Workshop Organized by

COMHAFAT

Held at the Hotel Le Meridien N’fis de Marrakech

Marrakech, Morrocco

October 27 - 28, 2015

Liberia’s Perspective

Presented by:

Glasgow B. Togba

Director, Division of Marine Fisheries

Bureau of National Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture

Republic of Liberia

Introduction

MCS in Liberia – General

Overview

Bi-lateral/Multi-lateral and Inter-

agency cooperation

IUU offences, penalties and fines

Challenges

Recommendations

Monitoring

◦ the continuous requirement for the measurement of fishing effort characteristics and resource yields

Control

◦ the regulatory mechanisms under which the exploitation of the resources may be conducted

Surveillance

◦ the degree and types of observations required to maintain compliance with the regulatory controls imposed on fishing activities

Monitoring – Effective Data Collection

Observer programme

Vessel monitoring system

Logbook system

Port monitoring

Transhipment monitoring

FISHERIES REGULATION PROVIDES 100% OBSERVERS COVERAGE FOR LICENSED FISHING VESSELS IN LIBERIA

Setup with support

from NOAA

Provision of requisite

equipment to support

observers’ work

Periodic training(s)

supported by NOAA to

close gaps

SCIENTIFIC

OBSERVERS

PROGRAM

VMS UNIT-FARIA

WATCHDOG

VMS: Vessel Monitoring

System is a satellite

based system used in

commercial fishing to

allow environmental and

fisheries regulatory

organizations to monitor,

minimally, the position,

time at a position, and

course and speed of

fishing vessels

VMS SNAPSHOT

FISHERIES MONITORING

CENTER (FMC) EQUIPMENTS

VHF: To receive positions and catch

reports from vessel operators; and to communicate with Inspectors and Observers onshore and on sea respectively

HF: Used to communicate with control

mobiles; and Communicate with landing site inspectors, boarded observers, etc.

AIS: The Automatic Identification

System (AIS) is an automated tracking

system used on ships and by Vessel Traffic

Services (VTS) for identifying and

locating vessels by electronically

exchanging data with other nearby ships

and VTS stations

Transhipment at Sea

Transhipment between Yan Yu 632 and Hai Feng 827, Sierra Leone © EJF

Control

Fisheries Regulations, Policy and Act ◦ Authorisation to fish

◦ Input and output control Management Measures

Provide chances for Compliance

Enforceable

Regulatory, Policy and Legal Frameworks

National Frameworks

International Frameworks

Natural Resource Law of 1956 (Revised 1973)

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

Fisheries Regulations of 2010

United Nations Fish Stock Agreement

National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy (2014)

FAO Compliance Agreement

Fisheries Act (Pending Legislative Approval) Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA)

International Plan of Action (IPOA) on IUU

Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF)

International Plan of Actions - Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IPOA-IUU)

FISHERIES REGULATIONS FISHERIES POLICY

Surveillance Enforcement (Land, Sea, and air)

Boarding and Inspection

Patrols (Land, Sea and Air)

Effective sanctions

Positive enforcement

◦ Incentives

◦ Fines

◦Negotiations

27ft

2 engines

225hp

25gal/hr X 6 = 150 gal. Daily

20NM coverage

33ft

3 engines

250hp

93gal/hr X 6 = 558 gal. Daily

20NM coverage

LCG Personnel with Two (2) Defender Class Vessels

COASTAL SURVEILLANCE

Collaboration with UNMIL for

periodic Joint Maritime Air

Patrol

Future plan to lease UNMIL aircraft for surveillance of EEZ for determination of number of illegal fishing vessels

AERIAL

SURVEILLANCE

Establishment of Monitoring Control and

Surveillance Coordination Committee (MCSCC)

Partnership with National Oceanic Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA)

Collaboration with United Nations Mission in

Liberia (UNMIL)

Collaboration with Liberian Coast Guard (LCG)

Collaboration with European Union (EU),

International Non-Governmental Organizations

(INGOs) and Local NGOs

CASES SETTLED

National Challenges

◦ Lack of Inter-Agency cooperation

◦ Lack of prompt response to request

from fisheries authorities

◦ Lack of prompt reaction contact

persons

◦ Lack of logistics

◦ Need for capacity building

◦ Lack of authentication/verification

of documents

◦ Language barrier

Regional Challenges

◦ Lack of collaboration and

cooperation between

countries

◦ Non compliance to

international conventions,

binding and non-binding

instruments

◦ Lack of cooperation from

country of flag of registry

◦ Language barrier

Enhance inter-agency cooperation

Enhance information sharing/networking

Provision of specimen of fisheries documents

Conformity to international conventions and instruments

Strategize on prompt reaction contact persons

Provision/availability of Fisheries Observers

Compelled translation of documents

THANK YOU

MCS Important Element of Sustainable Fisheries