A week-long partnership engagement between the Liberian and Japanese Fishery agencies has prioritized the dredging of the Mesurado pier to enable the facility to birth industrial fishing vessels in Monrovia, the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) has said.
A Japanese delegation at the weekend concluded a week-long partnership aimed at consolidating bilateral relationship and enabling competition within the sector.
Addressing a news conference on Friday at the central offices of the NaFAA on Bushrod island, Director General Emma Matieh-Glassco revealed information on the planned expansion.
Mrs. Metieh-Glassco said the port facility currently lacks the capacity to allow for the landing of bigger vessels which has disallowed the government of Liberia from generating the needed revenues.
As a result, industrial vessels have to use landing facilities at neighboring countries which have bigger capacities to contain the birthing of those vessels, she said.
She said the NaFAA has an ambitious plan of delivering a full package following the dredging of the port which will include a processing facility, as well as export and import terminals.
She recounted the excellent performance of the sector in the 1970s when the facility generated about US$40Million annually for the government of Liberia, and expressed her determination to generate more revenue from the sector.
In the quest to further operationalize the sector, the NaFAA boss told newsmen that the engagement with the Japanese government also seek to attract foreign investment in the sector that will create more jobs and trigger economic growth.
She disclosed that they have begun conversation with Yamaha Motor Company Limited Jfor the establishment of a manufacturing plant in Liberia to produce motorized boats for artisanal fishermen as a way of industrializing the sector.
Yamaha Motor Company Limited is a Japanese manufacturer of motorcycles, marine products such as boats and outboard motors, and other motorized products.
When concluded, local fishermen will have ready access to the motorized boats through a long term sustainable payment plan that will be developed by the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority. The goal is to industrialize artisanal fishing and ultimately empower local fishermen to earn better livelihood.
For his part, the head of delegation of the Japanese Fisheries Agency, Ken Homma expressed gratitude to the Liberian government through the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority for seeking partnership with his government to develop fisheries in Liberia.
He said, the weeklong visit to Liberia has informed them of the challenges associated with the sector, pinpointing the expansion of the pier as a major priority.
Ken Homma, who is also Technical Advisor at the Japanese Fisheries Agency, indicated his government’s willingness to support NaFAA in the expansion drive of its port facilities, but proposed a second visit to Liberia for the conduct of a feasibility study on the facility.
Meanwhile, a press release from the the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority has announced that a delegation from the Bob Johnson’s Fisheries will meet officials of NaFAA over the weekend.
The group is in the country to discuss potential investment in the sector, particularly the establishment of a fishing port.