PHOTO: Deputy Director presents machines to cooperatives Manoballah hands out fishery
It was a scene of huge excitement in Grand Cape Mount County over the weekend when Liberian fishermen received outboard YAMAHA engines from the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) to enhance their capacity, in order to compete with their Ghanian counterparts.
The effort is in continuation of engines distribution by NaFAA to fisherfolks, mainly Liberian fishermen, who normally use peddle canoes in Liberia’s nine coastal counties, a NaFAA press release said over the weekend.
It can be recalled that on October 23, 2021, President George Manneh Weah officially launched the Yamaha engines in the port city of Buchanan, Grand Bassa County at a jampacked ceremony which brought tother senior officials of government and Liberia’s development partners including the World Bank, WHO and European Union.
The engines, 420 in number, were donated to the Liberian government through NaFAA by the government and people of Japan in 2021.
Speaking during the distribution in Robertsport at the weekend, NaFAA’s Deputy Director General for Administration, Mr. Augustine N. Manoballah said the gift is in fulfilment of President Weah’s promise to the fishermen during the 2017 elections.
According to Deputy Director General Manoballah, the gesture was the president’s way of empowering local fisherfolks to compete with their foreign counterparts.
Cooperative heads sign for engines and nets
“This is a gift from President Weah. He’s aware about the challenge you go through in going deep in the sea to catch fish using paddle canoes. This, he believes is another way in strengthening your capacity”.
Mr. Manoballah told the gathering of fishermen, fish mongers and processors in Robertsport that due to the insufficiency of the machines to meet the demand of everyone, fishery cooperatives with the help of the Cooperative Development Agency (CDA), were established in coastal communities to benefit the engines.
He encouraged the leadership of each cooperative use the gift for the benefit of every member.
“This cooperative is not a one-man thing. Every member of this cooperative should benefit. We’ll in time to time monitor the operations of these outboard machines”.
The NaFAA deputy director general informed that the government is working with the Japanese government and other partners to bring in additional consignment.
“This is just the beginning. We’re working with other people and the Japanese government to bring more of this. We’re committed to this. The president is aware of your needs”.
Meanwhile, the fishing cooperatives also received bundles of what is known as multifilament or biodegradable (thread) nets. This is in continuation of an ongoing exercise to get rid of substandard or nonbiodegradable (plastic) nets. In May 2021, the fisheries Authority officially launched in the township of West Point what it calls “Net Exchange Program” – ‘rubber nets for thread net’. It’s part of international efforts to fighting Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Handling the nets to the Liberian fishermen, Mr. Manoballah said: “By standard the plastic nets are not good for fishing. To convince the people that the nets are bad is to bring the good ones and take away the bad ones. The thread nets is in exchange for the plastic net. The reason we’re doing this is to safeguard us. In the next 10 to 15 years all the fish we have will be gone if we don’t fish responsibly to manage our marine resources”.
In Grand Cape Mount County, six fishery cooperatives received the outboard YAMAHA engines and nets.
While receiving the gifts, the chairman of the Sowee fishing cooperative, James Samola said : “today marks the happiest day for us. We have been hearing that the machines and nets were coming. Today, they are here. We will work with them to do better in what we do. We tell the president thank you for thinking about us”.
Also speaking was the chair of the Fomba fishing cooperative, Mr. Sando Kollie. Kollie thanked the government and the collaborative management association for the intervention. “What the government is doing for us is the beginning of the development in our county. President Wah we will not forget about you because you are the first to give us outboard machines and net”.
For his part, the chairman of the Bomboja fishing cooperative extended thanks and appreciation to the president. “Tell the president we have received what he promised us”.
Representing fish mongers and processors at the ceremony was Madam Massa Kiazolu. Madam Kiazolu said: “we want to take this time to thank our president and NaFAA boss Madam Emma Glassco for the wonderful work. The fish mongers and processors have been struggling for long. The interventions here will enhance the capacity of our fishermen and promote sustainable fisheries”.
In the coming weeks, the exercise will be held in other counties mainly the southeast.