National Export Strategy Fish and Crustaceans Export Strategy

2 FISH AND CRUSTACEANS EXPORT STRATEGY 2014-2018 Source: Juan Freire In terms of development focus, there is a strong case EXPORT PERFORMANCE to be made for collective action, and for strong linkag- Liberia is a small player in the fish and crustaceans ex- es between the small and large, and between men and port market, exporting only about US $ 3 million of prod- women and young individuals. Gender equity and greater ucts in 2012, primarily to the European Union ( EU ) and involvement of women in the export value chain is also East Asian states. Germany is Liberia’s main customer in an important consideration. Given that women dominate the EU. There is also significant cross-border activity, al- the downstream segment of the sector, increasing capac- though the actual volumes and dollar values are hard to ity for product diversification of the artisanal sector will estimate due to challenges in collecting data. achieve both growth and development targets simulta- neously. A targeted investment and skills programme to especially train young women to take on more and more OPTIONS FOR FUTURE complex and higher value roles will help realize the sub- stantial potential in domestic, regional and international DEVELOPMENT markets. This strategy will comprehensively address the In order to realize the export potential and increase the ex- issue of increasing women’s ability to influence outcomes port competitiveness of the Liberian fish and crustaceans within the sector – be they at policy / institutional or enter- sector, the following vision has been adopted : prise levels. “ A viable sector that will boost sustainable livelihoods ” and export competence among small and medium-sized enterprises across the sector value chain. This vision will be realized by the following strategic and operational objectives, which are designed to address comprehensively the overall weaknesses identified across the value chain. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3 Strategic objective Operational objective Boost productive capacity • Strengthen the inputs market in the fish and crustaceans sector. of the sector. • Identify needs and build initial capacities in the Liberian inland fishing and aquaculture sector. • Assist the industrial sector in scaling up operations. • Increase organization in the sector. • Strengthen research and development capability and human capital development in the sector. Improve infrastructure and the overall • Strengthen infrastructures to create more efficiencies, reduce costs, business environment in the sector. and improve quality of production. • Improve access to credit for sector operators. • Curb illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing ( IUU ) activity in the sector. • Improve quality management infrastructure in the sector. • Improve infrastructure for post-harvest and processing. Improve the institutional support • Strengthen the Bureau of National Fisheries ( BNF ) through technical, framework pertaining to the sector. human capital and financial support mechanisms. • Provide strengthening support to the Liberia Artisanal Fishermen Association ( LAFA ) to transform its service delivery vis-à-vis all issues related to the artisanal sector. Facilitate adequate access to trade • Improve in-market support in target markets. information and in-market support to • Develop the domestic market in line with the emerging capacities of the sector. potential and existing operators • Improve access to trade information and market intelligence in the sector. in the sector. Support the sector’s development • Support decision-making ability and opportunities for female actors along objectives of gender equity and the value chain. environmental growth and stability. • Ensure that sector operations maintain environmental balance. The envisioned future state of the sector has been devel- phase of the NES (2014-2018). During this period existing oped using a combination of consultations, surveys and trade relationships and bilateral geographical distances analyses. This future state consists of two components : will form the major criteria determining the markets for Liberian fish and crustacean products. Market penetra- ƒƒ Structural changes to the value chain that result in ei- tion in existing markets will be the main mode of market ther strengthening of linkages or introduction of new entry. Over the short term the West African regional states, linkages; the African Growth and Opportunity Act ( AGOA ) market, ƒƒ A market-related component involving identification and East Asian markets have been identified as key mar- of key markets in the short and medium-to-long terms kets to focus on. for exporters. In the longer term it is expected that the evolving capaci- ties of Liberian exporters – across multiple dimensions including quality management, supply capacities, prod- OPTIONS FOR FUTURE uct diversification, time to market efficiency, and market- DEVELOPMENT: MARKETS ing / branding, in conjunction with the improving business environment, infrastructural improvements and other ex- Target markets identification for the fish and crustaceans port value chain improvements affected by the NES and sector is constrained by the current extremely small base sector PoA implementations – will allow exporters to target of sector operations, as well as by the presence of larger other markets in the medium-to-long term which seem and relatively well-established regional neighbours that hard to penetrate now. However, the identification of such have a foothold in international markets. markets now – given the low base of the sector – will be purely indicative in nature. The analysis and the stakeholder consultations conduct- ed as part of the NES design process have indicated that, Over the longer term, the United States of America and with concerted efforts directed along the sector’s value EU markets have been identified. If the export value chain chain, the strategy will be consolidating rather than vision- is indeed able to incorporate eco-labelling and other ary in nature for the time period encompassed by this certification requirements, then these large markets can THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA NATIONAL EXPORT STRATEGY

4 FISH AND CRUSTACEANS EXPORT STRATEGY 2014-2018 potentially significantly boost export earnings. However, LEC will be tasked with coordinating the implementation in acknowledgement of the fact that capabilities across of activities in order to optimize the allocation of both re- the export value chain are extremely low at the moment, sources and efforts across the wide spectrum of stake- it may take at least a decade – if not more – for these mar- holders. Within this framework, implementation of the fish kets to become more accessible to Liberian exporters. and crustaceans strategy will also fall within the purview of LEC. OPTIONS FOR FUTURE DE- Such efforts will involve directing donor and private and public sector organizations towards the various NES pri- VELOPMENT : STRUCTURAL orities in order to avoid duplication and guarantee maxi- ADJUSTMENTS TO THE mum impact. Responsibilities will also include monitoring the results of activities and outputs, while at the same LIBERIAN FISH AND CRUS- time recommending policies that could serve to enhance TACEANS VALUE CHAIN realization of the strategic objectives. With a 360 degree view of progress, the Council will be best placed to man- The projected structural changes to the sector are based age funding and provide regular reports to donors and on efficiency gains identified through the four gear analy- stakeholders. Moreover, LEC will play a key role in recom- sis of the sector’s performance, and through the identifi- mending revisions and updates to the strategy so that it cation of opportunities for improving the sector’s capacity continues to evolve in alignment with the country’s evolv- to acquire, add, create, retain and distribute value. ing needs. Product diversification is a key requirement. Given that In addition to LEC, a variety of stakeholders will be criti- Liberia is closely linked to its immediate neighbours in cal to the successful implementation of this strategy. terms of consumption patterns and trade flows, this These include public sector actors such as the Ministry augmentation of the product mix will not only enrich the of Agriculture ( MoA – primarily BNF ), MoCI, the Ministry of Liberian consumer but also the average consumer in the Foreign Affairs ( MoFA ), LAFA, the Liberian Fishermen’s entire subregion. Union ( LFU ) and also private sector / civil society organi- zations that have a history of providing assistance to the ƒƒ Other select areas of enhancement / adjustment to the sector and are well positioned to assist. value chain include : ƒƒ Development of a local inputs supply base in addition to the existing imported inputs supply ; CONCLUSION ƒƒ Development of a strong business support network to provide support services to sector operators ; To drive improvements in the sector it will be important to ƒƒ Increased cooperation between local and regional / in- leverage the different interventions already taking place ternational institutions ( including those in the technical and consolidate as many gains as possible from across and vocational education and training ( TVET ) sphere ) policy, institutional, regional, scientific, livelihoods and active in the sector ; conservation / adaptation perspectives to optimize the ƒƒ Increased organization levels and knowledge sharing business environment within which the sector operates, between operators in the artisanal sector ; so as to optimize commercial ( growth ) opportunities and ƒƒ Increased capabilities in areas of eco-labelling and consequently the development opportunities offered by other certifications to be applied to the sector in the the sector. medium-to-long term ; and ƒƒ The enhancement of productive capacity / creation of a Liberia can use the lessons from the experience of its critical mass of installed bases of value added facilities. neighbours and other countries the world over to protect its marine and inland fishery resources, recognize and protect the criticality of the sector to maintain employ- ment and food security for poor populations, and chan- IMPLEMENTATION nel much needed foreign direct investment into creating MANAGEMENT lasting sources of competitive advantage for the sector. The broad range of activities, together with the complex nature of integrated intervention, requires careful imple- mentation that efficiently directs resources and monitors results at both the micro and macro levels. To this end, a Liberian Export Council ( LEC ) will be established in order to facilitate the public–private partnership in elaborating, coordinating and implementing the NES. In particular, CURRENT CONTEXT 5 CURRENT CONTEXT HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE war. Available medium-sized infrastructure consisted of landing sites, mechanized trawler fleets and cold chains, The Liberian fisheries sector currently operates from a among other installations. The industry was significantly very low base and concerted efforts are required to revital- affected by the 14 year civil conflict in the country, as is the ize the sector, not only to develop export competitiveness case for other sectors. The loss of infrastructure ranged but also to meet domestic demand, which is currently be- from fishing boats, landing piers and cold chain infra- ing met through imports. structure, to ‘soft’ infrastructure such as human capital. During and since the war the artisanal sector has primar- The industrial fisheries sector was relatively well equipped ily existed for subsistence purposes, especially for com- and expanded significantly in the decades preceding the munities spread near the coast. Box 1 : A brief history of commercial fishing in Liberia 1840s–1980s Commercial fishing in Liberia was first attempted in 1848 when the erstwhile President of the country, Joseph Jenkins Roberts, converted his yacht into a fishing boat. The first fishing trawler to operate in Liberian coastal waters belonged to Woerman Company, a German company that operated in the country between 1938 and 1939. Fishing was a daily activity, with the trawlers re- turning to port at the end of each fishing day, and catches were sold immediately to avoid post- harvest losses because of lack of means for preservation of fresh fish. Considering the success of the Woerman Company and the realization of the potential important role of fisheries in national socioeconomic development, the Government of Liberia in 1952 requested the assistance of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ( FAO ) and the United States Government to help develop its fisheries subsector. Experts were sent from FAO and the United States to assess the fisheries potential of the country. As a result of months of exploratory fishing, it was determined that a medium scale fishing industry could be established in the country. Industrial fishery began in the mid-1950s and targeted mainly the shrimp resources within the Sherbro fishing grounds, which extend into Sierra Leone. The Mesurado Group of Companies be- came operational in the early 1960s and developed into the most dominant force in Liberian fish- eries. The company owned and operated more than 25 vessels, including shrimpers and double rigged trawlers. The company was owned by the Tolbert family and operated its own harbour and processing facilities with 3,000 tonnes of freezing capacity. Shrimp was the company’s major export commodity, with a monthly shipment of about 60 tons to Europe and Asia. The Mesurado Group of Companies is said to have been one of the largest fishing entities in sub-Saharan Africa until 1980, when it began to decline following the military coup. In fact, in the 1970s and early 1980s in- dustrial fish processing made the country the highest value exporter of fish products in all of Africa. Source : Briefing document on FAO FishCode-STF / CECAF / FCWC Subregional Workshop on the Improvement of Fishery Information and DataCollection Systems in the West Central Gulf of Guinea Region ( title unknown ), 2007. Accessed from http :// www.fao.org / docrep / 012 / k7480b / k7480b04.pdf THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA NATIONAL EXPORT STRATEGY

6 FISH AND CRUSTACEANS EXPORT STRATEGY 2014-2018 Table 1 : Production statistics for the Liberian fish and crustaceans sector 1995–2011 Land Ocean Species Scientific 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Area Area name Liberia Inland Freshwater Freshwater 4000 4000 4000 4000 4000 4022 4014 4014F 3614F 3213F 2813F 2413F 17558 779 766F 770F 770F waters fishes fishes Marine Crustaceans Crustaceans 148 28 124 177 338 93 189 303 230 457 296 281 130 90 90F 90F 90F areas Diadromous Diadromous 6 124 28 63 242 110 198 200 200 242 24 4 182 57 60F 60F 60F fishes fishes Marine Marine 4675 3980 4339 6384 10071 7285 6039 6454 6354 9795 8002 6198 12357 6950 7070F 7070F 7070F fishes fishes Molluscs Molluscs 0 175 2 73 31 30 70 75 70 31 1025 11 55 30 30F 30F 30F Sub-total Marine areas 4829 4308 4491 6697 10682 7518 6496 7042 6854 10525 9347 6494 12745 7127 7250F 7250F 7250F Total Liberia 8829 8308 8491 10697 14682 11540 10510 11056 10478 13738 12180 8907 14501 7908 8018F 8020F 8020F GRAND TOTAL 8829 8308 8491 10697 14682 11540 10510 11056 10478 13738 12160 8907 14501 7908 8016F 8020F 8020F Source : FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Information and Statistics Service ( 2013 ). Available from www.fao.org/fishery/topic/16140/en. Accessed 3 December 201V 3. Note : An ‘F’ next to production figure indicates FAO estimates PRODUCTION TRENDS width, which creates an EEZ area of about 20 000 km 2 of fishing ground extending to 200 nautical miles.3 The sector also accounted for 12 % of agricultural gross domestic product 2010-2011.1 Production of fish and crus- Fish and crustaceans is an important sector which has taceans ( including aquaculture ) in Liberia reached a high significant regional implications owing to its strategic po- of 18,000 tons in the late 1970s, when the sector ranked sition in the Gulf of Guinea in particular and the Atlantic as a leader among its peers in the region. During the civil Ocean in general. The three main marine fishing areas of conflict, production was mainly aimed towards fulfilling Robertsport, Monrovia ( West Point / Banjor ) and Marshall food security needs in the country. Since the end of the are home to about 70 % - 80 % of the entire coastal fishing conflict, production has actually gone down to just above population of the country. 8,000 tons in 2011 ( FAO estimates ). Discrepancy in data collection has led to a fair bit of uncertainty regarding ac- The industry is broadly segmented into artisanal and in- tual production figures. dustrial fishing activity. Industrial actors are engaged ex- clusively with marine activity, while the artisanal sector is As indicated, marine fisheries are the main production involved with both marine and inland fishing ( including source with more than 7,000 tons in 2011. Freshwater fish aquaculture and river / lake fishing ). Among the main dif- sourced from inland waters constitute the second largest ferentiating factors between the two types of actors is the source of catch. The crustaceans subsector has failed to type of equipment used, the distance ventured by opera- recover since the 1970s, when production figures reached tors away from the coast, and access to on-board / off- up to nearly 1,700 tons ( 1978 FAO figures ). board post-harvest and processing capabilities. Operations in the fish and crustaceans sector are es- STRUCTURE OF THE SECTOR sentially a function of the equipment / fleet size. Given the weak inputs and equipment base of the sector in Liberia, Liberia’s total land mass amounts to about 111,370 km 2, operations have been concentrated in only a few spe- of which 96,320 km 2 (86 %) is dry land, drained by several cies and have primarily been limited to a 6-9 nautical mile rivers and streams.2 Liberia’s Exclusive Economic Zone perimeter ( except for the large, primarily foreign-owned ( EEZ ) is defined by its relatively long Atlantic coastline of industrial trawlers ). about 570 km and a continental shelf averaging 34 km in Table 2 provides a broad segmentation of the sector op- erators based on their primary equipment ( fleet type ), 1. FAO ( 2007 ). Fishery and Aquaculture Country Profiles : The Republic of and the main target species. Although the information is Liberia. Available from www.fao.org/fishery/countrysector/FI-CP_LR/en. slightly outdated ( 2007 ), it serves as one of the more reli- 2. Briefing document on FAO FishCode-STF / CECAF / FCWC able sources available on the status of Liberian fisheries. Subregional Workshop on the Improvement of Fishery Information and DataCollection Systems in the West Central Gulf of Guinea Region ( title unknown ), 2007.Accessed from http :// www.fao.org /docrep / 012 / k7480b / k7480b04.pdf 3. ibid CURRENT CONTEXT 7 Table 2 : Segmentation of the marine fishery sector in Liberia Industrial Fante canoes Popoh Kru Canoe Number 30-40 270 N/A 3150 Gear type Trawl Ring net Gill / Set net Hook Beach seine Traps Hook and Line and Line Main target Penaeid Herring Tuna Sail fish Crookers Herring Lobster Barracuda species Snappers Flying fish Caranx Needlefish Crabs Pike fish Groupers Poorjoe Snapper Gbapleh Source : Briefing document on FAO FishCode-STF/CECAF/FCWC Subregional Workshop on the Improvement of Fishery Information and DataCollection Systems in the West Central Gulf of Guinea Region ( title unknown ), 2007. Accessed from http ://www.fao.org/docrep/012/k7480b/k7480b04.pdf ARTISANAL SECTOR in 139 communities along the Liberian coast.4 The fleet size of the artisanal sector roughly amounts to 3,000 ca- Artisanal fishing is a year round activity, though the avail- noes, of which it is estimated that roughly 8 % are mo- ability of particular types of fish is seasonal and con- torized 5 and the majority of canoes are operating in sequently so is the type of gear used as well as the Montserrado and Grand Bassa counties ( Figure 1 ). scheduling of fishing cycles. For instance, artisanal purse seining is an example of type of fishing activity that takes 4. Briefing document on FAO FishCode-STF/CECAF/FCWC place only in the dry season. Subregional Workshop on the Improvement of Fishery Information and DataCollection Systems in the West Central Gulf of Guinea Region ( title unknown ), 2007. Accessed from http ://www.fao.org/docrep/012/ There are approximately 13,000 fishermen and 18,000 k7480b/k7480b04.pdf post-harvest handlers / processors / households active in 5. Drammeh, O.K.L. ( 2007 ). Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy of Liberia. Draft final report. Figure 1 : Canoes by county 2010 Grand Bassa 736 22.5% Margibi 116 3.5% Montserrado 654 20.0% Bomi 65 2.0% Grand Capemount 279 Sinoe 475 8.5% 14.5% Maryland 300 9.2% Grand Kru 349 Rivercess 302 10.7% 9.2% Source : BNF Statistics. THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA NATIONAL EXPORT STRATEGY

