The National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFFA) has enlisted the Liberian media as a strategic partner in advancing the country's blue economy agenda, launching an inaugural Open Media House and unveiling a Five-Year Communication Strategy and Action Plan aimed at increasing transparency, strengthening public engagement, and attracting investment into one of Liberia's most underutilized economic sectors.
The initiative, officially launched in Monrovia on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, also saw the dedication of NaFFA's new Fisheries Call Center, a platform established to provide citizens across Liberia's nine coastal counties and inland communities with direct access to fisheries information, opportunities, and channels to report concerns.
The quarterly Open Media House is expected to become a permanent forum where journalists engage directly with NaFFA officials, development partners, researchers and fishing communities to improve public understanding of the fisheries sector and promote evidence-based reporting.
The launch comes as NaFFA intensifies efforts to reposition Liberia from a country primarily dependent on fisheries licensing revenue to an attractive destination for fisheries and blue economy investment.
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Launching the maiden edition of the Open Media House, Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism Minister Jerolinmek Matthew Piah challenged Liberian journalists to broaden their reporting beyond politics and sports by paying greater attention to the country's blue economy.
"Marine and coastal resources provide thousands of Liberians support food security, generate economic opportunities and contribute significantly to the national economy," Piah said.
He lamented that fisheries reporting has historically received limited media attention despite the sector's importance.
"The press in Liberia, like most African countries, is entirely focused on political and sports reporting. This trend should be diversified into other areas like reporting on the blue economy."
Piah said accurate and sustained reporting could play a transformative role in unlocking the economic potential of Liberia's marine resources.
"Media and communications reporting on Liberia's blue economy are very important to unlock the economic potentials, he said."
He outlined several ways journalism can support the fisheries sector, including educating the public about sustainable fishing, exposing illegal fishing, strengthening food security, attracting investors and raising awareness about climate change.
"Investigative journalism can expose illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities that deprive Liberia of valuable revenue and threaten marine biodiversity. Media scrutiny helps ensure that fishery regulations are enforced and that public resources are managed responsibly."
He also urged journalists to spotlight investment opportunities in aquaculture, marine tourism, marine transport and other ocean-based industries.
"Effective reporting showcases opportunities in fisheries, aquaculture, marine tourism, marine transport and ocean-based industries. Positive and accurate coverage can attract local and international investors interested in Liberia's maritime sector."
Presenting the major achievements of NaFFA's landmark fisheries investment engagement, Deputy Director General for Administration Madia H. Peters Magbollah described the Open Media House as the beginning of a new relationship between NaFFA, the media and the Liberian people.
"Today, we are launching a proactive collaboration with the media in an engagement that will give the public an insight of what we do here at NaFFA," she said.
"It is intended not just to connect you with NaFFA as a leadership or an authority, but also to bridge the communication gap between the public and NaFFA and our stakeholders within the fisheries sector throughout Liberia."
Magbollah said the fisheries sector remains one of Liberia's most strategic natural resources despite receiving far less attention than industries such as mining.
"The fisheries sector is one of Liberia's most strategic natural resources. I think this is something that a lot of us do not know, and that's why we want to introduce it."
"It is vital to food security, to employment, to export, foreign exchange and economic diversification."
She observed that many Liberians remain unaware of the enormous economic opportunities available within the fisheries industry.
"In Liberia, we know a lot about mining and other sectors, but we do not know the potential that the fisheries sector has."
According to her, NaFFA's new communication strategy seeks to change that narrative by providing regular updates on reforms, achievements and investment opportunities.
"This Open Media House is intended to bridge the gap and ensure that we have a new communication platform that provides regular updates on the fisheries sector in an effort to strengthen transparency and accountability and promote informed public dialogue."
Magbollah said the National Fisheries Investment Conference, popularly known as Kpomgema, marked a watershed moment in Liberia's fisheries development.
She explained that the conference's primary objective was to showcase Liberia's economic potential and attract both domestic and international investment into the fisheries sector.
"It was not just a successful conference. The objective of the conference was to showcase Liberia's new economic potential and access resources to promote investment into the sector."
