MONROVIA – For the first time in a long while,
(since 1989) the government of Liberia through the National Fisheries
and Aquaculture Authority in collaboration with the Liberia Maritime
Authority, the first batch of trained and certified international
seafarers are to shortly be deployed on Liberia’s licensed EU fishing
vessels and Liberian flagged tuna vessels.
Although Liberia signed the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership
Agreement with EU in 2016, unfortunately, there have been no Liberian
Seafarers deployed on any of the 33 EU fishing vessels including other
international vessels licensed and flagged by Liberia because of the
lack of capacity and required skills. However, under the astute
leadership of His Excellency, Dr. George Manneh Weah, President of
Liberia, all efforts have been made through the National Fisheries and
Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) to have the internationally trained
Liberian Seafarers deploy on the EU vessels and other international
vessels. He has emphasized that such decision be implemented as a
mandatory requirement for fishing vessels licensed by NaFaa as well as a
mandatory provision in future bilateral or private Fisheries Access
Agreement. This effort is aimed at providing Liberians seafarers job
and networking opportunities as well as international exposure with
other international seafarers.
The nine Liberian Seafarers are expected to work on board three (9%) European Union fishing vessels licensed under the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) signed 2016 to fish in Africa including the Liberian Exclusive Economy Zone (EEZ) and other parts of the world.
According to a NaFAA press release, which quoted the Director General of NaFAA Mrs. Emma Metieh Glassco there
has been a demand from nafaa, that the three European fishing vessel
carrying Liberian trained Seafarers dock at designated ports where the
nine Seafarers will be given the opportunity to board.
The nine Liberian Seafarers expected to board the three European
Union vessels include: Wilson Blamo, Stanley Warjolo, Barfee Kieh, and
Lawrence Lamah. Others are Janron Toe, Joseph Z. Cooper, Samuel Clinton,
Ansu konneh and Paul Jackson.
The Nine (9) Liberian Seafarers are drawn from the list of fifty (50)
Seafarers who underwent international seafarers training sponsored by
NaFAA and facilitated by Experts from the Regional Maritime University
in Ghana. The 50 Seafarers were certificated in 2018 by President George
Weah.
The 50 Seafarers underwent training in Basic Firefighting Designated Security Duties and Awareness (ISPS) Personal survivors’ Techniques, Personal Safety and Social Responsibility and First Aid among others.
