Liberia to receive new fish processing facility, sea safety equipment

LIBERIA – Liberia’s fisheries sector is receiving new infrastructure and equipment after the Government of Japan, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) handed over a fish processing plant and sea safety tools to women fishmongers in Little Bassa, Grand Bassa County.

The facility was delivered under a three-year initiative titled “Strengthening Capacities in Fisheries and Rice Cultivation Sectors for Food Security and Nutrition Improvement,” which sought to improve livelihoods and address food insecurity in coastal counties.

For years, women fish processors in Liberia have used open smoking methods that exposed them to harmful fumes and contaminated fish products.

Fishermen, meanwhile, have operated under dangerous conditions at sea due to a lack of modern navigation tools and protective equipment.

The new plant is equipped with the FAO-Thiaroye Processing Technique (FTT), a system that lowers smoke emissions, improves product quality, and reduces post-harvest losses by up to 30 percent.

Solar-powered freezers have also been installed, allowing fishmongers to preserve products for longer periods and cut down spoilage.

To ensure sustainability, more than 120 fishmongers have been trained as instructors who will share modern methods with an estimated 1,800 processors across the country.

The project also supplied 100 outboard engines, life jackets, buoys, and GPS devices to fishing communities, while 20 fishers were trained in engine servicing and safety protocols.

Japan’s Ambassador to Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, Hiroshi Yoshimoto, said the project demonstrates his country’s focus on human security and aligns with the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) framework.

He urged Liberian authorities and communities to build on the investment and said Japan would continue supporting efforts aimed at boosting food security and economic development.

FAO Country Representative Bancie Saeed said the facility will protect processors from smoke-related health risks, provide safer products for consumers, and contribute to environmental sustainability.

Saeed added that the project includes other interventions such as integrated aquaculture and agriculture, rice husk briquette production, and cooperation to tackle illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.

NaFAA Acting Director General J. Cyrus Saygbe, Sr. described the initiative as a milestone for women fishmongers and a step forward for Liberia’s coastal communities.

Members of the Little Bassa Community Fishmongers Association said the new facility will enable them to improve earnings, reduce losses, and sell higher quality fish.

UNDP, another partner in the project, said the new plant represents the value of collaboration and community involvement in addressing long-standing challenges in the fisheries sector.

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