12/10/2024
PRESS RELEASE!
New report reveals pathways to sustainable livelihoods for Liberia's coastal communities
10 December 2024,
Monrovia-- A new report by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) under the European Unionfunded Communities for Fisheries project highlights opportunities to secure sustainable
livelihoods for coastal communities in Liberia. This initiative aims to alleviate pressure on
overexploited fish populations while empowering fishers and fish workers to build resilient
futures.
The report sheds light on the challenges faced by Liberia’s fisheries sector, which contributes
10% of the country’s GDP and employs more than 51,000 people. It also offers actionable
insights into how alternative livelihoods can alleviate poverty and ensure long-term economic
and environmental sustainability.
Surveyed fishers expressed deep cultural and economic ties to fishing, with many identifying
the profession as a source of pride and identity. Nevertheless, 83% of respondents indicated
a willingness to explore alternative livelihoods if these options could provide similar or greater
financial returns. The most promising alternatives included selling fishing equipment, offering
transportation services, and engaging in retail activities. Women fish workers, who represent
60% of Liberia’s fisheries workforce, favoured ventures such as petty trading, tailoring, and
farming.
The report emphasises that, while alternative livelihoods present significant potential, fishers
and fish workers face several barriers to new work. Limited access to capital, insufficient
vocational training, and poor infrastructure—such as inadequate roads and electricity—hamper their ability to diversify income streams. Furthermore, a lack of formal financial
services in rural areas adds to these challenges.
Despite the various challenges facing fishers within the industry and in their efforts to find
alternative work, the development of community-led initiatives such as Village Savings and
Loans Associations (VSLAs), consisting predominantly of women, have helped many in
coastal communities to improve their financial security.
The experiences of Mary, a Liberian fishmonger and participant in the European Union-funded
Communities for Fisheries project, demonstrate the success of the VSLAs. After her family’s
canoe was destroyed, she used her savings to recover from the accident, purchasing a new
canoe and sustaining her family of twelve. Mary’s story reflects the resilience and potential of
community-driven financial solutions.
The report also underscores the importance of integrating livelihood programmes into fisheries
management policies. Collaborative Management Associations (CMAs), another initiative of
the European Union-funded Communities for Fisheries project, have already enhanced local
governance, giving communities a voice in managing their fisheries. In Grand Cape Mount
County, the CMA helped resolve inter-community conflicts and doubled the number of women
in leadership roles, reinforcing the link between financial independence and greater decisionmaking power for women.
EJF calls for urgent action to scale up these successes, recommending improved
infrastructure, expanded vocational training, and enhanced access to credit through initiatives
like VSLAs. With sustained support from the Liberian government and international partners,
the findings of this report could pave the way for a sustainable and prosperous future for
Liberia’s coastal communities.
Cephas Asare, West Africa Regional Manager at EJF, said: “This report demonstrates the
pressing need for targeted support to empower Liberia’s coastal communities. EJF’s European
Union-funded Communities for Fisheries project has provided practical solutions to reduce
dependency on marine resources while offering fishers and fish workers a pathway to financial
security. These efforts are essential to protect Liberia’s fish populations and the communities
that depend on them.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
EJF works internationally to inform policy and drive systemic, durable reforms to protect our
environment and defend human rights. We investigate and expose abuses and support
environmental defenders, Indigenous peoples, communities, and independent journalists on
the frontlines of environmental injustice. Our campaigns aim to secure peaceful, equitable,
and sustainable futures.
Our investigators, researchers, filmmakers, and campaigners work with grassroots partners
and environmental defenders across the globe. Our work to secure environmental justice aims
to protect our global climate, ocean, forests, wetlands, wildlife and defend the fundamental human right to a secure natural environment, recognising that all other rights are contingent on this.
For more information, please email [email protected].
This project is funded by the European Union.
