Liberia targets private sector investment at national fishery conference

LIBERIA – Liberia is seeking to attract new private investment into its fisheries and aquaculture sector through an upcoming national fishery conference in Monrovia, as the government pushes to reduce fish imports, modernise infrastructure and expand value-added processing in a market it says remains largely untapped.

 The conference, organised by the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, is scheduled to take place in Monrovia in March 2026 and will bring together government officials, international partners, commercial fishing companies, aquaculture investors and local fishing cooperatives.

NaFAA Director General Emma Metieh Glassco said the event is designed to directly engage private-sector actors through formal presentations, investment prospectuses, and business-to-business meetings. 

Liberia has one of the richest marine resources in West Africa, but we are still importing a significant portion of the fish we consume,” Glassco said in a statement announcing the conference. “We are delivering this message clearly to investors: the opportunities are here, the regulatory framework is improving, and the government is ready to partner.”

Liberia imports an estimated 60 to 70 per cent of its fish consumption, according to sector data from NaFAA and the Ministry of Agriculture, despite having a coastline stretching more than 560 kilometres along the Atlantic Ocean. 

Annual fish demand is estimated at over 180,000 metric tons, while domestic production remains far below that level. The shortfall has led to a significant import bill, largely covered by frozen fish imports from Europe and Asia.

Reducing imports, expanding aquaculture

Officials say the conference is being held to reverse this trend by promoting industrial fishing, aquaculture parks and cold-chain investments. 

Deputy Agriculture Minister for Planning and Development, Sam Kofi Woods, said the government sees aquaculture as a priority growth area, and they are structuring bankable projects and presenting them to credible investors. 

The government has already taken steps to prepare the sector for private participation. In recent years, Liberia has strengthened fisheries monitoring systems, signed fisheries cooperation agreements with the European Union, and introduced new licensing regimes to reduce illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, demonstrating a commitment to responsible investment.

In addition, NaFAA officials confirmed existing partnerships with private industrial fishing operators under licensing agreements and that previous fisheries dialogues have resulted in limited but notable investments in cold storage facilities and artisanal landing sites. However, the scale has remained small compared to national demand.

Investment targets and market potential

At the upcoming conference, the government plans to market specific projects, including commercial tilapia farms, shrimp aquaculture ventures, fish feed production facilities and modern fish processing plants for export. 

Officials say feasibility studies have already been conducted on several inland aquaculture clusters. “Investors want predictability,” Glassco noted. “We are presenting data, stock assessments and clear concession frameworks.”

Beyond formal presentations, the conference will include technical panels, site visits and matchmaking sessions between local entrepreneurs and international firms. 

If investments materialise, Liberia plans to channel them into expanding hatcheries, improving feed supply chains, upgrading port facilities, and boosting exports to regional ECOWAS markets. 

Authorities say success will depend on regulatory transparency and infrastructure development, but they remain optimistic that the conference will mark a turning point in repositioning Liberia’s fisheries industry as a competitive private-sector-led growth area.

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