EGYPT – AlHussein Farahat Mohamed, the Director of the Lakes Protection and Fisheries Development Authority (LPRDA) in Egypt, and Emma Metieh Glassco, the head of Liberia’s National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority, have formalized a partnership aimed at advancing the fisheries sector.
The two officials signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday, November 25, in Cairo.
According to reports from local sources, the agreement outlines plans for Egypt to share technical expertise in aquaculture with Liberia.
This collaboration will focus on introducing advanced tilapia farming techniques, expanding aquaculture for native fish species, exchanging technical experts, and providing guidance on disease management, best practices, and monitoring environmental factors in aquatic ecosystems.
Measures to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Liberia’s waters are also included in the agreement.
Egypt, recognized as a leader in aquaculture on the African continent, produced 2 million metric tons of fish in 2022, with 1.6 million metric tons derived from aquaculture, according to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
By contrast, Liberia’s aquaculture sector is underdeveloped.
The World Bank reports that aquaculture accounted for less than 5% of Liberia’s total fish production of 29,300 metric tons in 2022.
Liberia faces additional challenges from IUU fishing, which officials estimate causes annual losses of approximately US$322 million.
The country, which has a 570-kilometer Atlantic coastline and around 20,000 square kilometers of fishing zones, relies heavily on small-scale artisanal and semi-industrial coastal fisheries, which make up about 86% of the sector.
Projections indicate that Liberia’s fish production may rise from 304 metric tons in 2023 to 375 metric tons by 2028, reflecting an annual growth rate of 3.4%.
However, fish consumption is expected to decline during the same period, dropping from 9,500 metric tons to 7,420 metric tons, or a 3.9% annual decrease.
Liberia’s per capita fish consumption, at 11.42 kilograms annually, remains among the lowest in West Africa.
While fish is a critical source of protein in the region, aquaculture remains an underutilized alternative.
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