Artisanal fishers in Liberia question benefits of new tracking devices from government

MONROVIA — In Liberia, a country where small-scale fishers number in the tens of thousands, fishers go missing at sea every year. Some, like a crew of four rescued 54 nautical miles (100 kilometers) off the coast in 2020, are fortunate. The Liberia Artisanal Fishermen Association (LAFA), an advocacy group, has, over the years, petitioned the government to improve the safety of these fishers, most of whom use traditional dugout canoes.

Some of the boats have outboard motors. But until recently, almost none had a way to broadcast their location. Earlier this year, the campaign received a boost when the Liberian government procured 400 automatic identification system (AIS) transponders from South Africa.

The solar-powered devices were distributed to artisanal fishermen in the counties of Grand Cape Mount, Grand Bassa, Margibi and Montserrado. AIS devices transmit a vessel’s position and its speed via radio signals. These can be picked up by other vessels and also by receivers located on land. The system was developed to aid navigation at sea.

But in recent years, AIS has also been used to map fishing effort and activity. It’s deployed mostly by larger vessels (longer than 24 meters, or 79 feet), and less so by smaller boats used by artisanal fishers. While officials and some fishermen consider the initiative in Liberia a step in the right direction, many of the fishers whom Mongabay spoke to in Grand Cape Mount and Margibi said they’re hesitant to install the devices.

Their primary complaint is that the AIS...This article was originally published on Mongabay