Maritime Safety Initiative in Liberia
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In 2026, the Foundation for Humanitarian Action at Sea (FHAS), in partnership with the Maritime Search and Rescue Council and the Catholic Agency for OverseasDevelopment (CAFOD), launched a comprehensive maritime safety initiative in Liberia. The program combined high-level discussions with the Liberia Maritime Authority and Monrovia's Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) with hands-on training sessions reaching over 50 participants. Fishermen and coastal community representatives from Montserrado, Margibi, Maryland, and Grand Bassa counties worked alongside public maritime and fisheries authorities to build practical search-and-rescue capabilities using a train-the-trainer model.
The initiative deployed teams across the country, from government offices in Monrovia to remote fishing villages, conducting town hall meetings and field assessments to understand local safety needs. Training covered personal survival techniques, rescue methods, basic life support, and post-rescue care, empowering community members to serve as first responders in emergencies. By connecting community-level knowledge with national SAR structures, the program established a foundation for sustainable, locally-led maritime safety that recognizes coastal communities as essential partners rather than peripheral actors in protecting lives at sea. Now that this initial step is taken, FHAS, together with the Maritime Search and Rescue Council, is preparing to strengthen the Monrovia MRCC capacity and capability.
In 2026, the Foundation for Humanitarian Action at Sea (FHAS), in partnership with the Maritime Search and Rescue Council and the Catholic Agency for OverseasDevelopment (CAFOD), launched a comprehensive maritime safety initiative in Liberia. The program combined high-level discussions with the Liberia Maritime Authority and Monrovia's Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) with hands-on training sessions reaching over 50 participants. Fishermen and coastal community representatives from Montserrado, Margibi, Maryland, and Grand Bassa counties worked alongside public maritime and fisheries authorities to build practical search-and-rescue capabilities using a train-the-trainer model.
The initiative deployed teams across the country, from government offices in Monrovia to remote fishing villages, conducting town hall meetings and field assessments to understand local safety needs. Training covered personal survival techniques, rescue methods, basic life support, and post-rescue care, empowering community members to serve as first responders in emergencies. By connecting community-level knowledge with national SAR structures, the program established a foundation for sustainable, locally-led maritime safety that recognizes coastal communities as essential partners rather than peripheral actors in protecting lives at sea. Now that this initial step is taken, FHAS, together with the Maritime Search and Rescue Council, is preparing to strengthen the Monrovia MRCC capacity and capability.