The Foreign Service Journal, September 2016

102 SEPTEMBER 2016 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL LOCAL LENS BY ANDREW PARKS n LIBERIA Please submit your favorite, recent photograph to be considered for Local Lens. Images must be high resolution (at least 300 dpi at 8” x 10”, or 1 MB or larger) and must not be in print elsewhere. Please include a short description of the scene/event, as well as your name, brief biodata and the type of camera used, to locallens@afsa.org. O ff the coast of Liberia, small-scale fishermen return from a laborious day of fishing. Each vessel displays flags representing the diverse nationalities of the boat owner and the workers on board. The fish trade generates livelihoods for millions of people in Liberia and West Africa generally, and represents a critical source of nutrition. Until recently, the fish population had been deci- mated by large-scale industrial trawling. However, thanks to a partnership among the Liberian Ministry of Fisheries, the World Bank and the West Africa Regional Fisheries Program, conservation zones where trawlers are not allowed to fish have been established and dedicated to local fishing communities. These efforts have enabled small-scale fishermen to reclaim their livelihoods and improve the quality of life for their families and communities. n Andrew Parks is a Foreign Service officer posted in Monrovia. As an engineering officer with USAID, he works on economic growth, health and education programs as they pertain to the development of infrastructure—including power production; farm-to-market roads; health clinics; community water distribution and treatment systems; and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programs for rural schools.