By Fanta L. Keita
MONROVIA, April 12 (LINA) – Liberia is poised to strengthen its fisheries and aquaculture sectors through a strategic partnership with Iceland, as the West African nation intensifies its fight against Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.
According to a release from the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) on Monday, April 7, 2025, the collaboration was discussed during a high-level meeting between President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and a visiting two-member Icelandic delegation led by Oskar Kristjansson.
The delegation was accompanied by NaFAA Acting Director General, J. Cyrus Saygbe Sr.
During the meeting at the Executive Mansion, the Icelandic team expressed a strong interest in investing in key areas of Liberia’s fisheries industry, including fish processing, packaging, export, and aquaculture development.
The Icelandic delegation also emphasized the potential for deploying advanced technologies to curb IUU fishing and ensure the long-term sustainability of Liberia’s marine resources.
President Boakai welcomed the partnership, describing the fisheries and aquaculture sectors as some of Liberia’s most promising investment frontiers.
He underscored the country’s rich and largely untapped coastal and inland water resources, noting their potential to contribute significantly to national food security and economic development.
“Aquaculture is a game-changer in addressing food insecurity in our rural communities,” the President said. “It provides not only a steady source of nutritious protein but also offers livelihood and entrepreneurship opportunities, especially for our youth.”
President Boakai further disclosed that he is already engaged in aquaculture on his personal farm, signaling his government’s commitment to transforming the sector and pledged to create an enabling environment for foreign direct investment and to foster international partnerships that align with Liberia’s development priorities.
The NaFAA release also highlighted the President’s commendation of Acting Director General Saygbe for his dynamic leadership and the progress made in the fisheries sector under his stewardship.
He described Saygbe’s efforts as a significant step toward industrialization aquaculture and modernizing the overall fisheries value chain.
In response, Saygbe expressed gratitude to President Boakai for the meeting and reaffirmed NaFAA’s dedication to forming strategic partnerships.
He emphasized that the agency is focused on increasing seafood exports, enhancing regulatory enforcement against IUU fishing, and building a resilient fisheries sector that supports economic growth.
“Our collaboration with Iceland and other international stakeholders will be vital in modernizing fish processing, improving packaging infrastructure, and ensuring sustainable resource management,” Saygbe noted.
The NaFAA release concluded that the discussions laid a solid foundation for long-term technical cooperation and private-sector investment between Iceland and Liberia. The anticipated partnership is expected to create jobs, drive economic progress, and reinforce Liberia’s environmental stewardship.
