A joint fishery enforcement and compliance team has begun touring fishing communities across Liberia, with the aim of ensuring the collection of the remaining 2020 license fees and, at the same time, creating massive awareness for the payment of the 2021 fishing license fees.
The fishery enforcement and compliance team, comprising NaFAA, the Liberia National Coast Guard, Liberia Immigration Services and the Liberia National Police, is touring coastal beaches and also conducting sea patrols.
The tour is taking place in the nine coastal counties: Montserrado, Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, Margibi, Grand Bassa, River Cess, Sinoe, Grand Kru and Maryland.
Currently, a southeastern team is touring fishing communities in Grand Bassa County following its initial tour of fishing communities at Bassa Point fishing communities, through Marshall City, Margibi County.
Speaking upon the arrival of the fishery enforcement and compliance team on the beaches of little Bassa Tuesday, December 23, 2020, the Deputy Director General for Technical Services, William Y. Boeh, urged the local fishermen to cooperate with the CDC government by paying their 2020 fishing license fees.
Boeh, who was accompanied by some technicians, including Associate Directors Patrick Davies and Anthony Yokie, emphasized that no fisherman will go fishing without making full payment of his 2020 fishing license fees. He stated that the fishing fee is pivotal to NaFAA’s contribution to the national budget, which impacts continued development projects by the government across Liberia.
He warned all fishermen who have not paid their 2020 license fees since January 2020 to immediately begin payment, as their inaction is in complete violation of the 2019 Fishery Law and Regulations of Liberia.
As a matter of enforcement, the NaFAA Deputy Director for Technical Services pointed out, “No fisherman will be allowed to go fishing beginning now until they make full payment of their 2020 fishing license fees to NaFAA staff in the counties or the Co-Management Association.”
More than 80 fishermen in little Bassa and Bassa Point fishing communities were ordered not to go fishing until they pay their 2020 fishing license fees.
Meanwhile, the joint fishery enforcement and compliance team has a 24-day mandate from the Director General, Emma Metieh Glassco, to tour all fishing communities across Liberia to ensure the collection of the remaining 2020 fishing license fees, while at the same time raising increased awareness for the collection of the 2021 fishing license fees.
