Title: The potential of aquaculture in Liberia

Aquaculture was first introduced in Liberia in the 1950s. Although conditions for aquaculture are good in Liberia, there has been no significant growth in the field since then. The study developed methods for assessing the aquaculture potential in different parts of Liberia. Firstly, criteria were developed for assessing different factors that are relevant for developing aquaculture. The criteria developed were water, soil, topography, market and agricultural by-products. Secondly, the criteria were used to assess the potential for aquaculture in different counties. One limitation to a study such as this is the lack of information, both statistical and factual, about factors relevant for aquaculture. Therefore, the criteria could only be tested on a limited dataset. Some of the gaps were bridged by the author’s knowledge of the country. The results from this study showed that there are potential for aquaculture based on the following: water is in abundance and can be available year round; latosols, which make up 75% of the soil has a compact texture with a water retentive capacity; population density in most of the counties is favourable for the marketing of aquaculture products; the topography of the country consists of flat land mainly and plateaus that are convenient for pond construction; and the total of 2337 household livestock farmers indicates that livestock wastes are available throughout the country for pond fertilization.