Call for proposals: Fisheries story grants, Liberia

The Fisheries Transparency Project, funded by Oceans 5 and implemented by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) in Liberia, is inviting proposals for Fisheries Story Grants to aid the production of evidence-based, ethical, and impactful stories on fisheries transparency in Liberia. The project seeks comprehensive stories that promote accountability and sustainable fisheries governance, with a focus on illegal fishing, labour abuses of crew members at sea, sustainable fisheries, and the protection of the Inshore Exclusion Zone (IEZ) for small-scale fishers. The Fisheries Transparency Project also aims to advance advocacy for the reform of Liberia’s fisheries laws and the ratification of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention No. 188, contributing to the long-term sustainability and governance of Liberia’s fisheries resources.

Themes

The Fisheries Transparency Project welcomes all story ideas that relate to the following topics:

• The role of transparency in fisheries management and governance

• Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices in Liberian waters and their effects on coastal communities and food security

• The importance of protecting the IEZ for the small-scale fisheries sector and current threats to the future of the sector

• The recruitment promises made by foreign industrial companies to Liberians working on board fishing vessels and the pay reality when they are taken at sea

• Protecting the Human Rights of Liberians working on a Foreign-Flagged Vessels who never touch their home port

• The use of vessel monitoring systems in combating fisheries crimes

• Importance of community-led management initiatives to secure sustainable fisheries for Liberia’s coastal counties

• Challenges to traditional rights of access to fishing grounds and landing sites, conflicts at sea, and competition for resources

See below examples of stories we have supported in Liberia and Tanzania:

• Liberia to start industrial shrimp fishing, worrying artisanal fishers

• Artisanal fishers in Liberia question benefits of new tracking devices from government

• Can an app help Liberian artisanal fishers fight illegal fishing?

• Study Exposes Illegal Fishing by Chinese Vessels in Tanzanian Waters

Awards

The project is offering grants of up to US$500, depending on the proposal and method of coverage. Applicants should submit their story outline (not more than one A4 page) along with a work plan, proposed detailed budget (not exceeding US$500) and justification for the amount (detail of likely cost to be incurred during the assignment), institutions/ outlets/websites where their stories will be published upon EJF review and approval.

The project expects that proposals will broadly reflect the equipment the applicant already has access to (including recorders, cameras, microphones, and tripods, among others) and will not consider budgets that will seek to purchase new equipment or gadgets.

At least four grants are expected to be offered, depending on the number and quality of applications received.

Conditions

Stories can be completed in either English or colloquial, or both. Applicants who intend to write or produce stories in colloquial will be required to provide an English translation of the story.

The format of the stories could be the following:

• News or feature article

• Video documentary

• Audio/radio documentary

• Blog

Journalist(s) will be expected to submit a draft of their full story for review by November 30, 2026. A period of close collaboration between the journalist(s) and the project will follow. The project team will provide feedback on the draft from a technical (fisheries) perspective. Please note that EJF will review to ensure technical accuracy of the information included in the story about EJF Liberia, the Fisheries Transparency Project, and Liberia’s fisheries sector. We will not provide writing or editorial assistance or publish stories in media outlets. The journalist(s) will be expected to incorporate all feedback to the extent practicable in producing the final story and is solely responsible for publication. The link to the published story will be required during the final payment of the grant.

Applicants

• Journalists (online, print, television, radio) and other media practitioners in the nine coastal counties of Liberia are welcome to apply.

• Freelancers are also encouraged to submit applications, but please indicate where you expect to publish or broadcast your story.

• Winners of the grants are free to publish or broadcast their stories in other media.

How to apply

Applicants should submit a short story outline (not more than one A4 page), a link to a recent publication, and a proposed budget to the following email address: media@ejfoundation.org.

The application deadline is September 9, 2026. Successful applicants will be notified by September 16, 2026.