-Stakeholders decry harsh realities of climate change
By Jerromie S. Walters/ Internews Environmental Reporting Fellow
In the heart of Liberia’s coastal communities, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore has always been a pleasant tune for the fishermen who rely on the sea for their livelihood. However, this chorale has turned into an echo of sadness as climate change wreaks havoc on their way of life. Fishermen like Kofi Kwansa, Jackson Jason, Johnson Arthur, and several others are grappling with the harsh realities of a changing climate, as they hope for better days.
Liberia is a low-income nation with vast marine resources. According to a 2022, ScienceDirect (An environmental site) research, the West African nation stands at a crossroads where the potential of its fisheries could significantly contribute to national economic development and support sustainable livelihoods for its most vulnerable populations. There are about nine coastal counties in Liberia. However, a combination of social, political, economic, and environmental challenges continues to hinder the realization of this potential.
Kofi Kwansa, the Head of the Fishermen of Liberia [FantiChief], speaks in dismay about the drastic changes he and his colleagues have witnessed over the past year. “From last year to this year, it is difficult for fishermen,” he laments. The once bountiful waters have become a barren landscape, leaving fishermen returning home with little more than empty nets. “If you bring one or two buckets, it can’t reach the expenses so you can see most of the cannons they are parking. Things difficult, (From) last year to this year. The climate change because what we expected especially in July we expected that we would be getting small, small but nothing then we entered this month too, when you go on the sea and throw your net, the water in the sea is dirty. It can hold the net so you can come empty,” he explains.
Kofi Kwansa, the Head of the Fishermen of Liberia
The fishermen’s plight is not just about the dwindling fish stocks; it is a matter of survival. For many, fishing is not merely a job; it is their only means of supporting their families. “Now as I’m speaking to you, la hand to mouth work we are doing. When the fish dying, when you come into the community you will see the whole place turn smoky. You will see the women’s time like this, you will see people going up and down then you know that something good coming. But from last year to this year, it’s not easy. Everybody is complaining. Myself I’m a fisherman. Since I parked the cannons almost three weeks I have not gone on the sea because every day we are burning gas and if you don’t take time the water can cut your net,” Kofi says.
The Fishermen Leader, who has been involved with fishing for almost forty years further stated: “Sometime when we go fishing by day, we can spend almost about 25,000 or 30,000 to go on the sea. We can’t get anything. This fishing work is a different work. It’s not like some work where every month whether it’s good or bad they will pay you but this one when you go, if you don’t catch anything nobody getting paid. All the coast lime no good fishing because now the fishing activity is hard.”
Marine resources play a crucial role in the social and economic sustainability of coastal nations, as highlighted by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14, which focuses on “life below water.” The global emphasis on the “blue economy” underscores the importance of sustainable management of ocean resources, and Liberia is no exception to this trend.
Despite its wealth of marine resources, Liberia faces numerous obstacles in developing its fisheries sector in a manner that benefits its citizens. By 2022, it was made known by NaFAAthat fisheries accounted for approximately 10% of Liberia’s gross domestic product (GDP), with the small-scale fisheries sector estimated to employ around 33,000 people. The country’s fisheries are primarily divided into two categories: artisanal and semi-artisanal coastal fisheries, which together constitute about 86% of the total fisheries sector, and industrial fisheries.
Like other fishermen, Jackson Jason shares a similar story of hardship. “Now as I’m talking, it is not small debt,” he reveals, his voice tinged with frustration. The constant cycle of credit and debt has left many fishermen in a precarious position, unable to afford the basics. “Sometimes when we go fishing, the net can go, so we have to fight hard and credit and buy gas to put it in the canoe.” The struggle to stay afloat, both literally and figuratively, is a daily battle for these men. They venture out into the unpredictable sea, risking their lives and livelihoods for a chance at survival, only to return empty-handed.
Jackson Jason, a Liberian fisherman at West Point
The emotional toll is evident as Jackson reflects on the consequences of their predicament. “Now as I’m talking it is not small debt. When we go fishing nothing. Sometimes when we go fishing the net can go so we have to fight hard and credit and buy night to put it in the canoe.” He attributes this mainly to when erosion takes place. “Sometimes when the water is not good,” he said.
According to the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), artisanal fisheries yielded 18,086 tons of fish in 2020, while industrial trawlers contributed 5,113 tons in the same year. However, the sector has been plagued by significant concerns regarding illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which threatens the sustainability of fish stocks and the livelihoods of local fishermen.
John Arthur, a seasoned fisherman since the 1980s, resounds the sentiments of his fellow fishermen. “It is not a small thing. We can credit to buy gas and fish. Sometimes when you go nothing.Sometimes we will go back and credit money but when we go again nothing. The only thing, we want to make sure that everybody should get their daily bread. When the sea vex we can’t get anything. Sometimes when the sea vex we can’t be able to cross the bad-mouth. If you make mistake the whole canoe will damage.”
John Arthur, a Liberian fisherman
The fishermen’s beliefs about the sea are deeply rooted in tradition and spirituality. They attribute the roughness of the waters to the loss of life, believing that the sea becomes tumultuous when a human soul is lost. “Anytime the sea is rough, we know that human got there,” Johnson said.
The challenges faced by fishermen and fish vendors, especially in West Point are becoming more pronounced as climate change and rough sea conditions continue to disrupt their livelihoods. Like Jason and John, other fishermen, including seasoned veterans and young apprentices, have also expressed their concerns about the dangers of fishing in increasingly turbulent waters.
