Group photo of FCWC Delegation Mission to FCWC Chairperson in Liberia
The FCWC Secretary-General, Dr Gaston Djihinto, led a delegation for a mission to Liberia to meet with the FCWC Chairperson, Director General of Liberia National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), Hon. Emma Glassco, on 13-15 January 2025 at the NaFAA Headquarters in Monrovia, Liberia.
The mission’s objective was to exchange with the FCWC Conference of Ministers Chairperson to determine the appropriate strategies for effective implementation of the Conference recommendations agreed on 13 December 2024.
The FCWC SG was accompanied by the MarEcoPlan Project Coordinator, Kossi Ahoedo, and the West Africa Task Force Project Regional Coordinator, Viviane Koutob, to meet with the FCWC Chairperson, who was accompanied by the NaFAA Deputy Director in charge of Technical Services and her assistant.
During the mission, the FCWC Chairperson made major commitments including: Liberia will pay its annual contribution for the year 2025 by the end of March 2025; Liberia will observe a closed season will be observed in 2025. She also indicated that in Liberia would integrate its VMS data into the RMCSC this year, and support the RMCSC staff through the secondment of an officer from Liberia by May 2025.
The occasion was also used to sign the Monrovia Declaration, and the Protocol on Labour Standards for Crew and the Elimination of Forced Labour on Fishing Vessels in the FCWC region. Both documents are being forwarded to the other Ministers for their signature as agreed at the 15th Conference of Ministers last month. The mission concluded with visit to Liberia’s Fisheries Monitoring Centre to observe the improvements made since the last visit.
