Liberia has vowed to crack down on Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, while championing global transparency and accountability in its marine governance.
The announcement came on Tuesday, June 10 as the Commissioner/CEO of the Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA), Cllr. Neto Zarzar Lighe Sr., addressed a high-profile side event at the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice, France.
Addressing a packed room of ministers and delegates from France, Ghana, the Maldives, Panama, and beyond, the Maritime Authority Commissioner and CEO underscored his country’s renewed commitment to ocean governance.
He highlighted Liberia’s determination to transform maritime management and empower coastal communities that rely on marine resources for their livelihoods.
“Liberia will not serve as a safe harbor for illegal fishing activities,” he declared, drawing applause from assembled dignitaries. “We remain steadfast in our resolve to end IUU fishing and bring greater transparency to our ocean governance systems.”
Commissioner/CEO Lighe, Sr. highlighted Liberia’s strides since its pivotal pledge at the 2022 Lisbon Ocean Conference, including the adoption of the National Blue Economy Strategy and the ratification of the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA).
These steps, he emphasized, are critical to protecting Liberia’s fisheries sector, which supports 80 percent of the country’s population as a primary protein source and employs around 60 percent women in coastal communities.
“Our future is closely tied to the health of our oceans,” he told the delegates, noting that fisheries account for nearly 10 percent of Liberia’s GDP. But he warned that IUU fishing and overfishing continue to undermine local livelihoods, fueling organized maritime crime and threatening food security.
Liberia’s efforts, Commissioner/CEO Lighe, Sr. explained, extend beyond national boundaries. As the current President of the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC), Liberia has positioned itself as a regional leader in tackling IUU fishing. “We are committed to eliminating IUU fishing from our waters and championing this cause across the subregion,” he said.
The Commissioner reaffirmed the country’s endorsement of the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency, urging fellow states to join the fight against illicit fishing operations. He underscored that Liberia would work to make beneficial ownership information fully accessible to expose the true beneficiaries of crimes at sea.
He also announced Liberia’s ratification and submission of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, a milestone in global ocean governance. Additional efforts, he said, include plans to ratify the ILO Work in Fishing Convention (C188) and the Cape Town Agreement to protect workers’ rights and safety at sea.
Addressing the challenges inherited from Liberia’s history of conflict, Commissioner/CEO Lighe, Sr. acknowledged that rebuilding the fisheries sector is an uphill battle but insisted that progress is already underway.
“Our government is determined to restore Liberia’s fishing industry to its former strength,” he pledged, aligning these efforts with the national ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID).
Community empowerment emerged as a cornerstone of Liberia’s ocean strategy. Commissioner Lighe, Sr. emphasized that coastal communities, especially women, are on the frontlines of both the challenges and the solutions to ocean governance. “We must support communities in ensuring that our system and resources remain sustainable,” he urged, underscoring the human dimension of the fight against maritime crimes.
In closing, he called on the international community for continued support in enforcement, traceability, and governance. “Governments, industry actors, civil society, non-governmental organizations, and the global community must come together to protect our oceans and the livelihoods of those that depend on it,” he said.
Organized by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), the event underscored the interconnectedness between healthy oceans and the well-being of millions worldwide. For Liberia, it marked a decisive step toward transforming its maritime sector from a vulnerable target of exploitation to a model of sustainable management and resilience.
As the sun set over the azure Mediterranean, Liberia’s message was clear: the fight against ocean crimes demands both global solidarity and local action, and the country is ready to lead by example.
