Liberia: Metieh Glassco – the Director General of Liberia’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) to uphold the 2012 Cape Town consensus

By Abdul Rahman Bangura–

NEW AFRICA DAILY NEWS (NADN) Freetown, Sierra Leone- Liberia’s Director General of National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), Emma Metieh Glassco has upbraided all administrations consistent with global best practices and for the safety of fishing, crew to uphold the 2012 Cape Town Agreement.

Hon. Glassco let out accepted action is required to drastically enable in mitigating casualties at sea, stressing that fishing is one of the most hazardous jobs in the world.

“According to ILO, the number of fishermen casualty at Sea per annum is more than 24,000”, the fisheries governance expert averred.

Pronouncing February 24th, 2021, during the International Maritime Organization (IMO)- United Nations Webinar on the Ratification and Implementation of the 2012 Cape Town Agreement, Hon. Glassco yelled on the world governments to approve procedures consistent with the 2012 Cape Town Agreement on the design and construction of new vessels.

The NaFAA Boss who pledged Liberian government’s support towards the ratification of the Cape Town Agreement, urged World governments to prioritize routine safety training for seafarers at least once a year. The NaFAA Boss cautioned flag states, coastal states and port states to see the need to adopt what she referred to as stronger policies such as high fines and sanctions in domestic laws and policies that would deter potential violators.

The 2012 Cape Town Agreement (CTA), which has been approved by the IMO, rebuilds the Torremolinos Protocol of 1993 on the safety of fishing vessels. This conference reflects the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), an internationally compelling agreement on safety for merchant vessels, of which Liberia is a contracting party that permeated into force since 1980.

The CTA when arrived into force by the ratification or acquisition of 22 states and 3,600 eligible fishing vessels, will set the minimum regulations on the design, construction, equipment, and inspection of fishing vessels 24meters and above that operate on the high sea. Until the CTA enters into force, there are no required global safety laws or criteria for the safety of fishing vessels at sea.

Most recently, in 2019, Liberia, through NaFAA under the forward-looking leadership of DG Glassco, approved of and upheld the Port State Measure Agreement (PSMA) – FAO’s United Nations fisheries instrument to guarantee lawfulness and safety of fishing operations. She has also been eligible to bolster NaFAA’s legal administration with the foyer of a recent Fisheries and Aquaculture Management and Development Law and agreed to numerous other international protocols in this honor.

Pondering Liberia as a prominent maritime country with the second largest open registry, it is expected of her to take the forefront in these symposia building on the developments made. Nonetheless, Liberia is now reexamining the likelihoods of upholding the CTA.

For New Africa Daily News Abdul Rahman Bangura Reports,  Africa Correspondent

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