Under the United Nations Fish Stock Agreement, any license granted now should be in line with the signed regulation. Granting licenses to the Chinese vessels put Liberia at risk with several international organizations. Fishing without a license comes with a fine of up to US$1,000 under Liberian Fisheries Regulations although illegal fishing has been going on for quite some time due to the lack of monitoring and policing. Liberia has secured funding to conduct a comprehensive stock assessment that may allow the country to license additional trawlers or even reducing the current licensed vessels. As the saga lingers, it appears the ongoing EU restrictions and the proximity to Liberia compared to faraway China is said to be complicating matters for the Chinese.

Source: Front Page Africa August 05, 2020 08:26 UTC