INDIGENOUS ship-owners and trawler operators have lampooned the Association of Marine Engineers and Surveyors (AMES), labelling the associations’ recent statements on cash-carrying vessels as an incitement of criminality on the nation’s waterways.
It will be recalled that the AMES President, Mr Charles Uwadia had stated that piracy and sea robbery attacks on fishing trawlers would persist unless crew of these vessels stop carrying cash onboard. Mr Uwadia added that because trawlers always sell their catch out at sea, pirates and sea robbers will always attack because they know the vessels must have money onboard.
However, speaking to Nigerian Tribune exclusively, a former President of the Nigerian Trawler Owners Association (NITOA) and Managing Director/Ceo, Morbod Fisheries Ltd, Barrister Margret Orakwusi stated that trawler owners don’t sanction the sale of their catch out at sea, and don’t have cash onboard vessels.
According to Orakwusi, who also doubles as chairman of Shipowners Forum, “How can the owner of an investment running into millions of Naira send people out to sea and equip them with money, money for what? I have always made this argument to people that, whenever they see our crew members selling their catch, they should be arrested because those catch are stolen products.
“How many times will an owner of a trawler vessel be a victim of crew members selling their catch out at sea? That in itself is very wrong and unfortunate.
“And it is very wrong for any group or association to publicly say that crew members of trawler vessels sell their catch out at sea and carry cash onboard. If they (AMES) know that, why not report to the responsible security agencies instead of making public utterances that pirates attacks trawlers because there is always cash onboard. Those comments are inciting criminality on our waterways.
“How can anyone say that trawlers are being attacked because they carry cash onboard? How much cash can trawlers carry onboard that is equivalent to the security of lives and investments at sea? To buy a fishing trawler now, it will cost about N800 million to N1 billion. So, how much will operators gain by selling catch at sea compared to the quantum of investment and life of crew members at stake? So that statement coming from that group was reckless, and I hope they withdraw it in good time.
“Trawlers are most vulnerable to attacks because even when the crew onboard sight pirates coming, to haul up and start moving away takes time. Hauling up takes time for trawler vessels, so that is why pirates easily attack them. Again, pirates use trawlers as bait, and that is another reason attacks on fishing trawlers are on the rise. There are so many issues involved.”
“The utterance of that association is a distraction and an incitement on criminality out there. No trawlers crew carries cash onboard. At least, none of my crew members on my vessels carry cash onboard.
“For those that do it, it is killing fishing trawling businesses. The vessel owners are losing billions through this criminality, and groups like the AMES shouldn’t incite criminality on our waterways by going public with such statements. They should rather report such happenings to the security agencies.”
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