World Aquaculture December 2018

WWW.WA S.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • DECEMBER 2018 51 conceptualized prior to the United States Civil War by the American Society for Colonizing the Free People of Color of the United States, which arranged for the first wave of freed slaves to colonize in 1820. In 1847, Liberia became an independent nation with Monrovia, named after U.S. President James Monroe, as its capital. Although English is the official language, multiple languages are spoken by the groups of people that populated the area prior to colonization. Isolation and subjugation of native peoples by freed slaves proved to be a chronic problem that culminated in two brutal civil wars that ended after nearly two decades of conflict in 2003. More recently, the most severe Ebola outbreak ever recorded killed one out every 1,000 Liberians in 2014-2015. From conception through the present, Liberia and the United States have remained closely linked. Contemporary Liberia and Food Security One particularly poignant tragedy of Liberia’s lengthy civil wars is an entire generation of young adults poorly prepared to realize the dignity of life that all humans desire and deserve. Half the population is under 18 years of age and has limited or no memories of the horrors spawned by war (UNICEF 2013, USAID 2016). Nearly two-thirds of rural youth are illiterate (GOL 2012, USAID 2016), 48 percent live in extreme poverty, and 32 percent are physically stunted due to malnutrition (USAID 2016). The situation for adults is equally dismal; 87 percent are categorized as “vulnerably unemployed” (USAID 2016). To provide opportunities for youth and adults, expansion of traditional and innovative agriculture holds promise and is being encouraged, particularly in upcountry Liberia (e.g., Grow Liberia ). S ince 2012, Salem State University (SSU) and the United Methodist University of Liberia (UMU) have pursued aquaculture as part of a larger, broader collaboration to help nurture a sustainable peace in Liberia. The ongoing initiative recognizes that requisites to a sustainable peace include access to education, health care, jobs and food, particularly in rural (upcountry) Liberia. Liberians have a tradition of fishing, eating fish and aquaculture, providing a receptive audience and opportunity to expand production and impact (Fig. 1). Aquaculture training can be pursued without having to create interest or a market. The UMU network of campuses and the United Methodist Missions where Liberians seek education, assistance and health care provide an established and trusted conduit to people. Reservoirs of expertise in government agencies, most notably the Bureau of National Fisheries (BNF), can be accessed and allied. The requisites to expand aquaculture in upcountry Liberia exist. Reciprocal visits, student/faculty exchanges and training activities were initiated to identify an approach to restore and expand aquaculture capacity in upcountry Liberia to provide critically needed animal protein, create jobs, generate income and reduce the unsustainable human migration to the capital and largest city, Monrovia. The United States Peace Corps and a cooperative extension approach of gathering cultural and physical information, meeting and dialoguing with people, establishing trust and networks, constructing and managing ponds and training people to do aquaculture has been employed. A Brief History of Liberia Liberia is an equatorial country of approximately 4.3 million people located on the west coast of Africa (Fig. 2). The country was Ponds for Peace: A Collaborative Aquaculture Project in Liberia Joseph K. Buttner, Alan Shwedel, Gregory Carroll, George Weagba, Roger Domah, Priscilla Jaiah, Zizi Kpadeh, George Weefa, Jerry Kulah and Moses Yama ( C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 5 2 ) FIGURE 1. Liberians use traditional methods to harvest fish from partially drained wetlands during the dry season. Photo: Nadine Budrow. FIGURE 2. Liberia is located on the west coast of Africa, approximately 4-9 °N latitude Source: www.geographicguide.com/africa-maps/liberia.htm.