As a fisherman with decades of experience, John has witnessed the sea’s unpredictability firsthand since the 1980s. “When the sea is rough, accidents can occur,” he warns, noting that canoes, engines, and nets have been lost to the rocks. With crews ranging from six to ten men, the stakes are high. “If you are not lucky, one person has to move from inside,” he added. Arthur calls on the government to take action, suggesting that placing rocks along the coastline could help mitigate the rough conditions that have made fishing increasingly difficult. Traditionally, many fishermen attribute the roughness of the sea to the loss of life. “Anytime the sea is rough, we know that someone has drowned,” Arthur explains. “The sea can’t get rough if humans don’t get there.”
Young fishermen are also feeling the strain. Michael M. McCauley, a student and fisherman, has been in the industry for three years. “When I first started fishing, I was enjoying it, but now it’s very difficult,” he says. “Sometimes, after leaving a net in the water for two days, we struggle to catch even one fish. Fishermen are finding it hard.” His experience reflects a growing concern among the younger generation who are trying to balance work and education amidst economic uncertainty.
Michael M. McCarthy , a young fisherman at West Point
Another young fisherman, Paparosa B. Barclay, mirrors Mccauley’s sentiments, stating, “Sometimes, getting even one pad of fish is hard for us.” Howbeit, experts say the situation is not merely an economic issue; but it threatens the very fabric of coastal communities that depend on these resources for their survival. They believe that this not only impacts the fishermen but also reverberates through the entire supply chain, affecting fish vendors and local markets that depend on a steady supply of fish. This was acknowledged by the local vendors.
Paparosa B. Barclay
The payment and consequences of violation
In Liberia, fishermen or canoe operators are obligated to make payments consistent with the Liberian Government’s Annual Fishing License Fees once a year. The prices include: 1-15 HORSEPOWER CANOE OWNERS ARE To PAY US250.00 ANNUALLY. 16-40 HORSEPOWER CANOE OWNERS ARE TO PAY US$475.00 ANNUALLY. 41-100 HORSEPOWER CANOE OWNERS ARE TO PAY USI,250.00 ANNUALLY. Migrant/Seasonal Fishermen are to pay USI,500.00 annually. Padding/Kru canoe owners are to pay US50.00 or its Liberian dollars equivalent annually.
Fishing License Fee payment starts in January of every fishing year. Amid the constraint posed by climate change, the government has been proactive in ensuring that no fisherman is allowed to fish in the absence of the payment of the Annual Fishing License fees payment. When violated, said Fisherman is often charged for illegal fishing and fined by the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) of Liberia.
The local vendors
The impact of these struggles extends beyond the fishermen to local vendors who rely on a steady supply of fish for their businesses. Justina Tarpeh, a fish vendor in West Point Township, shares her plight: “When the sea vex the canoe can’t go fishing we can’t get business to make. Just this gone July people left in the water from the sea erosion. When the sea and canoes are not going fishing, the fish price can go up. Normally when fish coming, we can buy it for seven for two hundred, and eight for two hundred Liberian dollars. When the sea is very normal, we can buy it five for a hundred sometimes six for hundred Liberian dollars.”
Justina Tarpeh, a fish vendor in West Point Township
Anther vendor Patricia Sackor, who has been involved in the fishing business for 28 years, knows all too well the repercussions of rough seas. “When fish coming it can be good because that’s it we depending on to lay my children school fees. When the sea bad no canoe can go so we can wait. When the sea goes down then the people (fishermen) can go. Sometimes when the sea vex it can take four days. The small fish I can get I can be selling it small small. When canoe na go I can feel bad because that’s the place I can get my daily bread. When canoe going I can get more money.
. Patricia Sackor, a fish vendor
NaFAA
Lewis E.B Konoe, the Director of Communications and Media Services at the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) of Liberia says the entity experienced a significant decline in the Liberian Government’s Annual Canoe Fishing License Fees payment this year. This indicates that far fewer fishermen complied this year than in previous years. “It started from 2023 but 2024 there has been a drastic decline,” he stated.
Lewis E.B Konoe, the Director of Communications and Media Services at NaFAA
However, efforts through an FOI request made via email for full data (2023-24) on the Annual Canoes Fishing License Payment performance was not responded to by the National Fisheries & Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA).
The National Fisheries & Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) was created by an Act of National Legislation on October 9, 2017. It functions as a fully-fledged autonomous body pursuant to the Public Authorities Law of the Republic of Liberia. NaFAA has its roots in the erstwhile Bureau of National Fisheries, which operated as a unit within the Department of Technical Services of the Ministry of Agriculture from 1956 to 2017.
Policy and Legislation
Liberia has established a framework of policies, regulations, and institutions aimed at managing its fisheries and marine resources. The 2010 Regulations relating to fisheries and fishing activities laid the groundwork for the marine fisheries sector. In 2017, the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority wascreated through legislative amendments to enhance governance in the sector.
The 2019 Act further empowered NaFAA by granting it the legal authority to regulate fisheries and aquaculture, enabling the development of specific regulations to ensure sustainable practices. Liberia is also an active participant in regional collaborations, including the Fishery Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic (CECAF) and the Fishery Committee of the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC), which aim to promote sustainable fishing practices across borders.