8 FISH AND CRUSTACEANS EXPORT STRATEGY 2014-2018 The artisanal sector ( to the extent of fishing and landing ) The Fanti, of Ghanaian descent, in particular those resid- is divided along tribal affiliations and differs considerably ing in Liberia since the 1920s,7 use larger canoes ( 12 m ), in the level of sophistication of methods and equipment powered by 25-50 horsepower outboard engines, with used, and consequently the skill levels required to under- crews as large as 15. Their gear is more sophisticated. take fishing expeditions. Ring and purse nets are used for small pelagic species, with large gillnets specifically adapted for different spe- ƒƒ The Fanti are migrants from Ghana who use canoes cies and seasons also employed. The Fanti are respon- fitted with outboard motors and are thus able to venture sible for about 40 % of the volume of artisanal landings. It anywhere between 6 and 12 nautical miles from shore. is reported that prior to the war in Liberia, Fanti fishermen ƒƒ The Kru, Popoh and other clans rarely venture beyond were responsible for as much as 90 % of the country’s ar- the six mile exclusion zone and, in many instances, tisanal fish catch. stay much closer to shore because they are restricted by their gear and techniques. There is a complete The major species harvested by the artisanal fishing com- lack of adoption of new techniques and training such munities are the following : sardinella, barracuda, croak- that catch sizes become comparable among the ers, sharks and ilisha africana, which make up the major communities. commercially valuable species for the local markets and ƒƒ The dominant clan in inland fishing is of Malian constituted 83 % and 59 % of local fish supply in 2004 and extraction. 2005 respectively.8 ƒƒ More recently Gambian, Senegalese and Malian fisher- men have also started to operate in both marine and inland river fishing. Trends have suggested that, un- INDUSTRIAL FISHING like earlier migrants, these operators primarily take the catch out of Liberia and are relatively less integrated In the 1970s and 1980s Liberia’s industrial fleet was con- into the local economy. sidered one of the best in all of Africa and Liberia was the largest African exporter of fish and crustacean products ( predominantly shrimp ) by value. Almost all hard infra- ARTISANAL SECTOR – TRADITIONAL KRU structure was destroyed during the war and the conflict led to widespread outward migration of operators in the The indigenous Kru fish with small crews from small dug- sector. This drain of technical knowhow has created a out canoes of about seven metres, which are based most- significant human capital gap in the sector. ly on mechanical sailing.6 After several decades of sharing fishing grounds with the Fanti and other communities, the Since the end of the conflict there has been some re- Kru have now started to adopt some of their techniques, sumption of trawling, largely led by fishing vessels ranging including the use of motors. Their gear consists mainly in number between 20 and 45. These vessels are almost of hook and line while more recently they have used nets, all foreign-owned and the only local component in their especially monofilament. activity is the contracting of Liberians as deck staff and on-vessel workers. The majority of the licensed fishing vessels that until recently actively operated in Liberia are ARTISANAL SECTOR of far eastern origins, and originated from China, Japan – SEMI-INDUSTRIAL FANTI / POPOH and the Republic of Korea. While detailed information is scarce, it is estimated that the Liberian operations of these In addition to the local Kru fishermen, Fanti and Popoh trawling companies were limited to landing catch, freezing fishermen who migrated from the neighbouring countries and trans-shipping to other ships at sea. of Ghana, Benin and Côte d’Ivoire currently make up the majority of the over 33,000 households that are active These vessels benefited from the lax enforcement of an- in the sector. The early migrants such as the Fanti and ti-IUU regulations in the sector, which in large part were Popoh have an advantage over the local Kru communi- only put in place post-2009. This resulted in major losses ties because they use larger, sturdier boats and frequently to the government in the form of tax revenue. Based on also outfit their boats with outboard motors. This allows some BNF statistics, it can be inferred that underreport- them to fish in considerably deeper waters and for longer ing, trans-shipping and overfishing, especially of juve- periods of time per expedition. niles, was widespread during the 2005-2009 period. 7. Marquette, C.M., Koranteng, K.E., Overa, R. and Bortei-Doku 6. Briefing document on FAO FishCode-STF/CECAF/FCWC Aryeetey, E. ( 2002 ). Small-scale Fisheries, Population Dynamics and Subregional Workshop on the Improvement of Fishery Information Resource Use in Africa : The Case of Moree, Ghana. AMBIO : A Journal and DataCollection Systems in the West Central Gulf of Guinea of the Human Environment, Vol. 31, No 4 ( June 2002 ). Royal Swedish Region ( title unknown ), 2007. Accessed from http ://www.fao.org/ Academy of Sciences. docrep/012/k7480b/k7480b04.pdf 8. Republic of Liberia, Bureau of National Fisheries ( 2006 ). Annual Report. CURRENT CONTEXT 9 Rate of Contribution of Manufacturing Sector to GDP 12,00%restricting fishing The enforcement of the 2009 regulations AQUACULTURE grounds from the 0-6 nautical mile area to artisanal fisher- men dramatically altered the situation in favour of artisanal Aquaculture was first introduced in Liberia in the 1950s. fisheries, which were also the hardest hit by the near shore Although conditions for aquaculture are good there has 11,00% trawling. Since 2009-2010 most of these trawlers have in been no significant growth in the field since then. There fact ceased to operate. Many of them have reportedly now is almost no information on the sector available at this turned to importing fish and crustaceans products so as stage except for initial studies by the aquaculture division 10,00% to use their installed capacity in cold storage and landing of BNF. BNF has sought to understand the existing situ- facilities, most notably at the Freeport in Monrovia. ation within the subsector based on standard indicators such as water, soil, topography, market ( demand ) and In effect, the Liberian industrial fishing sector has almost agricultural by-products. A first estimate of the geographic entirely collapsed at this time. While 9,00% this is a matter of distribution of potential for developing this subsector has significant and immediate concern to the crews and their been drawn up. The major limitation from the outset is families that must be dealt with in a systematic and eq- the unavailability of any information / data, and the lack of uitable manner, it is also an opportunity 8,00% for the sector the necessary capacity and financial resources at BNF to renew its pre-war dynamism based on home-grown to carry out a detailed survey. enterprise, intelligent planning, active and aggressive in- vestment promotion and systematic backing from both As indicated below, aquaculture production is quite 2008 the Government of Liberia ( GoL ) and other development 2009 2010 low and only recently has shown signs of revitalization 2011 partners. in Liberia. During the year conflict years production reached near zero levels but there has been some recovery in re- cent years. Figure 2 : Liberia aquaculture production 1985-2010 Aquaculture Production 40 35 30 tons 25 20

15 Series1 10 5 0 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 years Source : Zizi Kpadeh, BNF. THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA NATIONAL EXPORT STRATEGY

10 FISH AND CRUSTACEANS EXPORT STRATEGY 2014-2018 Any analysis therefore would remain limited and based on a small dataset. Some of the gaps have been mitigated on the basis of the personal knowledge of BNF experts. The results from this initial examination show that there is potential for aquaculture in the country. These reasons include : ƒƒ The abundant and perennial availability of water ; ƒƒ The 75 % prevalence of lateritic soils, which have a compact texture with a water retentive capacity ( which is crucial for pond construction ) ; ƒƒ Density of habitation ; ƒƒ A known preference for aquaculture produce over other forms of protein, especially in the interior counties and districts ; ƒƒ The dominant topography of the country which con- sists mostly of flat land ( mainly plateaus ) that is con- Source: jbdodane venient for pond construction ; and ƒƒ The prevalence of household livestock farmers ( esti- mated by MoA to be over 300,000 households ) points of Bong, Lofa, Nimba, Grand Gedeh, Gbarpolu and to a steady supply of animal waste, which is ideal for River Gee. pond fertilization.9 There is identified potential for aquaculture to contribute SOCIOECONOMIC to overall income generated by fish and crustaceans via domestic, cross-border and international trade. CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SECTOR INLAND FISHERIES10 The socioeconomic contributions of the fisheries sector are important for the country, most of all because of its Liberia is cut by six major rivers, which flow from the Fouta inherent labour-intensive nature – almost 33,000 11 people Djallon Mountains of Guinea. The Lofa, St. Paul, St. John are involved in various activities along the value chain. The and Cestos are within the country. The Mano River forms sector employs some of the poorest populations in the the border with Sierra Leone and the Cavalla runs along country across its coast and along the many rivers and the southern border with Côte d’Ivoire. In total, the country lakes that traverse the country’s interior. has some 1,800 km of river, nearly all of which is shallow, rocky and not navigable. There are also large swamp ar- The sector both provides occupational opportunities and eas and numerous coastal lagoons, including Lake Piso, acts as an economic buffer during lean seasons by pro- one of West Africa’s larger lagoons. Estimates of produc- viding alternate income. The domestic demand for the tion from these sources are not available. sector’s product is steady due to the fact that fish and crustaceans make up a prominent part of the basic food The value of inland fishery is not known but it is an im- basket that Liberians spend their income on, perhaps portant seasonal subsistence activity, using mainly tradi- second only to rice. tional fishing gear and traps. Almost every woman and girl above the age of 15 in the villages has fishing nets The gender ( occupational ) role allocation in the fish and and catch fish in rivers and creeks during the dry sea- crustaceans sector ( artisanal, marine and river fishing ) son. Traditionally one of the major trainings girls undergo is, unlike in other agricultural sectors, very clearly divided is the manufacturing of fishing nets. About 600 fisher folk and relatively equitable between men and women. Men and 925 fishmongers and their families live in 16 fishing harvest the fish and are responsible for the upstream seg- communities along the larger water bodies in the counties ments of the supply / value chain and women are almost wholly and independently responsible for the post-harvest handling, processing and sale all the way to the end con- 9. Ziizi Kpadeh – Team Leader Subsector team – Fish and sumer, i.e. all the downstream segments. Crustaceans – Liberia. 10. Briefing document on FAO FishCode-STF/CECAF/ FCWC Subregional Workshop on the Improvement of Fishery Information and DataCollection Systems in the West Central Gulf of Guinea 11. Republic of Liberia, Bureau of National Fisheries ( 2013 ). Artisanal Region ( title unknown ), 2007. Accessed from http ://www.fao.org/ Fisheries. Available from www.liberiafisheries.net/sectors/artisanal_ docrep/012/k7480b/k7480b04.pdf fisheries/. CURRENT SECTOR OPERATIONS 11 CURRENT SECTOR OPERATIONS ARTISANAL FISH PROCESSING AND CRUSTACEANS The processing link encompasses post-harvest handling, The artisanal fishing sector in Liberia is primarily organ- aggregation, smoking, packaging and sale to itinerant in- ized along community ( tribal ) lines involving the subsist- termediaries or ‘market women’. ence Malian community, the semi-subsistence Kru and Popoh communities, and the semi-mechanized Fanti A clear division of labour between men and women char- community. The low base in terms of product complex- acterizes the processing stage. Women buy the stock off ity and market reach means that the entire value chain is the fishing boats immediately upon landing, effectively relatively compressed. taking ownership of the product. Post-harvest / landing activities are exclusively the preserve of the communities’ women, who also define roles between themselves very INPUTS clearly and distribute workload / resources with men in a smooth and harmonious manner. The women are organ- The inputs provision function in the value chain is, almost ized into self-help groups or co-ops and manage their without exception, operated entirely based on personal own finances as well. The sector thus offers high potential kinship networks and on trust. Fish and crustaceans is for substantial enhancement of the competitiveness of the inherently an inputs-intensive value chain and high input value chain based on women’s economic empowerment. costs are currently seriously impairing efficiencies in the Women in the value chain also act as product managers, sector. Inputs range from boats, nets and fuel to cold keeping close track of demand and relaying that informa- boxes, outboard motors and other technical equipment. tion ahead of production to fishing crews. The current species harvested and marketed are a direct The only transformation activity at the artisanal level cur- function of the depths ( and the distance from shore ) at rently is smoking, and this does not add value as much which fishing is carried out, which in turn is entirely de- as enhance shelf life. It is absolutely the most basic value pendent on the gear used (including boats, nets etc.) and addition carried out and is aimed primarily at the domestic the techniques employed. market. Smoking is meant only to make fish more widely available. There is currently no capacity to carry out any more sophisticated value addition. A processing facility PRODUCTION that is coming up in Banjor will help start better quality smoking, drying and freezing activity. Current fleets are largely suited only to subsistence level activity. The very basic level of gear used has meant that the species exploited have been those found with- DISTRIBUTION TO MARKET in a maximum perimeter of approximately six nautical miles ( the current exclusive artisanal zone ). This has Distribution is primarily carried about by Liberian market also resulted in the average Liberian consumer only be- women, many of whom are illiterate and many of whom ing familiar with these ‘near shore’ species. Gear up- are well past retirement age. They negotiate prices, man- grades will result in product diversification and market age inventory, schedule logistics and supervise the en- diversification. tire process of intermediation. Apart from subsistence consumption, the other main domestic consumer base comprises local supermarkets and hotels. THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA NATIONAL EXPORT STRATEGY

