On the beaches of Cape Mount to Cape Palmas, Liberian canoe fishers share the same frustration: foreign trawlers storming close to shore, destroying nets, and carrying away fish that used to feed families and sustain communities. These trawlers, often flagged to China, Spain, and other distant nations, don't survive on efficiency alone. They are kept afloat by subsidies -- cheap fuel, tax breaks, and grants for building massive vessels -- handed out by their governments.
In effect, taxpayers in Beijing, Brussels, and Tokyo are paying for fleets to roam the Atlantic, including Liberian waters, to scoop up fish that local fishers cannot possibly compete for.
This is the global imbalance that the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, which entered into force on September 15, seeks to tackle. By banning subsidies that encourage illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, fishing of overexploited stocks, and fishing on the unregulated high seas, the Agreement targets the USD 22 billion in harmful subsidies that drive overcapacity worldwide. Without these subsidies, many distant-water fleets could not afford to fish in West African waters at all .
NaFAA's Response
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The Daily Observer asked J. Cyrus Saygbe Sr., Acting Director-General of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), how Liberia plans to respond to this turning point. His responses highlight both ambition and blind spots.
"Liberia is strengthening its monitoring, control, and surveillance systems to ensure that foreign vessels comply with our laws. We are working with international partners to improve satellite monitoring, vessel tracking, and at-sea inspections," Saygbe said. "The ban on harmful subsidies gives Liberia a stronger hand because it reduces the incentives for illegal operators to target our waters."
On paper, this sounds encouraging. But Liberia's track record on enforcement tells a different story. With a coastline stretching nearly 600 kilometers, the country still has only a handful of patrol boats, most donated by partners. Satellite monitoring and inspections are useful, but they mean little if vessels are spotted but never intercepted. The "stronger hand" Saygbe refers to will only matter if Liberia can translate it into actual arrests, prosecutions, and deterrence. Otherwise, subsidized fleets will continue testing the country's weak enforcement capacity.
On the matter of accessing the WTO's newly launched Fish Fund, Saygbe was upbeat.
"Liberia welcomes the establishment of the WTO Fisheries Fund and is preparing proposals to access these resources. We will prioritize investments in fisherfolk training, modern landing sites, aquaculture development, and enforcement capacity," he explained.
Again, the intentions are noble. But Liberia has a history of struggling to turn international funding into concrete improvements. Fishermen in New Kru Town and Robertsport still lack cold storage and modern landing sites. Promises of aquaculture development have been made for years, but with little to show beyond pilot projects. Without a clear, transparent plan, Liberia risks missing out on the very resources meant to help countries like ours adapt.
Finally, on whether the Agreement will make life better for Liberian fishers, Saygbe argued:
"The Agreement levels the playing field by curbing subsidies that previously allowed foreign fleets to fish far from home at an unfair advantage. With stricter global rules, Liberian fishers have a greater chance to access their own waters without being undercut by subsidized competition. As we invest in local capacity--such as improved infrastructure, processing, and market access--this Agreement will translate into higher incomes and better opportunities for our fishing communities."
But here's the reality: no global agreement automatically "levels the playing field." If Liberian fishers are still returning to shore only to sell their catch at rock-bottom prices because there's no cold storage, no road access, and no regional market integration, then higher incomes will remain a distant dream. Without immediate investment in infrastructure and market access, Liberian fishers may never feel the supposed benefits of this Agreement, even if foreign fleets lose some subsidies.
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The Bigger Picture
For a country where fish makes up a major part of the national diet and sustains tens of thousands of livelihoods, the WTO's new rules could be transformative. They take direct aim at the subsidies that have long allowed foreign fleets to plunder African waters with impunity.
But the Agreement is not self-enforcing. Its success in Liberia will depend on whether NaFAA can back words with action: intercepting illegal trawlers, prosecuting violators, and ensuring Liberian communities, not foreign fleets, reap the benefits of our marine wealth.
If enforcement fails and international funds are mismanaged, Liberia risks finding itself in the same position as before: watching foreign taxpayers finance foreign boats to take Liberian fish from Liberian waters, while local canoe fishers struggle for survival.
The WTO has done its part. Now the question is whether Liberia will finally do hers.
