National Fisheries Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) Director General, Emma Matieh Glassco has announced the rolling out of safety programs for local fishermen. According to her, there have been a lot of casualties at sea where most of the canoes go fishing and get lost.
The head of the fisheries sector said as part of their safety program, they will distribute life jackets to the fishermen. Madam Emma at the same time announces that there are two 40 feet containers full of life jackets and is expecting another six 40 feet containers in the country soon.
According to NaFAA Boss, they are introducing a satellite device called Transponder B which is like an AIS system that is going to track the movement of the canoe. She mentioned that all the registered canoes will have the trackers installed on those canoes so as to locate them at sea and to know their conditions at sea be it for safety or emergency.
Madam Glassco also announced that NaFAA will be introducing new landing sites for canoes. She noted that most of the landing sites are unhygienic and as such create health hazards to both the fishermen and those who go to the sites for business.
She at the same time mentioned that the sites will include storage facilities and an ice flake machine that will produce ice to properly store the fish from the sea for both exportation and local use.
The head of the fisheries sector confessed that Liberia’s fish exportation is not really booming due to unprofessional fishing and bad storage facilities and packaging system. According to her, the fisheries sector is doing everything possible to make the sector one of the best in terms of economic boost.
The Director General encourages all fishermen to work in collaboration with NaFAA to boost the sector and generate more revenue for both government and the fishing folks. She said those are some of the key projects NaFAA will be running this year, including the transition from canoes to fiber gas boats. Madam Glassco noted that the transition will increase production and reduce importation.
“We have an abundance of fish resources to feed ourselves, so introducing these vessels to our local partners will increase production, and boost their financial strength. For example, where they make LRD$ 10,000 a day, the new boat is fast and big which will allow them to get LRD$200,000 a day.”
Madam Glassco added that she and her administration is anticipating bringing the boat company to Liberia and it is part of the MoU that will be signed to improve the sector. She made these statements at the just-ended cabinet retreat held in Nimba County.