12 FISH AND CRUSTACEANS EXPORT STRATEGY 2014-2018 Source: jbdodane The main markets for cross-border trade are the neigh- Since the enforcement of the exclusion requirements, as bouring markets of Côte d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone, while many as 45 registered vessels no longer officially fish in Liberian products exported to regional wholesalers even- Liberian waters. A majority of the active licensed trawlers tually find their way to the EU and East Asian states. have now exited the sector in Liberia, as they were not ad- equately equipped to fish beyond the six mile exclusion zone given the requirements recently put in place. This INDUSTRIAL SECTOR has increased their operating costs, as well as exposed existing operators to competition with bigger and more There is limited activity in the industrial fisheries sector. sophisticated trawlers. It has also put legal operators in di- The value chain for this sector has been relatively sim- rect competition with illegal trawlers, resulting in reduced ple and consisted essentially of foreign vessels obtain- catch rates as a result of large-scale IUU. ing licences in Liberia to fish both demersal and pelagic species. In the period 2003-2010 operators in the sub- This, however, does not imply that the subsector is not an sector fished uninterrupted and in direct conflict with ar- important element of the sector. In fact, the subsector has tisanal fishermen. During this time there were scores of shown some resilience in operating profitably within se- cases of overfishing, fishing of juveniles, wholesale dump- verely constrained circumstances. On the one hand some ing of discards, and damage to gear. Companies have of the companies have shifted from fish and crustaceans also alternated between import and export activities, or exports to imports, since Liberia is still a net importer. On a combination based on seasonal variations in prices of the other hand some other companies have stayed in the inputs / catch etc. export business – either via legal trans-shipment or via direct informal cross-border trade. Figure 3 : Current value chain of the Liberian fish and crustaceans sector Inputs Production Transformation and processing Distribution Export markets Boats Subsistance Fishing - Malian West Africa Fishing Gear - hooks, nets Cross-Border Distributors Retailers Supermarkets Traders Fuel Subsistance Fishing Disposal/ - Kru/Popoh Recycle/ Sorting and Reuse Landing Smoking Salting Fermetation Distributers Exporters Cleaning Importer/ Importers Semi-Industrial Wholesalers Distributor/ Eu,East Machinery production Retailer Asian states IMPORTED - outboard -Fanti motors Artisanal Supermarkets Reprocessors Cold boxes Processors / hotels International Component of Value Chain Labour Industrial - Liberian Feed Owned Vessels Sorting and Trans-shipping to Landing Freezing Distributers Exporters Fuel Cleaning vessels at sea Industrial - foreign Trawlers/ owned vessels IMPORTED Equipment Feed Primary Supporting Services Research and development / TVET Infraestructure Credit providers Business service providers including maintenance and parts Investment promotion Distribution services Transportation services including cold storage facilities Post-harvest facilities Inspection services-quality control and certification Inspection services Pest and disease control Packaging providers Repackaging Local and international customs Disponsal services Trade and market information Coast Guard and other monitoring agencies CURRENT SECTOR OPERATIONS Source: sector consultations and desk research. 13 Source: jbdodane GLOBAL MARKETS – A SNAPSHOT 15 GLOBAL MARKETS – A SNAPSHOT Table 3 : Top importers of fish and crustacean products ( HS 03 ) Value imported Annual growth Annual growth Share in world Ranking Importers in 2012 in value 2008-2012 in value 2011-2012 imports ( % ) ( US $ thousands ) (%) (%) World 98 828 438 7 -3 100

1 Japan 13 940 675 6 3 14.2

2 United States 13 347 119 5 0 13.6

3 China 5 488 977 13 -2 5.6

4 Spain 5 287 144 -2 -16 5.4

5 France 4 678 975 3 -10 4.8

6 Italy 4 181 093 2 -15 4.3

7 Germany 4 027 857 5 -13 3.9

8 Sweden 3 247 493 10 0 3.3

9 Republic of Korea 3 218 487 9 -6 3.3

10 Hong Kong, China 3 120 692 11 3 3.2 Source : ITC Trade Map 2013. MAJOR IMPORTERS countries. There are no African countries among the top 25 consumers. FISH AND CRUSTACEANS–COMBINED The global market for fish and crustacean products CRUSTACEANS amounted to US $ 98.8 billion in 2012, reflecting an an- nual growth rate of 7 % between 2008 and 2012. Overall, The crustaceans sector constitutes almost one-fifth of demand for fish and crustacean products has been rising the overall market size of the combined fish and crusta- steadily globally. The top three consumers are Japan, the ceans sector, with a global market of US $ 20 billion. The United States and China. All three markets are expanding sector had a growth rate of 12 % between 2008 and 2012. at a healthy pace, especially the Chinese market which The top five global consumers of crustaceans remain the grew at a rapid pace of 13 % between 2008 and 2012. same as in the case of the combined sector, in a different East Asia is the leading region in terms of both supply order – United States, Japan, Spain, China, and France. and demand for fish and crustacean products with Japan, The United States accounts for the largest market share China and the Republic of Korea all ranking among the at 26.2 %. Japan has the second highest market share top ten consumers. The top five importing countries alone at 15.3 %. The currently fourth ranked Chinese market constitute nearly 44 % of the global trade. The top im- had an extremely high growth rate of 42 % between 2008 porters are mainly European, North American and Asian and 2012. THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA NATIONAL EXPORT STRATEGY

16 FISH AND CRUSTACEANS EXPORT STRATEGY 2014-2018 Table 4 : Top importers of crustacean products ( HS 0306 ) Value imported Annual growth Annual growth Share in world Ranking Importers in 2012 in value 2008-2012 in value 2011- 2012 imports (  % ) ( US $ thousands ) (  % ) (  % ) World 20 018 473 6 -1 100

1 United States 5 240 010 4 -8 26.2

2 Japan 3 071 227 6 -1 15.3

3 Spain 1 226 892 -4 -21 6.1

4 China 1 125 190 42 36 5.6

5 France 1 070 755 3 -8 5.3

6 Italy 699 223 -1 -14 3.5

7 Hong Kong, China 694 124 9 25 3.5

8 Viet Nam 681 355 91 100 3.4

9 Canada 671 013 12 -2 3.4

10 Republic of Korea 567 048 7 4 2.8 Source : ITC Trade Map 2013. MAJOR EXPORTERS FISH AND CRUSTACEANS-COMBINED respectively between 2008 and 2012. These three export- China is the global leader in exports of fish and crusta- ing nations together account for 26 % of global exports, cean products, growing at an annual rate of 9 % between with Viet Nam and Canada rounding out the top five list 2008 and 2012 and controlling a 12 % share of global ex- with a 4 % global share each. As with the leading import- ports. Norway and the United States are close followers, ing countries, African countries are conspicuously absent both exhibiting high annual growth rates of 9 % and 10 % among the top 25 exporters. Table 5 : Top exporters of fish and crustacean products ( HS 03 ) Value exported Annual growth Annual growth Share in world Rank Exporters in 2012 ( US $ in value 2008–2012 in value 2011–2012 exports (  % ) thousands ) (  % ) (  % ) World 95 120 467 9 -1 100

1 China 11 323 257 23 3 12

2 Norway 8 568 326 9 -6 9

3 United States 5 019 158 10 -1 5

4 Viet Nam 4 266 657 7 -1 4

5 Canada 3 706 173 5 0 4

6 Chile 3 459 288 6 -3 4

7 India 3 282 148 30 2 4

8 Spain 2 879 138 4 -7 3

9 Netherlands 2 872 419 8 -1 3

10 Thailand 2 844 115 4 -7 3 Source : ITC Trade Map 2013. GLOBAL MARKETS – A SNAPSHOT 17 Table 6 : Top exporters of crustacean products ( HS 0307 ) Value exported Annual growth Annual growth Share in world Rank Exporters in 2012 in value 2008–2012 in value 2011–2012 exports (  % ) ( US $ thousands ) (  % ) (  % ) World 19 744 425 8 0 100

1 Canada 1 947 610 8 2 9.9

2 India 1 791 279 27 8 9.1

3 Thailand 1 534 669 5 -14 7.8

4 China 1 465 553 35 6 7.4

5 Viet Nam 1 404 127 5 -8 7.1

6 Ecuador 1 279 766 19 9 6.5

7 Indonesia 1 206 544 6 4 6.1

8 United States 899 689 13 7 4.6

9 Netherlands 595 519 10 23 3

10 Argentina 495 872 11 -6 2.5 Source : ITC Trade Map 2013. CRUSTACEANS The leading global players in exports of crustaceans are primarily Asian countries, including India, Thailand, China, Viet Nam and Indonesia. Canada is the leading exporter with a 10 % share of the global market, followed by India. Figure 4 : Trade balance in the Liberian fish and crustaceans sector Exports & Imports Exports Fish priority sector Imports LBR Trade Balance 5 US Dollars, Millions 0 -5 -10 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 Year Source : ITC calculations based on 4-Digit COMTRADE HS 2002 data. THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA NATIONAL EXPORT STRATEGY

18 FISH AND CRUSTACEANS EXPORT STRATEGY 2014-2018 LIBERIAN IMPORTS IN THE FISH AND CRUSTACEANS SECTOR Liberia is a net importer of fish products. Domestic de- mand has outweighed production, especially in recent years. Liberia imports one and half times the fish and crustacean products that it produces. There is therefore significant unfulfilled domestic demand, large chunks of which, when expatriate and international consumption is taken into account, amounts to deemed export. Additionally, exports lag behind significantly when com- pared to imports. As indicated in Figure 4, the trade balance is significantly biased in favour of imports, amounting to twice as many imports as exports in 2012. A large majority of imported fish and crustaceans is con- Source: jbdodane sumed by Liberian and other West African populations resident in Liberia, indicated by the steady shift of im- ports from non-African to West African exporter countries. Table 8 : Top fish ( HS 03 ) exporters to Liberia 2007-2011 Tables 7 and 8 illustrate this shift. The presence of higher value imports within the Liberian fish and crustaceans Total value imported 2007–2011 Exporter import basket is possibly explained by the presence of a ( US $ thousands ) large expatriate community in the country. Netherlands 1 672 Mauritania 1 340 Table 7 : Top fish ( HS 03 ) exporters to Liberia 2011 Senegal 1 268 Morocco 558 Total value Value imported Côte d’Ivoire 364 imported Exporter in 2011 ( US $ 2007–2011 Canada 240 thousands ) ( US $ thousands ) Ecuador 234 Senegal 341 1 268 Viet Nam 221 Spain 162 162 New Zealand 217 Indonesia 128 163 China 202 Côte d’Ivoire 89 364 Peru 78 153 Source : ITC Trade Map 2012. Netherlands 61 1 672 China 58 202 LIBERIA’S EXPORT New Zealand 50 217 PERFORMANCE United States 32 78 Republic of Korea 26 26 FISH AND CRUSTACEANS– COMBINED 12 Source : ITC Trade Map 2012. Liberia is a small player in the fish and crustaceans export market. In 2012 Liberia exported US $ 3 million of sector products to mainly Germany, Togo, Switzerland, Hong Kong ( China ), and Malaysia. Germany is the main cus- tomer for Liberia, absorbing 84.5 % of Liberia’s fish and crustacean products in 2012. 12. Liberian exports of crustaceans through formal channels are negligible and are therefore not captured here. GLOBAL MARKETS – A SNAPSHOT 19 Table 9 : Liberian fish and crustaceans exports 2012 Ranking Export market Exported value 2012 ( US $ thousands ) Share in Liberia’s exports (  % ) World 3 064 100

1 Germany 2 588 84.5

2 Togo 308 10.1

3 Switzerland 96 3.1

4 Hong Kong, China 70 2.3

5 Malaysia 2 0.1 Source : ITC Trade Map 2013. Figure 5 : Export relationship trends in the Liberian fish and crustaceans sector Export Relationships - Priority Sector Fish Survival Rate 2002-12 1 8 Probability of Survival 6 4 2 0 0 2 4 6 8 Year Source : ITC calculations based on 4-Digit COMTRADE HS 2002 data. TRENDS IN LIBERIAN ƒƒ Liberia currently has almost no processing and proper EXPORTS post-harvest handling capability, which means that most export out of Liberia takes the most basic forms Export relationships in the fish and crustaceans sector are of fish and crustaceans, i.e. cleaned / sorted and fro- short-lived and unsustainable. As indicated in Figure 5, zen products. the probability of survival of an export relationship in the ƒƒ The little value added content that does exist, in smok- sector falls down to 40 % after the first year. The second ing, salting etc. and in the small-scale manufacture and third years see a sharp fall of almost 10 % each. This of fish-based sauces, is aimed exclusively at the do- drastic fall is one of the most pronounced across all the mestic and cross-border markets. In the absence of NES sectors. any data on these markets it has proved challenging to clearly identify Liberia’s positioning in relative terms to, say, the other players in the region. THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA NATIONAL EXPORT STRATEGY

20 FISH AND CRUSTACEANS EXPORT STRATEGY 2014-2018 TRADE SUPPORT NETWORK At the institutional level, capacities are weak in terms and other technical experts from BNF have now trained of human resources, funding and assets. As a conse- at some of the best institutions worldwide and are now, quence, fish and crustacean actors receive little support as a result of their training, able to give direction to their from extension services. Liberia lacks an extension sys- respective disciplines, although capacity is still thin. There tem responsible for training, advisory services, facilitation is now a small but informed team of technical and fisher- of improved input supply, and providing gear related to ies management specialists who form the core team at fish and crustaceans. BNF. This team needs the resources that will help them apply what they have learnt, as well as the support to hold There is a specific need to improve service delivery in ar- their own overseas. eas such as enhanced monitoring of markets ( including adequate levels of competition between intermediaries ), provision of technical assistance for small players, provi- LIBERIA ARTISANAL sion of credit guarantees and building storage facilities. FISHERMEN ASSOCIATION The business support network likewise is in a low level of The Liberia Artisanal Fishermen Association (LAFA) is the recovery, due to the lack of both investment and capac- pre-eminent umbrella body in artisanal fishing. LAFA rep- ity. In the next few years as small and medium enterprise resents mainly the dominant Kru communities, but also players become more active in the sector and demand acts as an important liaison between the different fish becomes more specific and steady, there is potential for and crustacean communities such as the Fanti, Popoh the creation of a strong support services network in the and others. LAFA was established in December 2009 as sector. At present, some of these functions are being per- a national umbrella body of all fishing associations rep- formed by various development agencies as part of pro- resenting the interests of fishing communities in the nine grammes / projects or by international NGOs. coastal counties of Liberia, with over 33,000 fisher folk and a total of 114 fishing communities along the coast of Liberia. LAFA’s activities cover wide areas which include MINISTRY OF COMMERCE fishing, fish processing and preservation, and fish trade and marketing.13 AND INDUSTRY MoCI has line jurisdiction on both imports and exports. LAFA has actively participated in the various policy and There are currently no special departments by sector with- strategy formulation processes that have taken place in MoCI, though this is a fundamental requirement to sup- over the years. LAFA has also been a primary partner port development in at least the priority sectors. representing the artisanal population in different pro- grammes / projects that are active in the sector. BUREAU OF NATIONAL FISHERIES BNF is the single most important institution in the coun- try that under one roof has the potential to drive the entire sector – whether marine, inland or aquaculture – at both artisanal and industrial levels. BNF also has a pivotal role 13. Republic of Liberia, Bureau of National Fisheries ( 2013 ). Artisanal in organizing and catalysing basic structures to provide Fisheries. Available from www.liberiafisheries.net/sectors/artisanal_ trade support in the sector. Key heads of departments fisheries/. TRADE SUPPORT NETWORK 21 Source: jbdodane LIBERIA FISHERMEN UNION CENTRAL AGRICULTURAL The Liberia Fishermen Union ( LFU ) is a recent phenom- RESEARCH INSTITUTE enon and represents the relatively small number of peo- The Central Agricultural Research Institute ( CARI ) is the ple in the skilled / semi-skilled Liberian workforce that has pre-eminent research body in Liberia. CARI is mandat- been employed by the roughly 50 or so vessels that have ed to cover all agriculture-related sectors. While CARI is fished in Liberian waters since the end of the war. LFU receiving support ( technical and financial ) from many has come into some prominence only in recent months, quarters, both within and outside the country, its ability since the decommissioning of most of these vessels after to expand capacity, both physical and human, is still lim- the enforcement of the exclusion law. The association’s ited. Given the breadth of scope of its activities it will be future is directly connected to the future of industrial fish- some time before CARI can function at the same level of ing in Liberia. organization across different research areas. In fish and crustaceans there is urgent need for scientific research into species, into other allied areas and across the differ- ent types of fish and crustaceans activity ranging from marine to inland to aquaculture. CARI will require active in- stitutional support from institutions in other parts of Africa and the world to augment its limited capacity to carry out active research. THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA NATIONAL EXPORT STRATEGY

