Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo
President Buhari has approved the purchase of patrol vessels for the Federal department of fisheries to curb illegal fishing activities on the country’s waterways.
The vessels to be managed in collaboration with the Nigerian Navy, would also boost the search and rescue capacities of the relevant security agencies, deter illegal fishing, prevent illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and help secure vessel at sea.
Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo disclosed this during the10th ministerial conference of the Fisheries Committee West Central of Guinea (FCWC), noting that safety of the Nigerian maritime water is of great concern. He further revealed that following the terrorist activities in the North east of Nigeria, where Boko Haram has devastated the fishing industry that has historically supplied much of West Africa, president Buhari had approved the Lake Chad Naval Base to boost security and fast track the restoration of deprived livelihoods in that zone.
Osibajo noted that efforts in reducing fish import by encouraging the private sector to invest in aquaculture is yielding positive results, as the domestic fisheries production in the last two years has increased from 450,000mt to 1.1miillion.
In his opening remarks, Chairman of the conference, James Kollie identified the need for participants to explore opportunities that will ensure priced fishery resources in the region enhances it’s economic growth in a sustainable manner.According to him, the potential of fishery goes beyond resources found in the maritime environment but is a reliable employer of labour.