According to her, the conference fundamentally changed perceptions of Liberia's fisheries industry.
"It marked a defining moment in Liberia's fisheries green economy journey. It repositioned Liberia from a fisheries licensing destination to an attractive investment destination."
The conference attracted delegates from 22 countries, including international investors, academics, development partners and financial institutions.
Among its major outcomes was the adoption of a comprehensive 10-Year National Fisheries Development Plan, focusing on institutional strengthening, fisheries value chain development and increased investment in fish processing and value addition.
"We're moving from just regular fishery activities such as catching fish, dry fish and selling. We're moving more towards value addition in investment."
NaFFA also adopted a Blue Economy Investment Roadmap, which establishes policy guidance for public-private partnerships and strategic investments across Liberia's aquatic resources.
"That roadmap prioritizes strategic investments, strengthens public-private partnerships and provides the policy guidelines for public and private partnership."
Magbollah said the conference elevated Liberia's profile internationally, leading to stronger diplomatic engagement and expanded partnerships.
"The conference also helped us a lot with strong international recognition. Recognition that makes us emerge as a blue economy destination that provided the platform for stronger diplomatic engagements that also expanded our international cooperation."
She disclosed that two partnership agreements were signed during the conference, including one with Orange Liberia through Orange Money.
Meanwhile, NaFFA Director for Fisheries Research and Statistics Austin Saye Wehye presented an overview of the sector, revealing encouraging signs of growth in domestic fish production.
According to him, Liberia produced 40,772 metric tons of fish in 2025 with an estimated production value of approximately US$34.5 million.
He said artisanal fisheries accounted for 69.2 percent of total production, followed by tuna fisheries at 17.5 percent, industrial fisheries at 13 percent, while inland fisheries contributed less than one percent.
Wehye reported that annual per capita fish consumption increased from 8.47 kilograms to 10.4 kilograms, indicating improved access to locally produced fish.
"Last year, it was around 8.47. It has increased this year. That means there's progress."
Despite the improvement, he noted that Liberia still faces an annual fish production deficit of nearly 20,000 metric tons, a gap that could be filled through expanded aquaculture.
"The deficit that we have, that we think can be offset by aquaculture production, is around 20,000 metric tons."
He further disclosed that, according to the 2025 Central Bank of Liberia report, the fisheries sector contributed 28.1 percent to Liberia's agricultural Gross Domestic Product.
Wehye also pointed to declining fish imports as another positive indicator.
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"Our annual imports average around 25,000 metric tons, but for 2024 there was a reduction. We had around 17,200 metric tons. That shows that we have made progress in production because what we're trying to do is to reduce imports and increase production."
Earlier, NaFFA Director of Communications and Media Services Lewis Konoe said the Open Media House reflects the Authority's commitment to openness, accountability and stronger collaboration with the media.
"The Open Media House's purpose is intended to promote transparency, accountability and public awareness in Liberia's fisheries sector. It's intended to have the media transmit what we're doing," Konoe said.
He explained that the initiative was created to bridge the long-standing information gap between the Authority and the public while strengthening media participation in the country's fisheries development agenda.
"The initiative's focus is on bridging the information gap between NaFFA and the public and targeting media engagement in strategic sector development," he noted.
Konoe said NaFFA expects the partnership to improve public understanding of fisheries issues while enhancing the quality and accuracy of media reports on the sector.
"We expect measurable successes through public understanding of Liberia's fisheries sector, hence qualitative accuracy of fisheries-related reporting from a collaboration between NaFFA and the media. Both NaFFA and the media are going to work together strongly to ensure that the public gets to know what's happening in NaFFA."
He encouraged journalists to rely on the Authority as the primary source of information on fisheries-related matters.
"Any question the media will ever have concerning fisheries in Liberia, you will contact NaFFA for professional answers. You don't need to contact non-fisheries persons, but contact those that are running the sector."
Konoe added that the Open Media House will also give journalists greater exposure to fishing communities, international partners and technical experts.
"We will take you to the stakeholders, those in the fishery community. You get to know our international partners. You interact with them. That's what the Open Media House is all about."