22 FISH AND CRUSTACEANS EXPORT STRATEGY 2014-2018 DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY IN THE SECTOR Given the weak institutional capacity in the country to forced most if not all industrial vessels out of operation, implement programmes supporting the fish and crusta- due essentially to their being ill-fitted for deep sea fishing ceans sector, external parties have stepped in to assist and the domestic market being uninterested in the spe- the country in this task and to support the production of cies that they can catch now. fish and crustacean products. Table 10 below provides a snapshot of the programmes currently in place in Liberia The inland fishing communities in the counties of Bong, and being implemented by GoL and non-state institu- Lofa and Nimba, and also the aquaculture communities, tions. The final goal is to build local capacity in order will be better connected by road to the capital region which to enable existing Liberian institutions to conduct such is the projected hub for fish and crustacean exports, when programmes in the future, and to create new institutions the Monrovia-Gbarnga national corridor is complete ( the whenever necessary. country’s first), in approximately five years’ time. Important development partners such as FAO and the World Bank The enforcement of fisheries regulations, especially the have added important infrastructure specific to the fish exclusion zones for artisanal and industrial players, have and crustaceans sector in Bong and Lofa counties. Source: jbdodane DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY IN THE SECTOR 23 Table 10 : Programmes in support of the fish and crustaceans sector Implementing Programme Description agency Food Security through FAO This project aims to improve productivity and market access to farmers Commercialization active in rice and vegetable production and fish raising. In Nimba and Project Maryland counties. The focus is on rice, vegetables, and cassava. In Grand Cru and Montserrado counties, the goal is to combine rice production with fish raising. After initial provision of tools, seeds and training, the current focus is on working down the value chain to provide storage, processing and market access. The project has already assisted farmers through one season of rice production. It has begun to work down the value chain and has constructed four units to provide cold storage, smoking facilities, and processing for fishing. Once projects are up and running, the next step is to have local community boards take over the ownership of the projects and operate them in a sustainable ( business-oriented ) way. The main challenge is to get farmers to internalize these ideas and to form such operating management units. West Africa Regional BNF ( Special This is a regional programme to strengthen fishing-related governance and Fisheries Program Implementation institutions, reduce illegal fishing and strengthen the fishing value chain. It Unit ) is currently active in nine countries. In Liberia it has been planned to : create a regulatory framework for fishing ; register fishermen ; build a patrol unit and fisheries monitoring centre ; rehabilitate the old fishing pier in Monrovia ; set up a competent authority to conduct quality control for fish exports ; and provide facilities ( storage ) for better management of the catch. The new Fisheries Act has been passed. The implementation team and office are operational as of September 2010. Nonetheless some challenges still lie ahead : i ) BNF has very weak institutional capacity ; ii ) fisheries law is incomplete ; iii ) there is no landing facility for industrial fishing vessels ; iv ) the quality control function is lacking. United Nations United Nations This project will take a full value chain approach with the aim of supporting Industrial Development Industrial artisanal fishing by conducting a rough assessment of fish stocks ; Organization artisanal Development organizing fishermen into co-ops ; helping them secure the right type of fishing support project Organization fishing gear, which will depend on the type and amount of stock identified ; ( project name not yet helping them secure appropriate cooling and storage ; and enhancing formalized ) their product reach ( first internal markets, later export ). The project faces some challenges, including the presence of widespread illegal fishing, lack of reliable electricity needed for processing facilities, and infrastructure constraints. United Nations United Nations The project aims to build a fishpond to sell fingerlings to fish farmers. Development Development The pond has been realized and transferred to BNF, which is charging Programme Programme, approximately 15 cents per fish. There are concerns about the sustainability Aquaculture Project BNF of the pond. BNF Rehabilitation and BNF BNF has submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Planning and Economic Pond Construction Affairs to construct and rehabilitate a total of 150 existing and new fish ponds in five counties ( Lofa, Bong, River Gee, Nimba, Grand Bassa ) in order to support artisanal fish farming inland. Budget and human resource constraints might limit the ability of BNF to manage the project. Source : Compiled from various sources ( programme websites and ITC ). THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA NATIONAL EXPORT STRATEGY

24 FISH AND CRUSTACEANS EXPORT STRATEGY 2014-2018 COMPETITIVENESS CONSTRAINTS Border-In Issues Border Issues Capacity Cost of Development Doing Business The four gears framework presented below determines d the major constraints – within the country as well as out- ls kil hip g s rs an re rm ctu efo Di Ca ini neu ve pa Fa Trad side – to export development and ways to overcome them. lop re ve rep rs ci ifi ty ca tru R es r y ra ato cil e ita tio De Ent tio n Inf egul n d R an ƒƒ Supply-side issues affect production capacity and include challenges in areas such as availability of appropriate skills and competencies ; diversification capacity; technology and low-value addition in the sec- Poverty Alleviation Market Access and Policy Reform and Gender Issues tor’s products. This group of issues is also referred to nt as the border-in gear. lop me E Su nvir tio n Tra mo eve ion s o d Cli taina nme ro ing Se e Su l D rat ma bi nta l P nd r vi pp na eg te lity l na ra ce or t gio Int Ch an tio d B s R e and an d ge Na an ƒƒ The quality of the business environment includes issues that influence transaction costs, such as reg- ulatory environment; export procedures and documen- Development Issues Border-Out Issues tation ; infrastructure bottlenecks; certification costs; Internet access and cost of export credit insurance. These constraints are grouped together and classified Addressing these above categories would exhaustively re- as the border gear. solve most major competitiveness bottlenecks. However, for an export strategy to be sustainable, it out to make the greatest socioeconomic impact. Issues that have a pro- ƒƒ Market entry issues include questions of competitive- found impact on people’s lives need to be addressed in ness that are essentially external to the country ( but the NES design initiative. may also be manifested internally ), such as market access; market development; market diversification ƒƒ Social and economic concerns include poverty reduc- and export promotion. These are referred to as the tion, gender equity, youth development, environmental border-out gear. sustainability and regional integration. These develop- mental concerns form the development gear. Box 2 : The border-in gear ( supply-side issues ) ƒƒ The poor availability and high cost of input supplies is seriously impairing efficiencies in the sector as well as increasing operational costs. ƒƒ Increased competition with more sophisticated foreign operators. ƒƒ Investment in the sector is urgently required to improve infrastructure and fleets. ƒƒ Transformation and processing capacity in the sector is very low. ƒƒ There is a need to increase adoption of best practices in the sector. ƒƒ There is a need to improve collaboration and organization between the various fishing communities in the country. COMPETITIVENESS CONSTRAINTS 25 The poor availability and high cost of input All communities in the artisanal sector use outdated supplies is seriously impairing efficiencies in the equipment and techniques, though the Fanti are rela- sector as well as increasing operational costs tively more advanced and use semi-mechanized fishing boats. The Kru and Popoh communities prefer immedi- Inputs – even of the basic variety such as nets, fishing ate family ties as a basis for shared access to resources lines, hooks etc. – are in poor supply and are largely im- over other non-kin groupings such as cooperatives and ported in the absence of a local support base. There are associations. very few local suppliers of inputs in Liberia. The Fanti primarily depend on family and friends in Ghana to buy The majority of active licensed trawlers have now exited equipment and transport it via Côte d’Ivoire by boat. They the sector in Liberia, since they were not equipped ad- sometimes resell the inputs to the Kru and Popoh commu- equately to fish beyond the six mile exclusion zone that nities, but there are high incidences of mismatch as these has recently been put in place. This has increased their communities use smaller canoes and therefore cannot operating costs, as well as exposed them to competition always use the inputs brought in by the Fanti. with bigger and more sophisticated trawlers. Any diversi- fication of capacity, therefore, will necessarily have to be In the industrial sector, trawling companies import vessels based on addition of fleet capacity with the relevant tech- from overseas as well as almost all of their input supplies, nical specifications and manned by adequately skilled including fuel and spare parts. The absence of an inputs personnel. sector means that – much more than for artisanal fishing communities – the industrial sector, which is so depend- Transformation and processing capacity ent on imports ( including capital equipment and energy needs ), is affected by : high import duties ; the general in the sector is very low unavailability of spare parts and maintenance services ; the time taken to import goods ; and problems related to Despite relative high quantities of high value species of energy unavailability. fishes found in Liberian waters, including the longneck croaker, napleh, red grouper and tuna, the potential for Apart from the urgent need to develop a stronger inputs processing and transformation has largely gone un- supply base domestically, there is an immediate require- tapped. There is almost no capacity to process these ment for an input needs pooling mechanism which will high value species with extra care so that they can then allow collective bargaining and the setting up of viable be marketed at the premiums that imported fish is cur- input import businesses. rently being purchased at. Currently, high value species are caught sporadically and consumed by restaurants and supermarkets. In the case of tuna, the catch takes Increased competition with more sophisticated place primarily at depths far from the coast which are in- foreign operators accessible to existing Liberian fleets. The native tribes / clans do not have the gear with which to Existing pre-processing and processing facilities have compete with foreign seasonal migrants. Anecdotal evi- had difficulty sustaining activity levels given that markets dence suggests that most of the fish which is caught by are undeveloped and primarily comprised of domestic these migrants in Liberian waters ends up in other coun- consumers who prefer minimal value addition. Even if pro- tries – without any control or management whatsoever. cessing centres exist the challenge associated with una- This results basically from the lack of border control, as vailability of refrigerated transportation and distribution is well as lack of monitoring capacity in remote interior are- a complementary problem that needs to be addressed. as. The loss is therefore not just of revenue for the country but also of direct income that Liberian fisher folk could be The first basic value adding steps need to be built up on earning from fish exports. an immediate basis – such as cleaner smoking, drying, salting, filleting, freezing and packaging. Upgrades of fa- cilities will have to be directly subsidised ; made available Investment in the sector is urgently required as part of a public-private partnership mechanism be- to improve infrastructure and fleets tween GoL and community organizations / cooperatives ; or will have to be financed from debt based on business Investment activity is currently low and kept at a mini- propositions. mum since there is no guarantee of staying in business. Domestic and foreign investment in the sector has stayed low. Fleet development is capital intensive and as a result fleet sizes of companies have remained small. THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA NATIONAL EXPORT STRATEGY

26 FISH AND CRUSTACEANS EXPORT STRATEGY 2014-2018 Box 3 : The border gear ( business environment issues ) ƒƒ Lack of solid data affects effective policymaking support in the sector. ƒƒ Lack of an efficient cold chain infrastructure results in heavy losses and loss of potential for capacity diversification. ƒƒ There is a vital need to develop infrastructure in fishing communities. ƒƒ Unreliable electricity supply affects the ability of enterprises to store / process catches. ƒƒ Weak institutional quality management infrastructure. ƒƒ Weak TVET infrastructure has led to very weak human capital in the sector. ƒƒ Stronger efforts are required to curb IUU. ƒƒ Access to finance is challenging for artisanal operators. ƒƒ Weak monitoring capacities of the Coast Guard / BNF affect ability to constrain IUU activity. There is a need to increase adoption collection, processing and analysis had all but ceased. It of best practices in the sector will be imperative going forward that the analytical basis of policymaking be significantly strengthened. Relatively simple post-harvest handling and processing, such as proper cleaning, timely preservation, sorting, fil- Lack of an efficient cold chain infrastructure leting, smoking, salting and so on can add substantial value. results in heavy losses and loss of potential for capacity diversification Skills training is a major challenge since literacy levels within fishing communities, and especially among wom- There is an urgent need to develop a functional cold chain en, are very low. Therefore, a focus on increasing the lit- that effectively connects the big hubs of Robertsport, West eracy levels in fishing communities is required over the Point, Marshall and Harper in the south. A critical factor in medium to long term. In the short term, practical training the fish and crustaceans sector is the supply chain from courses on best practices in the sector can be used. boat to shelf. Given the product’s almost zero shelf life in its natural form, fish and crustacean products have to be frozen almost straight after being harvested ( even while There is a need to improve collaboration at sea ), especially given that Liberia is a tropical country and organization between the various fishing with year round temperatures ranging between 25 and communities in the country 35 degrees Celsius. Because of the lack of cold boxes on board canoes and boats, fish starts to putrefy already The presence of foreign and migrant fishing communities on board, which is the reason fishing trips in Liberia are settled in Liberia has acted as a source of tension in the typically shorter than in other countries. country for the last few decades, especially considering that some of these communities, such as the Fanti ( origi- Setting up cold chains is simpler said than done and re- nating from Ghana ) are better equipped and have fared quires private investment and technical management ca- better than local communities such as the Kru. The Fanti pacities. Both these being in short supply at the moment are also better organized among themselves, while the in Liberia, GoL, via its various agencies and the develop- Kru and Popoh communities prefer immediate family ties ment community, will need to augment this substantial as a basis for shared access to resources over other non- gap in a way that early gains are achieved and long-term kin groupings such as cooperatives and associations. local capacity is built. There is an urgent need to improve organization levels among these groups so as to increase collaboration lev- The country’s existing small cottage industry for fish els and exchange of best practices and technology. sauce faces significant challenges in the form of lack of investment in infrastructure such as cold chains, low avail- ability of inputs including packaging materials, lack of Lack of solid data affects effective skilled / semi-skilled labour, and lastly the lack of informa- policymaking support in the sector tion or support to enter markets. Sound policymaking is contingent on the availability of quality data – a capacity that has been severely com- promised during the many years of conflict. Systems for COMPETITIVENESS CONSTRAINTS 27 There is a vital need to develop infrastructure are inadequate and tend to not be compliant with even in fishing communities the most basic hygiene requirements laid out by best practices. Fishing communities in Liberia, predominantly concen- trated along the coast, are almost completely unconnect- Setting up a functional sanitary and phytosanitary regime ed to markets by roads. Basic roads that do exist further and a compliance apparatus are both immediate needs become impassable during the long rainy season. As a that will give a crucial boost to the sector’s prospects of result of this, getting the produce to markets ( even do- opening up markets in the neighbourhood and further mestic ) away from the source has remained a significant away in Europe and Asia. challenge. Weak TVET infrastructure has led to very weak The lack of infrastructure is a challenge that is universally real for all sectors in Liberia. The fish and crustaceans human capital in the sector sector is no exception. The list of essential infrastructure includes the big ticket items like roads and port facilities. The curricula of universities and polytechnics is outdated Inputs such as energy and water supply are erratic at best and not in line with the needs of fishermen, processors and are concentrated in certain key nodes. and exporters. This is in line with the rest of the country’s TVET infrastructure that was destroyed during the con- flict and it is important to revitalize this base. Research Unreliable electricity supply affects ability institutions and universities alike are struggling in terms of enterprises to store / process catches of scarcity of resources – financial and human capital as well as technical. Greater Monrovia is still the only region in the country with a marginally reliable electricity grid. In terms of require- Stronger efforts are required to curb IUU ments for the fish and crustaceans sector, the majority of energy needs are in rural processing and warehousing hubs. There is a clear need for strategic policymaking to In West Africa a significant portion of IUU fish ends up encourage investment – both public and private – in both within the region while another significant portion ends extending the national energy grid to important rural loca- up in ( relatively ) nearby international destinations such tions and for off-grid localized energy solutions such as as Europe. It is estimated that IUU fishing costs the West wind, solar or biomass-based. African region alone approximately US $ 300 million a year.14 This number could be substantially bigger since it is the lack of monitoring systems that in part encourage Weak institutional quality management IUU fishing in the first place. According to some studies infrastructure total estimated catches in West Africa are 40% higher than reported catches. Liberia’s quality infrastructure was almost completely de- stroyed during the country’s 14-year civil war. While prin- The shelf around the Gulf of Guinea is among the most ciples of quality management have gradually evolved at over-fished regions of the world in spite of the several the policy level in post-conflict Liberia, implementation on fishing agreements that are already in place. One factor the ground has stagnated due to financial, technical and is the low readiness of West African countries in general human capital constraints. These constraints have con- to make use of the opportunities offered by technology sistently prevented standardization and growth of all the transfer / possibilities of joint investment to develop do- NES sectors and consequently Liberian enterprises cater mestic capability. Another is the difficulty of implement- primarily to the domestic market. ing clauses in recent fisheries agreements to mandate the landing of fish harvested locally, in order to give lo- There is no standardization in terms of processing, quality cal post-harvest handling and processing industries the or packaging requirements set by the government. Each opportunity to participate in global value chains. While player processes / packages and ships as per their own Liberia was effectively excluded from both the opportu- requirements, or requirements that are dictated by their nities and shortcomings of the general direction the sec- primary buyer. tor has taken in West Africa by the civil conflict between 1989 and 2003, the country has had to pay the price for The National Standards Laboratory ( NSL ) is current- increased overfishing in the region. As a result of region- ly under observation by the International Organization al overfishing, according to preliminary assessments for Standardization ( ISO ) and is not able to issue certifi- cates for quality. It also suffers from severe human capi- tal and technical weaknesses. Warehousing facilities 14. WARFP–MRAG ( 2010 ). Estimation of the Cost of Illegal Fishing in West Africa Final Report. THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA NATIONAL EXPORT STRATEGY

