A Cities Alliance initiative in Liberia is improving the livelihoods of women and men, from informal communities, working in the fishing sector.
For the past month, hundreds of fishermen from slums around Monrovia and Paynesville have been returning to shore without having to worry about losing money if their catch goes unsold.
That’s because a climate adaptation project to support fishermen and fishmongers from the coastal urban communities of King Gray Town and West Point is beginning to generate positive economic and environmental impacts.
“The fishermen used to sell the fish so hastily even if the price was not fair. But with the access to the freezer when the fish is brought, we now have somewhere to store it”, said Alphonso Dennis, Chief of King Grey Township, one of the two informal settlements that participate in the initiative.
The project implemented by Cities Alliance with funding from the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) and supported by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, (BMZ), has provided local trade associations representing fishermen and fishmongers with freezers and ice makers powered by solar panels. These tools allow them to store the fish safely. Members of the fishermen’s unions wishing to store their fish in the freezers must contribute money for the equipment’s upkeep.