There is no gain in saying that the aquatic lives in Nigerian waterways are under threat and may face extinction if the fishing sector is not addressed, and regulated and more attention is given to the fight against illegal fishing.

Findings by the PUNCH have shown that about two decades ago, Nigeria as a country had about 250 vessels for fishing on the nation’s waterways, but is very sad to note that illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing has reduced these vessels to 150 currently.

At different gatherings, stakeholders in the fishing, maritime and agricultural sectors have often said that the negative effect of illegal, unreported, unregulated fishing activities may affect the emerging blue economy of Nigeria, even as they proffer actionable solutions for the Federal Government.

In a recent telephone conversation, the President of the Nigerian Trawler Owners Association, Mrs Ben Okonkwo, said that not only that the country was losing about $100m annually to the challenges in the fishing sector, but illegal and unregulated fishing poses a direct threat to food security and socioeconomic stability in Nigeria and other parts of the world.

She said that developing countries that depended on fisheries for food security and export suffered from the depletion of marine resources.

Okonkwo added that the challenge had also reduced the chances of providing adequate measures for the sustenance of the ecosystem and the biodiversity of the marine environment.

“First and foremost, years back, about two decades ago, we had about 250 trawler vessels operating but today, we now have about 150 vessels. This is the first sign to tell you that there is a decline in that operation. I cannot say what they are losing but we can look at records of $80m to $100m loss per year.”

The NTOA president also said the high cost of automotive gas oil was affecting the sector urging the government to address that area.

She said that AGO took 75 per cent of their operational cost.

“The major problem we have is AGO. The prices have gone up and no one is doing anything about it. We have several Nigerian regulators looking at that thereby frustrating us. Our operation is 75per cent based on AGO.”

Another major challenge the sector is facing, according to Okonkwo, is the inability of the practitioners to have their operational terminals.

However the Chairman of Zoe Maritime Resources Limited, Mrs Oritsematosan Edodo-Emore, in a chat recently in Lagos, said that Nigeria’s vast coastline and her exclusive economic zone had immeasurable fish resources which ordinarily should transform her economy if properly harnessed.

She believed that due to these numerous unaddressed challenges in the sector, the local demand for fish far outweighed the supply, adding that there was a constant demand for fish and fish products which should keep the local fishing industry buoyant.

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Source: Punch Newspapers 

https://punchng.com/nigerias-multi-billion-naira-fishing-industry-struggling-to-stay-afloat/