28 FISH AND CRUSTACEANS EXPORT STRATEGY 2014-2018 Liberia’s fish stocks have shrunk by as much as 80 % 15 Weak monitoring capacities of the Coast compared to pre-conflict stocks. Guard / BNF affect ability to constrain IUU activity The problem of porous borders is one that affects several As discussed earlier, the six mile exclusion requirements sectors of the Liberian economy and that of its immedi- recently put in place require trawlers to operate farther out ate neighbours to equal extents. Informal cross-border at sea. This has increased their operating costs, as well trade is an integral and crucial ingredient of food secu- as exposing existing operators to competition with big- rity and employment ( gainful, albeit primarily informal ) in ger and more sophisticated trawlers, some of which are the subregion, not to mention the overall stability of the involved in IUU activity. There is a crucial need to improve subregion. the monitoring capacities of the Coast Guard by fleet aug- mentation, as well as by training more officers and staff Recent studies have shown that the loss resulting from involved in monitoring at the BNF and the Coast Guard. inefficient conduct of informal cross-border trade, or from In the case of the artisanal sector, the weak capacities of the missed opportunity to serve markets in proximity for- BNF staff to effectively monitor the catch affects compli- mally, can lead to exploitation by illegal actors and large- ance with quality management. scale losses can result from intraregional IUU. 16 High competition from neighbouring countries Access to finance is challenging for artisanal operators As is the case with other sectors, other countries in the region have a significant advantage in terms of a foot- The existing network of commercial banks is limited to the hold in international markets. The increased competition Monrovia region, which leaves out smallholders in the rest makes it more challenging for Liberian operators to pen- of the country. Banks are also unwilling to accept land in etrate target markets. rural areas as collateral due to liability issues in case there is a need for foreclosure of defaulting accounts. Even in Lack of access to trade information Monrovia, access is restricted for smaller players who are often unable to meet minimum collateral requirements or demonstrate creditworthiness. Along with the logistical and financial challenges that pre- vent potential exports from expanding their scope to inter- The costs of borrowing vary depending on the type of national markets, operators lack reliable and timely trade lender approached. Microfinance institutions, which are information. The comprehensive lack of trade information active in rural areas, are able to lend at lower standardized is primarily driven by the domestic orientation of the sec- rates while other private party lenders can be exploitative, tor. As capabilities across the value chain improve, access providing loans at exorbitant rates. to quality trade information will be needed. Access to credit is not just a supply-side issue. Enterprises There is a need for greater engagement from seeking credit are unable to demonstrate adequate lev- els of creditworthiness due to reasons both within and Liberian representations in international markets outside their control. Small-scale exporters are unable to secure firm orders from clients that they can present to There is also an imperative for international Liberian rep- banks. Additionally, historic distrust of the banking sys- resentations to ramp up activity in international markets. tem has prevented the majority of rural Liberians from Trade representations and embassies are among the best opening a bank account, which further prevents lending entities for providing market intelligence and other valua- officers from gauging the risk levels associated with a ble information. A feedback loop can be created between loan application. Liberian representations and institutions such as BNF and MoCI to provide information about sector-related trends 15. http ://www.eaf-nansen.org/nansen/en in specific markets. 16. WARFP–MRAG ( 2010 ). Estimation of the Cost of Illegal Fishing in West Africa Final Report. Box 4 : The border-out gear ( market entry issues ) ƒƒ High competition from neighbouring countries. ƒƒ Lack of access to trade information. ƒƒ There is a need for greater engagement from Liberian representations in international markets. COMPETITIVENESS CONSTRAINTS 29 Box 5 : Market access World The weighted average rest of the world tariff imposed on Liberia’s exports is a low 0.3 %, indicating favourable access conditions relative to the averages of 3.5 % and 3.9 % for sub- saharan Africa and least developed country comparators, respectively. The country’s agri- cultural exports have easier access to international markets with a tariff of 0.04 %, compared with the tariff of 0.3 % on its non-agricultural exports.* Economic Community of West African States As a member of the Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS ), Liberia has generally committed to adopting its Common External Tariff and to a phased reduction and gradual elimination of tariffs and nontariff barriers on products of community origin. It currently has tariffs ranging from 0 % to 25 % but with the adoption of the Common External Tariff the maximum tariff will be reduced to 20 %. EU / United States Negotiations to replace the expired trade preferences of the Cotonou Agreement and com- plete a regional Economic Partnership Agreement ( EPA ) between West Africa and the EU did not conclude by the end of 2007, as initially planned. At the time of drafting the NES the EPA had not been finalized. A negotiation round at technical and Senior Official level took place in April 2012 to proceed in drafting the text of the agreement. This was followed by an- other meeting in June where negotiators concentrated on issues related to market access.** Although the EPA has not been finalized, Liberia’s exports remain eligible for duty-free ac- cess to the EU under the Everything But Arms initiative for least developed countries. As a Generalized System of Preferences beneficiary with a number of industrialized countries, Liberia’s exports enter the United States duty free under AGOA.*** In spite of the relatively favourable access conditions, Liberia’s exports have been generally affected by severe supply-side constraints that keep them from effectively surpassing the non-tariff measures ( NTMs ) that characterize international trade. * World Bank (2009). World Trade Indicators 2009/10: Liberia Trade Brief. Available from http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti/docs/Liberia_brief.pdf. ** European Commission (2013). Overview of EPA Negotiations. Available from http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2009/september/tradoc_144912.pdf. *** World Bank (2008). Liberia Trade Brief. Available from http://info.worldbank.org/etools/wti/docs/wti2008/brief108.pdf. Box 6 : The development gear ( development issues ) ƒƒ Inadequate involvement of young people in the sector’s value chain. ƒƒ Increased unemployment stemming from regulatory changes. ƒƒ Environmental damage as a result of open waste disposal. THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA NATIONAL EXPORT STRATEGY

30 FISH AND CRUSTACEANS EXPORT STRATEGY 2014-2018 Source: jbdodane Inadequate involvement of young people sector.17 The social downside of taking skilled and semi- in the sector’s value chain 7 skilled workers out of the workplace – i.e. unemployment of employable individuals – will affect the sector in par- As a post-conflict society, it is essential to involve Liberian ticular and the Liberian economy in general. youth in activities that provide them with gainful employ- ment. With 50 % of the population in the age range of In a skill-restricted environment such as the fish and crus- 15-25, positioning the sector as a promising career / occu- taceans sector it is incumbent and important to preserve pational option for young people is crucial. Young people and foster the stock of productive knowledge that exists. in the sector face much the same challenges as the other These workers should form the base from which the in- demographics, i.e., to transform a primarily subsistence dustrial sector will re-emerge, in a non-confrontational sector into a viable and profitable job generating sector : symbiotic relationship with the artisanal sector. to train a whole generation of young Liberians for a sec- tor that is future oriented and focused on creating assets Environmental damage as a result of open both natural and intellectual to create competitive advan- tages for the long term. waste disposal There are currently no requirements laid out under law for Increased unemployment stemming specific recycling of fishery waste, As a result, large-scale from regulatory changes open waste disposal is a problem. As a direct result of the exclusion zone regulation the majority of licensed ( industrial ) vessels seem to have 17. Allafrica.com ( 2012 ). Liberia : Fishermen Union – ‘WARFP’s stopped operations. According to the LFU the regulation Regulation Affects Fish-Market’. Heritage, 22 March. has created widespread unemployment in the industrial Available from www.Allafrica.com/stories/201203220975.html. WHERE WE WANT TO GO 31 WHERE WE WANT TO GO The following vision has been developed towards the goal of increasing the export competitiveness in the Liberian fish and crustaceans sector : “ A viable sector that will boost sustainable livelihoods ” and export competence among small and medium-sized enterprises across the sector value chain. The vision statement for the sector was developed as a Market and strategic options result of in-depth consultations with a wide range of stake- holders representing GoL, the industrial fishing economy, As indicated in the introduction, the envisioned future the artisanal economy, LAFA, input importers and man- state of the sector has been developed using a combi- ufacturers, and providers of logistics and other critical nation of consultations, surveys and analyses. This future support services. This vision reflects the comprehensive state consists of two components : scope of the strategy and its strategic intent to transform the sector so that it will be an engine of inclusive growth, ƒƒ Structural changes to the value chain that result in ei- a vehicle for greater regional integration, and a promoter ther strengthening of linkages or introduction of new of the ‘Made in Liberia’ brand in markets. structural linkages ; and ƒƒ A market-related component involving identification The scope for improvements in the fish and crustaceans of key markets in the short and medium-to-long terms sector is immense and extends along the value chain. In for exporters. some cases it involves strengthening existing linkages, while in other areas structural modifications to the sec- The market identification was based on a combination of tor are required. Both these types of improvements must trade analysis conducted by ITC for identifying potential lead to market penetration ( increasing exports in existing target markets and consultations with sector enterprises. markets ), product development ( increasing exports of Both short-term and medium-to-long-term target market new products in existing markets ), market development options are assessed. ( increasing exports of existing products in new markets ), and full diversification (increasing exports of new products The projected structural changes to the sector are based in new markets ). on efficiency gains identified through the four gear analy- sis of the sector’s performance and through the identifica- This envisaged future state of the fish and crustaceans tion of opportunities for improving the sector’s capacity to sector is discussed in greater detail below. acquire, add, create, retain and distribute value. Figure 6 indicates the proposed future value chain for the sector. 32 Figure 6 : Future value chain of the Liberian fish and crustaceans sector 12 Inputs Production Transformation and processing Distribution Export markets 6 4 Boats Further market penetration Subsistance Fishing - Malian Fishing Gear - 8 West Africa hooks, nets Cross-Border Distributors Retailers Supermarkets

13 Traders Fuel Subsistance Fishing - Kru/Popoh Sorting and Landing Smoking Salting Fermetation Distributers Exporters Cleaning Semi-Industrial Us market Machinery production 10 - outboard Manufacture of fish sauce IMPORTED -Fanti Disposal/ motors and other products Retailers - AGOA Recycle/ market Reuse THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA NATIONAL EXPORT STRATEGY Artisanal Supermarkets Cold boxes Processors / hotels 1 Importer/

11 Importers - Eu, East Asian Labour Wholesalers Distributor/ states/North America Retailer Industrial - Liberian Feed Owned Vessels Sorting and Trans-shipping to Further market penetration / product Landing Freezing Distributers Exporters Fuel Cleaning vessels at sea diversification and market Reprocessors development Industrial - foreign Trawlers/ owned vessels IMPORTED Equipment Feed International Component of Value Chain FISH AND CRUSTACEANS EXPORT STRATEGY 2014-2018 Primary Supporting Services 3 7 Research and development / TVET Infraestructure Credit providers 2 Business service providers including maintenance and parts Investment promotion Distribution services Transportation services including cold storage facilities Post-harvest facilities Inspection services-quality control and certification Inspection services Pest and disease control Packaging providers Repackaging Local and international customs Disponsal services Trade and market information 5 Certification providers - specializing in eco-labeling and traceability mechanisms 9 Coast Guard and other monitoring agencies Source: Sector Consultations. WHERE WE WANT TO GO 33 STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENTS 4. Increased organization levels and knowledge sharing between operators in the artisanal sector TO THE VALUE CHAIN The following are key areas of structural adjustments to In recent years there have been growing levels of collab- the sector value chain that will occur through the imple- oration between the migrant and Liberian communities. mentation of this strategy. There is a growing realization among the various commu- nities that collaboration is more beneficial than compe- tition for scarce resources. Efforts will be made through 1. Development of a local inputs supply base recommendations in this strategy document aimed at in addition to the existing imports supply supporting these initiatives. Cooperation levels between the different migrant / foreign communities that are active While maintaining the imports supply route, efforts will be in the Liberian fisheries sector ( such as the Fanti ), and made to develop a local supply base for important inputs indigenous tribes such as the Kru will be strengthened. such as better fishing gear ( e.g. poly filament nets of op- This cooperation will take the shape of knowledge trans- timum, legally allowed sizes ) etc. There is an immediate fer, cross-pollination of ideas and resources etc. Specific and urgent need for an input needs pooling mechanism focus will also be on positioning women in the various which will allow collective bargaining and the setting up communities as conveners and key influencers. of viable input import businesses. The inputs market is completely foreign-owned and as such represents a ma- 5. Explore eco-labelling and other certifications jor source of value leakage for the sector. to be applied to the sector in the medium-to-long 2. Development of a strong business support term network to provide support services to sector Eco-labelling is an important development that allows operators consumers around the world to modify their purchasing behaviour based on rejecting products that have uncer- Trade support services by their very nature can be ap- tain origins. This is especially important to curb overfish- plied across sectors and as such will have multiplier ef- ing. Eco-labelling offers a clear opportunity not just to fects across sectors. Important support services such transform the fish and crustaceans sector systematically as cold storage facilities, maintenance and parts supply, but also to pitch the ‘sourced in Liberia’ brand around the inspection services and quality control are also currently world. Given the low existing base of the sector, the ap- provided by foreign-owned companies. plication of eco-labelling as well as other certifications will only be possible over the medium-to-long term. 3. Increased cooperation between local and regional / international institutions active in the sector In the last few years, BNF has benefited from the special- ized training received by selected staff members at vari- ous leading fisheries management programmes ranging from graduate work on value added activity to PhD work at the United Nations Fish University in Iceland. This level of cooperation is expected to increase and will augment the human capital of the sector. Specifically, this initiative will result in the development of the solid middle manage- ment layer which is currently lacking. THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA NATIONAL EXPORT STRATEGY

