Farmington Hotel, Margibi – President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has launched a 10-Year National Fisheries Plan encouraging Investors that Liberia is ready for business.
Speaking during the official launching at the Farmington Hotel in Margibi County, on Monday, March 30, 2026, under the theme, “Unlocking Blue Horizon; the Future of Fisheries and the Blue Economy,” urging investors to invest in the fisheries sector and not exploit.
“To those considering investment in Liberia’s fisheries, hear me clearly: we are open for business, but we are not open for exploitation. We seek partners who will build local capacity, who will respect our environmental standards, and who will share the benefits with our communities,” he cautioned.
The President stated that Liberia’s waters are fruitful as such, his administration is dedicated to establishing a favorable climate by streamlining laws and implementing a new Public Private Partnership (PPP) approach.
The launch of “Liberia’s Blue Economy” will explore waters extending 200 nautical miles into the Atlantic Ocean, covering some of the richest fishing grounds in the Gulf of Guinea. The country’s 570-kilometer coastline, with its estuaries, lagoons, and mangroves, serves as a nursery for over 254,000 metric tons of demersal species and approximately 94,000 metric tons of pelagic species.
The President claimed that although Liberia has 200 Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) and 579 kilometers of coastline that are rich in marine life, the country imports over 33,000 metric tons of fish each year. The fact that Liberia lacks a dedicated fishing harbor, which causes its catch of highly valuable species to land in foreign ports.
He claimed that the artisanal fishermen, who supply around 80% of the country’s fish production, work without proper cold storage, without digital payment systems, and, far too frequently, without the respect their labor deserves, as such, his administration do not accept this circustances.
The President revealed that Liberia is already making progress to transform its fisheries sector into a modern, competitive, and investment ready industry.
Boakai continued by lamenting that the government has partnered with Orange Liberia to implement mobile-based solutions and solar-powered cold storage that will lower post-harvest losses, and that his administration has obtained a €25 million grant from the European Union to improve the artisanal fisheries value chain.
“Through the Liberia Sustainable Management of Fisheries Project, supported by the World Bank, we are strengthening institutions while directly improving livelihoods across our coastal communities. We are also introducing innovation through the deployment of solar-powered fiberglass canoes, bringing modern, energy-efficient technology to our small-scale fishers,” he added.
He also mentioned that the government is making investments in infrastructure that will enable sustained growth disclosing that the work on a new national fisheries complex is anticipated to start later this year.
The Liberian Leader in conclusion informed that the World Bank and the Liberian government are collaborating on a follow-up project that will strengthen public-private partnerships, increase investment opportunities, and create more jobs for Liberians.
