Marshall, Margibi County – June 10, 2025 –Twenty fishermen from across Liberia’s nine coastal counties have been certified in Sea Safety and Outboard Engine Maintenance following a 10-day intensive training held at the Liberia Maritime Training Institute (LMTI) in Marshall, Margibi County.
The program, which ran from June 2 to 10, was organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), LMTI, and CFAO Mobility—the official importer and distributor of Yamaha products in Liberia.
The training, part of the FAO-led initiative “Strengthening Capacities in the Fisheries and Rice Cultivation Sectors for Food Security and Nutrition Improvement,” is funded by the Government of Japan and aims to promote sustainable fisheries and enhance food security in
certified fishermen, now designated as trainers, will return to their respective communities to transfer the knowledge gained in elementary first aid, sea safety, fire prevention, and firefighting, and Yamaha outboard motor operation and maintenance. At the closing ceremony, Mr. Musa Sanoe, Officer-in-Charge at FAO Liberia, hailed the program as a “significant and rewarding moment” for Liberia’s marine fishing communities.
He highlighted the importance of training in reducing sea accidents, especially among small-scale fishers using traditional dugout canoes.“
For years, Liberia’s small-scale fisheries have lacked access to proper safety and navigation tools, leading to tragic incidents,” Mr. Sanoe said.
“This training marks a critical shift toward ensuring safety and building resilience within the sector.”
Mr. Sanoe also announced that FAO will soon distribute 100 Yamaha 15-horsepower outboard engines and essential sea safety equipment—including GPS devices, horns, buoys, navigation lights, and life jackets—to enhance operational efficiency and safety for local fishers.
In addition to capacity building, FAO is also advancing efforts to tackle Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Mr. Sanoe revealed that a draft interagency Memorandum of Understanding to address IUU practices is currently under review by the Ministry of Justice.
NaFAA’s Deputy Director General for Technical Services, William Y. Boeh, applauded the collaborative effort and urged participants to share their knowledge widely.“
We challenge you to return to your communities, maintain the engines, and provide training to others,” Mr. Boeh said. “Ensure that these tools benefit your cooperatives and families.”
Also speaking, CFAO Mobility Managing Director Mr. Navin Chander underscored the critical role of training in equipment sustainability.
He pledged his company’s continued technical support to the fishing communities.“
Your life at sea depends on how well your engine functions,” Chander noted.
“We’re committed to helping maintain these engines and plan to deploy technical teams twice a year to fishing communities.”Mr. Sanoe concluded by expressing gratitude to the Government and people of Japan, and LMTI, CFAO Mobility, and NaFAA for their commitment to the development of Liberia’s fisheries sector.
“Together, we are laying the foundation for a safer, more sustainable future for Liberia’s fisheries,” he affirmed.”
When you go out in the sea, your life depends on how good your engine is, so I can assure you that my team will be more than happy to assist you and support you in maintaining these engines.
While we are working on sending a technical team in fishing Communities twice a year to assist you,” He encouraged participants and the graduation ceremony.
(This statement was made by Cfao_Mobility country manager- Navine ChanderHe ended by encouraging them to implement what they learned and let the community know the importance of maintaining the engines.