34 FISH AND CRUSTACEANS EXPORT STRATEGY 2014-2018 Box 7 : Eco-labelling and types of eco-labels Eco-labels are defined as ‘seals of approval given to products that are deemed to have fewer impacts on the environment than functionally or competitively similar products’, the rationale for basic labelling information at the point of sale being to link fisheries products to their pro- duction process. ƒƒ First party labelling schemes : These are established by individual companies based on their own product standards. The standards might be based on criteria related to specific environmental issues known to informed consumers through the media or advertising. This form of eco-labelling can also be referred to as self-declaration. ƒƒ Second party labelling schemes : These are established by industry associations for their members’ products. The members elaborate certification criteria, sometimes by drawing upon external expertise from academia and environmental organizations. Verification of compliance is achieved through internal certification procedures within the industry, or em- ployment of external certifying companies. ƒƒ Third party labelling schemes: These are usually established by a private initiator independent from the producers, distributors and sellers of the labelled products. Products supplied by organizations or resources that are certified are then labelled with information to the consum- ers that the product was produced in an ‘environmentally friendly’ fashion. The label (seal ) is typically licensed to a producer and may appear on or accompany a product derived from a certified fishery or producer. Producers are usually expected to track the ‘chain of custody’ of their products in order to ensure that the products derived from the certified fishery are in fact those that are so labelled. In some instances the private initiator accredits other organizations to be the certifier. An accrediting body provides some degree of assurance that the certifier has been trained by an accredited training programme and is qualified to perform an evaluation against a specific set of criteria in a given field. While the criteria may be established through a negotiation process among the various interested parties, they are often motivated by the environmental objectives of the private initiators of such schemes. Environmental organizations and consumers generally prefer eco-labelling schemes of this type because they give heightened confidence that private commercial interests will not compro- mise the criteria applied to the schemes and strict compliance with them based on verifiable and impartial certification procedures. Source : Deere, C. ( 1999 ). Eco-Labelling and Sustainable Fisheries p. 6. FAO / IUCN. 6. Gear upgrades, especially at the artisanal ƒƒ Fishery biology sector, will help develop capacity diversification ƒƒ Marine biology ƒƒ Benthic ecology in the sector ƒƒ Aquaculture / restocking bodies of water with fish ƒƒ Fish stock assessment Diversification of species caught in the sector based on ƒƒ Fisheries economists and statisticians use of better / more powerful gear and better techniques ƒƒ Microbiology would result in dealing with products ( new species) which ƒƒ Fish pathology are relatively unknown in Liberia and therefore primarily ƒƒ Fish nutrition constitute diversification of productive capacity. ƒƒ Chemical analysis of nutritional content of fish ƒƒ Provision of fishing gear ƒƒ Boat building 7. Significant efforts to revamp the TVET ƒƒ Dock management. infrastructure, aimed at developing the human capital in the sector in line with the following Efforts will focus on developing programs, both at the uni- skills identified by the National Capacity versity / technical institutional level and at the field level, to enable significant augmentation of specialized skills in Development Strategy all the above areas. WHERE WE WANT TO GO 35 Source: jbdodane 8. Focus on mainstreaming involvement of Conservation is another important factor. If the sector women in the sector value chain is to be managed successfully, there is an important need to recognize the rights and needs of both present Given that women dominate the downstream segment of and future generations. Conservation of resource wealth the fish and crustaceans sector, increasing capacity for should be a priority, using the precautionary manage- product diversification of the artisanal sector will achieve ment approaches – wherein information on the abun- growth and development targets simultaneously. A tar- dance, distribution, and productivity of the target species geted investment and skills programme to especially train as well as the policies for decision making are devel- young women to take on more and more complex and oped efficiently. Equitable sharing of the responsibility higher value roles will help achieve the substantial po- of resource management and sustainability, in compli- tential in domestic, regional and international markets. ance with the conservation standards and guidelines is A focus on increasing the literacy levels in fishing com- also important. munities is required over the medium-to-long term. In the short term, practical training courses on best practices in 10. Product diversification, including the sector can be run. manufacture of fish sauces Interventions in the fish and crustaceans sector, espe- cially those aimed at downstream activities, will ensure Processing of products to be more consumption ready that women maintain their strong role in the sector and through filleting, salting, cocktails and manufactured build on the functional distribution system that they have sauces is one way which will not just add immediate val- so painstakingly built and maintained through some really ue but also lay the basis for the creation of better and tough times in Liberia’s recent history. longer lasting skills. The manufacture of fish sauces is an important first step 9. Provision of support to existing efforts to curb to consolidate a cottage industry that already exists IUU in the sector – mostly in the informal space – and can with fairly basic support be organized to better access ( enter ) domestic Efforts to educate fishing populations on the impact of and cross-border markets. A select few examples exist of IUU will be of immense importance. IUU in the artisanal local entrepreneurs setting up basic manufacturing units sector is a more complex issue to deal. This will require to supply supermarkets and restaurants / hotels across fresh approaches to educate and empower poor fish and Monrovia and some other major urban centres such as crustaceans communities from within and outside Liberia Buchanan, Robertsport and Ganta. Most other sauces both to recognize activity that is clearly harmful and ille- available on the market are manufactured in homes and gal and to work with the authorities to regulate the sector hand packed in basic packaging for sale in supermarkets to mitigate small-scale IUU that can adversely affect the and regular daily / weekly markets, mostly in the Greater entire sector when the effects are agglomerated. Monrovia region. THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA NATIONAL EXPORT STRATEGY

36 FISH AND CRUSTACEANS EXPORT STRATEGY 2014-2018 Box 8 : Fish post-harvest technology platform The FAO-led Food Security through Commercialization of Agriculture program has pro- vided a ‘Fish Post-Harvest Technology Platform’ for the Banjor Beach Community. With this new fish processing facility, fishermen may no longer need to hurry off on their fishing trips again as there will now be opportunities to preserve their fish, both at sea and through the on-shore facility. The project has an outboard motor that will be used to help fishermen bring their catch to shore. This is in addition to a facility which produces ice flakes that fish- ermen buy and package in ice containers for their fishing trip. In this case, fish caught while at sea are preserved until the trip ends. Back on shore, the catch is taken to the process- ing facility where it is cleaned, cut up, iced or smoke dried, and packaged. This provides a better presentation to attract customers, who come in to purchase or order the delivery of processed fish. The programme is community-led and includes a number of women and youth in the man- agement structure. The Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Moses Zinnah, sees this as sig- nificant because it plays into the larger policy programmes of the government. At the launch of the facility on 25 May 2012, the Secretary of the Banjor Progressive Fishing Organization said they have already registered with the Cooperative Development Agency and have de- posited more than $30,000 in a bank account. The fish processing facility is an effective follow up to the West African Regional Fishery Project (WARFP), which is a World Bank funded project ‘to strengthen the capacity of Liberia to govern and manage targeted fisheries, reduce illegal fishing and increase local value added to fish products.’ Source : FAO sector report 2010. 11. Upgrade of fleet capacities in the industrial 13. Improved trade information and in-market sector support for the sector To build the high degree of export competitiveness lev- As discussed earlier in the four gears competitiveness els that are envisioned for the sector it will be essential constraints section, there is an important need to improve to upgrade the capabilities of the industrial fisheries sub- access to trade information for sector operators who are sector significantly. This will be achieved through a vari- potential / existing exporters. The strategy proposes inter- ety of measures, one of which will include the provision ventions involving BNF, MoCI and foreign Liberian rep- of funding / credit at flexible terms for suitable enterprises resentations to develop a solid feedback loop which will that wish to procure trawling vessels / equipment / inputs feed information on consumer preferences, market trends, and enter the sector. Capability will also be developed import / export requirements etc. to operators in the sector. through an overhaul of the TVET infrastructure aimed at developing human capital for the industrial subsector. The development of an effective inputs supply chain ( involv- MARKET IDENTIFICATION ing an increased domestic suppliers’ presence ) will also be an integral part of the strategy. Target markets identification is constrained by the current extremely small base of the Liberian fish and crustaceans sector, as well as the presence of larger and relatively 12. Additional support to develop the well-established regional neighbours who have a foothold aquaculture and inland fisheries subsectors in international markets. The aquaculture and inland fisheries subsectors are still in The analysis and the stakeholder consultations conduct- the nascent stages of development, and the latter is espe- ed as part of the NES design process have indicated that, cially focused on subsistence harvesting. While this strategy with concerted efforts directed along the sector’s value is primarily aimed at the marine fisheries sector, the aquacul- chain, the strategy will be consolidating rather than vision- ture and inland fisheries subsectors will also benefit from the ary in nature for the time period encompassed by this initiatives laid out in the PoA. The strategy also includes spe- phase of the NES ( 2014-2018 ). During this period existing cific interventions such as upgrading of aquaculture ponds. trade relationships and bilateral geographical distances WHERE WE WANT TO GO 37 will be the major criteria determining the markets for processing cottage industry in Liberia. As the capabilities Liberian fish and crustacean products. Market penetration of sector operators become more sophisticated, and com- in existing markets will be the main mode of market entry. bined with the growing access to business support ser- vices such as packaging etc., Liberian exporters will also In the longer term it is expected that the evolving capaci- be better positioned to export fresh / frozen / processed fish ties of Liberian exporters – across multiple dimensions in- to regional neighbours such as Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. cluding quality management, supply capacities, product diversification, time to market efficiency, and marketing / branding, in conjunction with the improving business en- CHINA, JAPAN AND THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA vironment, infrastructural improvements and other export value chain improvements affected by the NES and sec- The majority of the licensed fishing vessels that ac- tor PoA implementations – will allow exporters to target tively operated until recently in Liberia are of far east- other markets in the medium-to-long term which seem ern origins, and originated from China, Japan and the hard to penetrate now. However the identification of such Republic of Korea. While detailed information is scarce, markets now – given the low base of the sector – will be it is estimated that the Liberian operations of these trawl- purely indicative in nature. ing companies were limited to landing catch, freez- ing and trans-shipping to other ships at sea. This is a good opportunity for the sector to consolidate its po- SHORT-TERM TARGET MARKETS sition and systematically re-establish export relation- ships with these important fish consuming markets in DOMESTIC MARKET East Asia, especially for the high value premium spe- cies, that have no ( or negligible ) domestic demand. Given Liberia’s position as a net importer of fish products, domestic markets are an important mode of market pen- etration for operators in the sector. Improving operations MEDIUM-TO-LONG TERM TARGET in the domestic market – with dedicated focus on main- MARKETS taining quality and supply consistency levels – will help operators build capabilities that can be translated to build- ing export relationships over the medium-to-long term. UNITED STATES The demand for quality fresh fish and other processed While the U.S. market is currently inaccessible, there is products such as fillets and smoked fish in the premium potential over the long term to reach this market when retail sector, as well as in the tourism / hospitality sector, is quality and supply consistency levels improve. Dried fish relatively significant. Additionally, the expat community in ( unsalted ) has a high demand in United States markets, Liberia represents a relatively strong and stable market seg- especially from the African diaspora based there. There is ment, offering operators in the sector access to a consumer potential to develop relationships with wholesalers in spe- base characterized with diverse preferences. Any expan- cific markets and gradually move to other modes of entry. sion of production of species not preferred by local popula- tions or surpluses from local sources can first service this internal ‘export’ demand – which represents a captive and EUROPEAN UNION growing market given the large investments and develop- ment projects taking place in several sectors in the country. The West African region as a whole, and Liberia by deduc- tion, is a prominent supply destination for the EU, as evi- denced by the presence of active EPAs with every country AGOA MARKET in the region with the sole exception of Liberia, particularly for certified eco-labelled niche products such as sustain- The high demand for fresh cassava fish in the AGOA mar- ably harvested tuna for high premium retail markets in ket stems from a large number of West African nationals the EU 27. who have exhibited high consumption rates of the product. There is high potential to penetrate this market through If properly nurtured, there is an opportunity in the long run existing retail distribution channels and relationships. to capitalize on the high demand in European markets, especially for barracuda, which is native to Liberia. One of the leading EU importers for fish products – Germany – is WEST AFRICAN REGIONAL STATES the main consumer of Liberian fish. This relationship can ( CÔTE D’IVOIRE, GHANA AND NIGERIA ) be strengthened through increased market penetration ef- forts. Another leading importer, Spain, has a high demand There is considerable demand for fish-based pepper sauc- from crabfish due to consumer preferences among both es from Liberia in the subregion and as far away as Nigeria. citizens and foreigners living in Spain. This offers significant potential to the still nascent fish Source: jbdodane HOW TO GET THERE 39 HOW TO GET THERE STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES Five strategic objectives are considered necessary for realization of the sector vision. Accompanying each of the strategic objectives are operational objectives that will support the realization of the strategic objective and the overall vision. Strategic objective Operational objective Boost productive capacity of the sector. • Strengthen the inputs market in the fish and crustaceans sector. • Identify needs and build initial capacities in the Liberian inland fishing and aquaculture sector. • Assist the industrial sector in scaling up operations. • Increase organization in the sector. • Strengthen research and development capability and human capital development in the sector. Improve infrastructure and the overall business • Strengthen infrastructures to create more efficiencies, reduce environment in the sector. costs, and improve quality of production. • Improve access to credit for sector operators. • Curb IUU activity in the sector. • Improve quality management infrastructure in the sector. • Improve infrastructure for post-harvest and processing. Improve the institutional support framework • Strengthen BNF through technical, human capital and financial pertaining to the sector. support mechanisms. • Provide strengthening support to LAFA to transform its service delivery vis-à-vis all issues related to the artisanal sector. Facilitate adequate access to trade information • Improve in-market support in target markets. and in-market support to potential and existing • Develop the domestic market in line with the emerging capacities of operators in the sector. the sector. • Improve access to trade information and market intelligence in the sector. Support the sector’s development objectives • Support decision-making ability and opportunities for female actors of gender equity and environmental growth along the value chain. and stability. • Ensure that sector operations maintain environmental balance. THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA NATIONAL EXPORT STRATEGY

40 FISH AND CRUSTACEANS EXPORT STRATEGY 2014-2018 IMPORTANCE OF results of activities and outputs, while at the same time recommending policies that could serve to enhance re- COORDINATED alization of the strategic objectives. With a 360 degree IMPLEMENTATION view of progress the Council will be best placed to man- age funding and provide regular reports to donors and The broad range of activities, together with the complex stakeholders. Moreover, LEC will play a key role in rec- nature of integrated intervention, requires careful imple- ommending revisions and updates to the strategy so mentation that efficiently directs resources and monitors that it continues to evolve in alignment with the country’s results at both the micro and macro levels. To this end, a evolving needs. Liberian Export Council ( LEC ) will be established in order to facilitate the public-private partnership in elaborating, coordinating, and implementing the NES. In particular, IMPLEMENTATION LEC will be tasked with coordinating the implementation of activities in order to optimize the allocation of both resourc- PARTNERS – LEADING AND es and efforts across the wide spectrum of stakehold- SUPPORTING INSTITUTIONS ers. Within this framework, implementation of the fish and crustaceans strategy also falls within the purview of LEC. In addition to LEC, a variety of stakeholders will be critical to the successful implementation of this strategy. These Such efforts will involve directing donor, private, and pub- include public sector actors such as MoA (primarily BNF), lic sector organizations towards the various NES priorities MoCI, MoFA, LAFA and LFU and also private sector / civil in order to avoid duplication and guarantee maximum society organizations that have a history of providing as- impact. Responsibilities will also include monitoring the sistance to the sector and are well positioned to assist. CONCLUSION To drive improvements in the sector, it will be important to Liberia can use the lessons from the experience of its leverage the different interventions already taking place neighbours and other countries the world over to protect and consolidate as many gains as possible from across its marine and inland fishery resources ; recognize and policy, institutional, regional, scientific, livelihoods and protect the criticality of the sector to maintain employ- conservation / adaptation perspectives to optimize the ment and food security for poor populations ; and chan- business environment within which the sector operates. nel much needed foreign direct investment into creating This will then optimize the commercial ( growth ) opportu- lasting sources of competitive advantage for the sector. nities, and consequently the development opportunities, offered by the sector. THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA NATIONAL EXPORT STRATEGY SECTOR STRATEGIC PLAN OF ACTION LIBERIA 42 Strategic objective 1 : Boost productive capacity of the sector. Operational Activities Priority Entry point of Primary Target measures Leading Supporting Estimated objectives 1=low intervention beneficiaries implementing implementing costs 2=med S – short term partners partners ( high, 3=high M – medium medium, term low ) L – long term 1.1 Strengthen the 1.1.1 Establish a gear upgrade facility in a public–private partnership with 3 S Producers »» Gear upgrade facility setup by BNF Development M inputs market in the commercial lenders / development partners that will : mid-2015 partners, MoCI fish and crustaceans »» On a priority basis finance the replacement / upgrade of Liberia’s »» Canoes upgraded and outfitted sector. outdated canoe fleet, specifically outfitted to exploit particular species ; in each of the three nucleus »» Extend the upgrade to net replacement - from mono to poly filament, to communities ( 30 per community outfitting canoes with 3-bhp outboard motors, ice boxes to freeze catch as an initial pilot basis ) while at sea, ice flaking chisels, life jackets, first aid kits, seaworthy »» Vessels upgraded / outfitted : 10 plastic sheets, nylon ropes and radio sets / mobile smart phones in 2014/2015, 15 in 2016/2017 for recording important readings - fish migration, species presence, THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA NATIONAL EXPORT STRATEGY presence of debris and presence of pollutants, and for reporting IUU. 1.1.2 Advocate for a simpler import regime on fish and crustacean 2 S Producers FandC list explicitly added to BNF, MoCI L ( FandC ) inputs and accord FandC across the board exemption as per the executive order on agricultural executive order on imports in the agriculture sector : imports »» Add a specific, detailed list of FandC inputs to the exemption list ; Create awareness among existing inputs suppliers and among fishermen to use the exemption ; »» Monitor exemption usage rates and address additional barriers as they arise due to procedural difficulties in using the facility. 1.1.3 Develop a supply base of service providers who will cater to the 3 S Entire value Deliverables for a - d to be finalized BNF Seamen Union, M FandC sector : chain by end-2014 LAFA, LFU, Ministry of FISH AND CRUSTACEANS EXPORT STRATEGY 2014-2018 »» Establish an FandC business services support programme. e – Incubator programme launched »» Identify private sector players in all nodal areas with either existing by mid-2015 for first batch of Education, input ( or related ) businesses or with potential to receive support to set enrolled businesses MoCI up inputs businesses. Compile a sector business service providers directory ; »» Establish a business service providers association for the sector ; »» Train business service providers to create business plans based on revenue forecasts and signed contracts so as to be able to borrow against receivables and booked orders ; »» Establish an incubator programme for businesses. 1.2 Identify 1.2.1 Finance projects to upgrade boats to harvest Liberia’s rich inland 2 S Operators in the Boats for inland fishing outfitted BNF Development M needs and build fish resources. Upgrading will be facilitated through the gear upgrade inland fishing – 10 per year between 2014 and partners, MoCI initial capacities facility discussed in activity 1.1.1. sector 2017 in the Liberian inland fishing and 1.2.2 Conduct a study to identify technological enhancements and other 2 S Operators in the Study conducted by end-2015 BNF MoCI L aquaculture sector. key requirements for developing the inland fishing sector. inland fishing sector 1.2.3 Finance project proposals in nodal areas to augment Liberia’s 2 M Operators in Ponds upgraded – 15 per year BNF Development M productive capacity in the aquaculture subsector, especially as an the aquaculture between 2014 and 2017 partners, MoCI alternate income source for farmers, particularly during lean seasons. subsector Develop a pilot initiative to upgrade ponds. 1.2.4 Conduct a study to identify technological enhancements and other 2 M Operators in Study conducted by end-2015 BNF MoCI L key requirements for developing the aquaculture sector. the aquaculture subsector Strategic objective 1 : Boost productive capacity of the sector. Operational Activities Priority Entry point of Primary Target measures Leading Supporting Estimated objectives 1=low intervention beneficiaries implementing implementing costs 2=med S – short term partners partners ( high, 3=high M – medium medium, term low ) L – long term 1.3 Assist the 1.3.1 Create an FandC industrial sector development fund that will serve M Industrial sector »» Fund set up and capitalization by BNF, Central MoCI, National H industrial sector medium and large operators to procure equipment / inputs and scale up mid / end 2016 Bank of Liberia Investment in scaling up operations. »» Submission of business plans ( CBL ), Ministry Commission operations. Project finance business plans in industrial fishing that will target the and project financing to start of Finance ( NIC ) 7–200 mile zone for different medium / high value species. Financing early 2017 ( MoF ) to include vessels meant for demersal and pelagic deep sea fishing – vessel length ranging from 20 to 50 metres. 1.3.2 Commission a comprehensive study for identifying large-scale 2 S Industrial sector Study conducted by end-2014 BNF, LFU MoCI M value added products that can be developed through the industrial sector, in sync with demand in international markets. The study will also conduct a parallel assessment of indicative infrastructural improvements / investments required to build capacity of operators to develop the identified products. 1.3.3 On similar lines as LAFA ( operating for the benefit of the artisanal 2 M Industrial sector Alliance / platform set up by end BNF, LFU LAFA, MoCI M sector ), establish an industrial operators alliance that will act as a formal 2014 networking platform for medium / large-scale operators. As an alternative to creating a new organization, explore the role / capabilities of LFU to fulfil this mandate. 1.3.4 Ramp up capacities of LFU as an important representation of the 2 M Industrial sector »» LFU formally constituted as an LFU, BNF MoCI M interests of industrial operators : NGO by mid-2014 »» Constitute an interim management committee to draft a formal Terms »» Terms of Reference developed by of Reference for the Union. Conduct a needs assessment of human mid-2015 resource needs and infrastructural requirements of LFU to fulfil its day to day operations ; »» Formalize LFU’s role as an accredited NGO. 1.3.5 Develop and formalize an investment promotion team specifically 3 M Industrial sector »» Team formalized and set up by NIC BNF, MoCI M for the fishery sector at NIC that will, together with relevant stakeholders, end -2014 design and manage a marine fisheries anchor investment promotion »» Technical investment proposal programme based on a detailed and factual ( updated statistics ) benefit developed by mid-2015 cost analysis. 1.3.6 Launch an incentive package for investment in the industrial FandC 3 M Industrial sector »» Incentive package approved : NIC, BNF MoCI, MoF, CBL H subsector – including tax breaks and time-bound concessions in the 2014/2015 7–200 nautical mile zone, with clear minimum thresholds for Liberian »» Concessions awarded - 2015/16 ownership and Liberian employees at all levels – aimed at both recently discontinued businesses and potential new entrants, importers and otherwise. 1.4 Increase 1.4.1 Conduct a study to identify the potential of co-management 2 S Fisherman / Gap analysis and identified BNF, LAFA MoCI L organization in the associations to increase organization levels and enable an influx of processors requirements in the short, medium sector. best practices and technology. The study will also contain a needs and long terms related to co- assessment for scaling up operations using the recently established co- management associations. SECTOR STRATEGIC PLAN OF ACTION management association in Robertsport Grand Cape Mount County as a basis. 43 44 Strategic objective 1 : Boost productive capacity of the sector. Operational Activities Priority Entry point of Primary Target measures Leading Supporting Estimated objectives 1=low intervention beneficiaries implementing implementing costs 2=med S – short term partners partners ( high, 3=high M – medium medium, term low ) L – long term 1.4 Increase 1.4.2 Create a networking / skills transfer / grievance resolution 2 S Operators from Platform, schedule developed LAFA, Fanti, BNF, L organization in the mechanism / platform for the main communities active in the sector all communities for regular dialogue between the Kru, Popoh Cooperative sector. ( Fanti, Kru, Popoh, Ewe communities ), as well as between all artisanal active in the various communities involved at associations Development communities as part of a larger umbrella organization that will bring artisanal sector the artisanal / aquaculture level Agency( CDA ), together all artisanal communities and the industrial fishing sector : Co- »» The mechanism will create a pan-Liberian community dialogue Management for debating, recording, and resolving issues and grievances in a Association at harmonious manner ; Robertsport »» It will also transfer best practices from the relatively sophisticated Fanti THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA NATIONAL EXPORT STRATEGY community to other community operators such as the Kru / Popoh and will focus on using outboard motors, nets, handling techniques etc. ; »» One of the key focus areas of the mechanism will be strengthening contacts between fishermen, fishmongers, processors and exporters ; »» The mechanism will take shape as a consultative forum that takes place on a regular basis. An important feature will be institutionalization of cross-mentoring by elders from the main communities. 1.4.3 Set up an indigenous / foreign / migrant workers knowledge 3 S Operators from Survey / workshop based exercise LAFA BNF, MoCI M systems repository project that will : all communities to begin in mid-2014 and end by »» Undertake a formal documentation study of the various traditional active in the mid-2015 knowledge systems, tools and other stocks of productive knowledge artisanal sector that exist within the various fishing communities that have made Liberia FISH AND CRUSTACEANS EXPORT STRATEGY 2014-2018 their home. The focus will be on communities indigenous to Liberia as well as migrant / foreign tribes ( such as the Fanti ) that have exhibited a high degree of resilience and innovation across the West Africa region ; »» Capture the knowledge and best practices associated with communities, both indigenous and foreign / migrant, operating in the artisanal sector ; »» Create joint-community project proposals for fostering greater community to community cooperation. 1.5 Strengthen 1.5.1 Conduct a feasibility study to explore addition to the mandate of 3 L Entire value »» Feasibility study conducted by CARI / MoA MoCI, MoF M research and CARI, or setting up a new fisheries research institution ( close to the chain end 2014 development coastal areas ). »» Technical proposal developed by capability and Depending on the results of the study, draft a technical proposal for end-2015 human capital either establishing a fisheries division within CARI or establishing a new »» Funding identification and development in the institution. development of facilities / sector. recruitment of staff begins mid- 2016 / early-2017 1.5.2 Establish ‘twinning’ programmes with leading fisheries research 2 M Young Liberians »» Memoranda of Understanding MoA MoCI, M universities and institutions : interested in and modalities of collaboration University »» Set up a fund to sponsor the above programme and involve the undertaking between institutes established by of Liberia diaspora and international fishery enterprises active in Liberia for entrepreneurial end-2014 ( among other assistance in setting up the fund ; activities in the »» Fund set up by mid / end 2015 universities ) »» Set up a talent search programme to attract young Liberians interested sector »» Programme initiated in early in the fisheries sector and sponsor young scholars to undertake 2016, with an initial batch of 10– undergraduate / graduate research work. 20 scholarships awarded Strategic objective 1 : Boost productive capacity of the sector. Operational Activities Priority Entry point of Primary Target measures Leading Supporting Estimated objectives 1=low intervention beneficiaries implementing implementing costs 2=med S – short term partners partners ( high, 3=high M – medium medium, term low ) L – long term 1.5 Strengthen 1.5.3 Develop educational instruments aimed at increasing fisheries / 3 L Entire value »» Regional / international partners BNF, Ministry of University H research and crustaceans / aquaculture specialization in Liberia : chain identified and Memoranda of Education partners development »» Inclusion of major universities within an existing working group or Understanding signed by mid- ( Liberian, capability and through BNF to discuss TVET needs of the sector including curricula 2015. regional and human capital overhaul etc. ; »» Curriculum development, staff international ), development in the »» Develop specialized graduate level courses / degrees to be offered at recruitment, procurement MoCI, LAFA, sector. key Liberian universities ( on a pilot basis ) ; of equipment, and required LFU, Bureau of »» Implement new methods of managing and monitoring shrimp farming accreditation of specialization Maritime Affairs to ensure sustainable exploitation of shrimp reserves / fisheries ; completed by mid-2016 at select »» Develop educational programmes ( masters and postgraduate universities on a pilot basis. certificate levels ) in collaboration with Liberian universities as well as »» First batch of candidates to potential regional / international partners. initiate coursework by mid-2017 1.5.4 Establish a ‘Fishermen Field Schools’ pilot initiative that will 3 S Entire value »» Pilot program established in end- LAFA BNF, Co- M share knowledge, techniques and opportunities through field trainings chain 2014 management conducted on-boat and at landing sites. »» Training to be conducted across association, »» Set up a formal quality management programme covering the industrial the main pilot hubs including Bureau of players, key artisanal communities across the Kru, Fanti, Ewe and Robertsport, West Point, Banjor, Maritime Affairs Popoh communities. Marshall, and Grand Kru »» The schools will also focus on providing support to the nascent field of aquaculture. 1.5.5 Set up an artisanal FandC post-harvest handling and processing 3 S Operators active »» Programme setup by end 2014 BNF LAFA, MoCI M skills development programme to cover all major fishing clusters in in the processing »» On a pilot basis, 500 candidates marine and inland / aquaculture fishing in the following areas of activity : centre trained in key hubs post-harvest hygienic handling, modern drying techniques, ice plant handling / servicing / flaking, and sorting and filleting. 1.5.6 Explore the possibility of procuring a used fishing vessel from 2 M Entire value »» Feasibility study conducted by BNF, Bureau of MoCI and H Amsterdam / regional centres and converting them to a training vessel chain 2014 Maritime Affairs Seaman Union for use by BNF / Bureau of Maritime Affairs. »» If deemed viable, funding will be secured across 2015, and vessel to be procured by end-2016 SECTOR STRATEGIC PLAN OF ACTION 45 46 Strategic objective 2 : Improve infrastructure and the overall business environment in the sector. Operational Activities Priority Entry point of Primary Target measures Leading Supporting Estimated objectives 1=low intervention beneficiaries implementing implementing costs 2=med S – short term partners partners ( high, 3=high M – medium medium, term low ) L – long term 2.1 Strengthen 2.1.1 Upgrade key existing landing sites in all three regions, 3 S Processors Upgrade completed by end-2015 BNF, NIC CBL, MoCI H infrastructures including : to create more »» Provision of privately operated toilet facilities ; efficiencies, reduce »» Running potable water and child care facilities for the costs, and improve fisherwomen who carry out post-landing handling and quality of production. processing. 2.1.2 Establish a processing centre at Marshall based on a formal 3 S Processors Marshall centre operational in 2016, with BNF, NIC CBL, MoCI H three way collaboration between community / BNF / investor : processing facilities established and THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA NATIONAL EXPORT STRATEGY »» Construct / install a landing pier, weighing stations, washing development of an efficient cold chain area, drying room, rooms for smoking, filleting, marinating and packaging, and a cold storage facility ; »» Create a refrigerated distribution chain complete with pickups / trucks. 2.2 Improve access 2.2.1 Develop specialized financial instruments specific to the 3 M Entire value Financial instruments developed CBL, BNF Banks, MoCI M to credit for sector needs to various actors in the sector value chain and ensure that chain operators. banks make these instruments available, including microfinance products, micro insurance, short-term bridging financing and medium term capital investment products. 2.2.2 Develop a simplified guide in appropriate languages 2 M Entire value Guide developed by end-2014 CBL BNF, MoCI L explaining provisions for credit access to operators across the chain FISH AND CRUSTACEANS EXPORT STRATEGY 2014-2018 sector so that information on accessing credit is readily available. 2.3 Curb IUU activity 2.3.1 Enforce fisheries regulations with regard to the artisanal 2 M Entire value Artisanal IUU decreased by 50 % by 2018 BNF Coast Guard M in the sector. subsector so as to mitigate / eliminate IUU in the artisanal chain subsector and by illegal immigrant populations. 2.3.2 Set up a joint monitoring and surveillance system between 2 L Entire value Monitoring system set up and joint Coast Guard, BNF H Mano River Union countries, including information sharing chain surveillance system operational 2017 Manu River protocols between the respective coast guards ; aligning Union surveillance inspector selection / training ; and outfitting secretariat surveillance vessels with adequately sophisticated radio equipment, video equipment and protective gear etc. 2.3.3 Commission a detailed stock assessment of the main 3 S Artisanal and Assessment to be completed on a regular BNF, Liberia M pelagic, demersal and shrimp species and establish clear Industrial basis Institute of maximum sustainable yield levels for the industrial operators operators Statistics and and the various fishing communities that share the EEZ. Agree on Geo-Information specific targets for specific species at specific times during the Services harvest season. 2.4 Improve quality 2.4.1 Conduct a gap analysis of required quality standards 3 S Entire value Industry specific requirements / standards MoCI, BNF L management relevant to the fishery sector with a focus on marine, inland and chain issues by end-2014 infrastructure in the aquaculture subsectors, and develop quality requirements / sector. standards based on identified gaps. Strategic objective 2 : Improve infrastructure and the overall business environment in the sector. Operational Activities Priority Entry point of Primary Target measures Leading Supporting Estimated objectives 1=low intervention beneficiaries implementing implementing costs 2=med S – short term partners partners ( high, 3=high M – medium medium, term low ) L – long term 2.4 Improve quality 2.4.2 Add laboratory facilities in the three nucleus locations to 3 M Entire value Technical proposals finalized by end-2014 BNF NIC, MoCI, NSL H management reduce the need to send samples overseas. Increase local testing chain »» Request for proposal and tenders issued infrastructure in the knowhow and help organize recognition from international quality by mid-2015 sector. compliance accreditation agencies. »» One lab each for the three nucleus locations setup by end-2016 / mid-2017 2.4.3 Setup a Training of Trainers ( ToT ) program to train trainers 2 S Artisanal »» Program set up by end 2014 LAFA BNF, MoCI, Co- M who will conduct community-based coaching sessions related to operators »» Curriculum and ToT trainings completed Management best practices. Curriculum development will be a logical first step : across the by mid-2015 Association »» Trainers will be members of communities that are being targeted value chain »» Pilot trainings conducted by trainers in to ensure local ownership and buy-in ; each of the main communities starting »» Community-based trainings will target processors and quality mid-2015 control technicians within enterprises to gain and apply industry-leading quality best practices. 2.4.4 Develop the country’s first market-driven quality manual for 2 S Entire value »» Manual developed by mid-2015 LAFA, BNF MoCI L the sector, in all relevant local languages. chain »» Separate manuals developed for cross- Disseminate the manual through established networking platforms border trade markets, emerging markets / community hubs. ( Southeast Asia ), and United States / EU 2.4.5 In an effort to target the EU / United States markets, conduct 3 L Entire value »» Market research on key markets, along BNF MoCI, NSL, H a comprehensive study on integrating eco-labelling and other chain with identification of key requirements, LAFA, LFU certification capabilities within the sector : conducted by end-2014 »» Market research on key markets, along with identification of key »» Quality standards issued by NSL / BNF requirements ; / MoCI and other relevant authorities by »» Development and issuance of relevant quality standards by end-2015 authorities ; »» International consulting / certification »» Develop a national roadmap for developing traceability firms contracted ; roadmap completed mechanisms in the sector ; by end-2016 »» Solicit support from international certification firms ( who are accredited in terms of eco-labelling etc. ) to develop a national roadmap for integrating eco-labelling and other certification requirements within the sector, including provisions for building capacities at both enterprise and institutional levels. 2.4.6 Speed up the accreditation of the newly inaugurated 3 M Entire value Accreditation complete BNF NSL, MoCI M metrology laboratory in Monrovia to enhance credibility of chain measurement instruments and reduce overall cost of doing business. 2.4.7 Develop an awareness-raising campaign aimed at the 2 S Coast Guard Campaign developed and deployed by Coast Guard MoCI L Coast Guard and the marine inspection cadre focused on the and marine end-2014 / marine responsibilities and punitive action associated with : inspection inspection »» Irregular behaviour, acceptance or facilitation of informal cadre cadre, BNF payments, abetment of non-compliance or non- / under reporting. SECTOR STRATEGIC PLAN OF ACTION 47 48 Strategic objective 2 : Improve infrastructure and the overall business environment in the sector. Operational Activities Priority Entry point of Primary Target measures Leading Supporting Estimated objectives 1=low intervention beneficiaries implementing implementing costs 2=med S – short term partners partners ( high, 3=high M – medium medium, term low ) L – long term 2.4 Improve quality 2.4.8 Follow up on compliance related to recent definition and 2 S Artisanal »» Compliance levels identified on a rolling Coast Guard MoCI M management classification of areas earmarked for artisanal fishing, in order to operators basis starting mid-2014 / marine infrastructure in the exploit the increased stocks that will presumably ensue from the »» Resource gaps identified on a rolling inspection sector. demarcation. Ensure adequate monitoring levels and identify gaps basis starting mid-2014 cadre, BNF in monitoring and requirements for resource augmentation. 2.5 Improve 2.5.1 Implement pilot projects around Mesurado and Buchanan 3 M Entire value »» Project proposals finalized by mid-2015 BNF, MoCI H infrastructure for aimed at post-harvest handling and storage compliance, chain »» Project financing needs completed, and post-harvest and specifically for the small and medium enterprise sector, as implementation to begin early-2016 THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA NATIONAL EXPORT STRATEGY processing. per international standards for shared infrastructure in fish processing : »» Development of infrastructure ( including wharfs, storage facilities ) to support / improve the quality of artisanal fishing products that are meant for further processing and export. 2.5.2 Construction of cold storage facilities at major fishing ports 3 M Producers, »» Project proposals finalized by mid-2015 National Port MoCI H to allow producers and exporters to temporarily store products in processors »» Construction to begin early-2016 Authority, BNF a hygienic manner. and exporters 2.5.3 Construction and restoration of fishing ports in Greenville 3 M Entire value »» Project proposals finalized by mid-2015 National Port MoCi H and Harper to allow lower cost access to fishing vessel owners chain »» Construction to begin early-2016 Authority, BNF relative to commercial port usage. FISH AND CRUSTACEANS EXPORT STRATEGY 2014-2018 Strategic objective 3 : Improve the institutional support framework pertaining to the sector. Operational Activities Priority Entry point of in- Primary bene- Target measures Leading Supporting Estimated objectives 1=low tervention ficiaries implementing implementing costs 2=med S – short term partners partners ( high, me- 3=high M – medium term dium, low ) L – long term 3.1 Strengthen 3.1.1 Set up a core team with specific ‘desks’ within the fisheries poli- BNF »» Units / ‘desks’ established by mid-2014 BNF MoCI, MoF M BNF through cy unit to facilitate representation and specialization for all subsectors in- »» Terms of Reference developed by mid-2014 technical, hu- cluding : man capital and »» Marine ; financial sup- »» Inland ; port mecha- 2 S »» Aquaculture, artisanal and industrial fisheries ; nisms. »» Domestic / foreign enterprises ; »» Women-owned enterprises / female operators along the value chain. Develop Terms of Reference for the specific desks in terms of policy anal- ysis and research. 3.1.2 Systematize data / statistics collection, documentation and dissem- Entire value Process mapped out and communicated to all re- BNF MoA L

2 S ination within the different divisions / units / desks at BNF. chain sponsible parties in the BNF 3.1.3 Develop a comprehensive human resources skills development pro- Senior man- »» Training launched in end-2014 BNF MoCI, MoA, M gramme related to general management skills and fisheries policy analy- 2 S agement / poli- »» 10 graduates by mid-2015 MoF sis and formulation for senior management. cymakers, BNF 3.1.4 Conduct a requirements analysis for the fisheries policy unit to BNF »» Fully equipped unit ( hardware and software ) BNF MoCI, MoA, M identify needs for office equipment and quantitative / qualitative research by end-2014 MoF, develop- software and related hardware : »» Information centre equipped and running by ment partners »» Create an information / multimedia resource / library centre for the pol- mid-2015

2 S icy unit with instructional / research material from around the world on overall fisheries management ; »» Fulfil identified requirements either through annual budget allocations or through donor support. 3.1.5 Implement the recommendations of the National Capacity BNF »» Support funding secured by end-2014 BNF / United MoCI, Ministry M Development Strategy specific to the sector in partnership with the »» Application process formalized by end-2014 Nations Fish of Education United Nations University Fisheries Training Programme and other such »» First batch of selected candidates ( up to five ) University leading providers of research and training in the sector : 2 S deployed for one year periods beginning in the »» Maintain support to BNF staff members for pursuing higher education 2015 academic year. ( masters and PhD work ) at the UN Fish University in Iceland through scholarships and grants. 3.1.6 Augment the monitoring capacity of BNF through increased staff BNF »» Assessment of human capital requirements related BNF MoCI, MoF M levels : to monitoring staff completed by mid-2014. »» Rationalize the ‘observer’ model put in place by BNF to monitor for- »» ‘Observer’ process studied and rationalized

2 M eign vessels, which has led to conflicts of interest / illegal activity in »» Budgetary allocation / funds secured through the past. development partner support by mid-2015. »» Additional monitoring staff hired by end-2015. 3.1.7 Set up BNF’s sector promotion website to offer relevant business Entire value Website design initiated in early 2014, and com- BNF MoA, MoCI L opportunities and market information for producers and exporters as well 2 S chain pleted by end-2014 all relevant information and contacts for interested importers. 3.2 Provide 3.2.1 Develop a multi-year strategic / operational plan for LAFA which LAFA sen- »» Participatory exercise involving LAFA senior LAFA BNF, MoA, M strengthening clearly spells out a detailed vision, strategic objectives and outcomes : ior and middle management launched mid-2014 WARFP support to LAFA »» Provide training to the LAFA senior management team to develop the level manage- »» Strategic / operational plan developed by end to transform its operational plan as well as identify resource needs over the strategy ment 2014 service deliv- timeframe ; »» Five middle management level candidates ery vis-à-vis all »» Identify promising candidates for a middle management layer that will identified for each of the three pilot hubs by issues related 2 M early 2015. Training imparted by mid-2015 provide support at the village / community / cluster levels. Carry out a SECTOR STRATEGIC PLAN OF ACTION to the artisanal comprehensive training for this layer in the fundamentals of manage- sector. ment related to : »» MSME development ; »» Facilities / infrastructure management ; »» Supply chain management. 49 50 Strategic objective 4 : Facilitate adequate access to trade information and in-market support to potential and existing operators in the sector. Operational Activities Priority Entry point of Primary Target measures Leading Supporting Estimated objectives 1=low intervention beneficiaries implementing implementing costs 2=med S – short term partners partners ( high, 3=high M – medium medium, term low ) L – long term 4.1 Improve 4.1.1 Develop a trade support function within key regional and international missions 3 S Exporters »» Trade support functions established MoFA, BNF MoCI M in-market / representations : / strengthened by early-2015 support »» Institute an in-market support service at the missions in Dakar, Accra, Abuja, »» Tools / modalities for in-market in target Freetown and Conakry ; support service finalized by mid- markets. »» Initiate a sector promotion initiative in key existing ( until recently ) markets where 2015 tariff-free access exists – i.e., China, the Republic of Korea and Japan – via the »» Services instituted on an ongoing mission in Beijing ; basis starting mid-2015 »» Institute an in-market support service at the trade and information office in THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA NATIONAL EXPORT STRATEGY Philadelphia, and the missions in Berlin / Rome and London for the EU market segments ; »» Facilitate increased participation in international trade shows by consulates and trade representations to provide greater promotion and visibility for Liberian marine products. 4.1.2 In an effort to re-establish market positions with former destinations such as 2 S Exporters Studies conducted by end 2015 MoCI, BNF M China, the Republic of Korea, Japan etc. in frozen fish export for direct consumption, conduct detailed market access and non-tariff measures studies for key fish consuming markets in Southeast Asia : China, the Republic of Korea and Japan, as well as in the EU and United States. 4.1.3 Organize a delegation of Liberian exporters to key target markets, or vice 2 S Exporters Event organized by end-2014 MoFA, BNF MoCI M versa, to facilitate networking and deal-making with large-scale procurement agents ( related to direct consumption retail markets for frozen fish ). FISH AND CRUSTACEANS EXPORT STRATEGY 2014-2018 4.1.4 Conduct a study to establish the current level of compliance with the 2 S Exporters Study completed and BNF MoCI L requirements of the impending EPA being negotiated, as well with other fishing recommendations submitted by end- agreements that are already in place or in need of being negotiated with major non- 2014 EU markets such as the United States, China, the Republic of Korea and Japan. 4.2 Develop 4.2.1 Conduct a study to improve access to national markets for operators in the 2 M Entire value »» Improved supply of FandC products BNF MoCI L the domestic sector as their supply capacities increases : chain ( Liberian suppliers ) to food- market in line »» The study will focus on mechanisms to optimize market share of food security insecure regions / markets in the with emerging markets ( with regard to FandC needs ) in all major fishing areas in the country country as well as to previously capacities of / other consumption hubs away from major landing sites, and connected food- »» Improved share of local FandC the sector. insecure areas in the subregion. products in the overall supply of »» The study will further identify supply chain needs to facilitate better connections sector products, vis-à-vis imports. ( roads / transportation ) and market development. 4.2.2 Improve linkages between the sector and tourism operators, specifically hotels 3 S Fishermen / Event held in mid-2014 LFU / LAFA, Ministry of L and restaurant : processors BNF Information, »» Organize an event to facilitate business deals between sector operators / Culture and organizations and local restaurants and hotels ; Tourism, MoCI »» Initial focus on facilitating business deals in Monrovia. Strategic objective 4 : Facilitate adequate access to trade information and in-market support to potential and existing operators in the sector. Operational Activities Priority Entry point of Primary Target measures Leading Supporting Estimated objectives 1=low intervention beneficiaries implementing implementing costs 2=med S – short term partners partners ( high, 3=high M – medium medium, term low ) L – long term 4.3 Improve 4.3.1 Generate regular bulletins on the changes in stock levels ; opportunities for 2 S Exporters Bulletins produced / disseminated via BNF WARFP, MoCI L access alternate income sources via new species exports ; cross-border trade ; and market radio to cover all major communities to trade trends in international markets. – 2014 information and market 4.3.2 Generation of market intelligence reports by Liberia Institute of Statistics 2 M Entire value First iteration of reports finalized by Liberia NIC M intelligence in and Geo-Information Services / MoCI / NIC to cater to the trade information and chain mid-2015 Institute of the sector. investment information needs of the sector : Statistics »» Develop a dissemination mechanism to ensure regular dissemination of reports to and Geo- stakeholders. Information Services, MoCI 4.3.3 Carry out a detailed segment by segment assessment of the best markets 2 S Exporters Assessment and market entry plans MoFA, BNF MoCI M for the Liberian FandC products sector, based not just on market preferences but developed by mid-2014 primarily the possibilities to negotiate better market access agreements : »» Development of country-specific market entry plans for high value / opportunity target markets identified by the market attractiveness analysis. Strategic objective 5 : Support the sector’s development objectives of gender equity and environmental growth and stability. Operational Activities Priority Entry point of Primary Target measures Leading Supporting Estimated objectives 1=low intervention beneficiaries implementing implementing costs 2=med S – short term partners partners (high, 3=high M – medium medium, term low) L – long term 5.1 Support 5.1.1 Improved training among women operators/ market women in the fishing 2 S Women Training curriculum developed by Ministry of LAFA L decision- communities on : operators in the mid-2015 Gender and making »» Price negotiation sector Trainings integrated in existing Development, ability and »» Management practices / planned field / on-site training BNF opportunities »» Increasing literacy levels. mechanisms by mid-2016 for female actors along the 5.1.2 Establish BNF women’s unit chapters at all processing hub locations to 2 S Female Chapters established by end-2014 BNF, Ministry MoCI M value chain. support across the board increase in value added by women and young fishermen operators along of Gender and / FandC entrepreneurs. the value chain Development 5.2 Ensure 5.2.1 Create a curriculum around ecosystem approach principles and techniques 2 S Entire value Curriculum finalized by end-2014 BNF LAFA, LFU, M that sector with local language versions : chain Pilot trainings ( through integration Environmental operations »» Focus on minimizing unsustainable practices such as using dynamite, within existing / planned trainings ) Protection maintain pesticides and other such destructive practices in FandC harvesting ; conducted in early-2015 Agency environmental »» Incorporate the curriculum within interventions across the board including balance. within ‘Fishermen Field Schools’ discussed earlier. SECTOR STRATEGIC PLAN OF ACTION 5.2.2 Develop regulations concerning fishery waste and requirements for disposal. 2 S Entire value Regulations drafted by mid-2014 MoCI, BNF LAFA, LFU L chain and submitted for approval 51 THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA NATIONAL EXPORT STRATEGY

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1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland Telephone: +41-22 730 0111 Fax: +41-22 733 4439 E-mail: itcreg@intracen.org Internet: www.intracen.org