Reps ask FG to halt $70m illegal fishing by foreign vessels

The House of Representatives, on Wednesday, tasked Federal Government on the need to put necessary measures in place to curb illegal fishing by foreign vessels resulting in the loss of $70 million annually to Chinese and other European Trawlers.

The resolution was passed sequel to the adoption of a motion on the ‘Need to curb fishing by foreign vessels on Nigeria’s territorial waters,’ sponsored by Hon Patrick Ifon.

In his lead debate, Hon Ifon who called for the House intervention observed that fish is one of the healthiest food on the planet as it contains nutrients such as vitamin D that is a great source of Omega–3, Folic Acid which is important for the body and brain development, thereby contributing about 40 per cent of the country’s protein intake.

“The House is aware that Nigeria as a nation with the large coastal area is rich in marine species, yet over half of the fish being consumed are imported from China and Netherland, thus placing Nigeria’s production of fish at 759.828 metric tons annually, according to the Report of the World Fish Centre in 2017.

“The House is also aware that Nigeria is the 4th largest importer of fish in the world with about 2 million metric tons per annum for an estimated population of over 200 million people.

“The House is worried that Nigeria loses a whopping sum of $70 million annually to Chinese and other European Trawlers due to illegal fishing activities in the nation’s waters as observed by the Nigerian Navy in 2017.

“The House is also worried that despite Nigeria non-fishing agreement and arrangements with distant nations such as China and the European Union, illegal fishing on Nigeria’s waters persists due to bilateral agreements with the nearby Country of Sao Tome and Principe.

“The House is concerned by the Overseas Development Institute’s Report of 2018 that illegal fishing boats from China, Netherlands and Spain operating in the Country’s territorial waters commonly transfer catches from their trawlers into container and cargo vessels on the high seas, thereby flouting quota regulations.

“The House is also concerned that the Gulf of Guinea Commission which was established in 2001 to check issues bordering on fisheries beyond 20 nautical miles of each member nation is yet to come up with a legally binding framework to tackle illegal fishing activities.

“The House is further concerned that illegal and unregulated fishing in Nigeria’s waters undermines the economy, poses a security threat to the nation’s territorial waters, degrades the coastal communities and renders artisan fishermen redundant.”

In the bid to ensure compliance, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to put measures in place to curb illegal fishing activities on Nigeria’s waters.

The lawmakers also urged Federal Government to prevail on the Gulf of Guinea Commission to urgently introduce a legally binding framework to check excessive fishing or overfishing in the Region.

To this end, the House mandated its Committee on Agricultural Production and Services to investigate the matter and report back within three weeks for further legislative action.

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FULL TEXT: A viral post on WhatsApp is asking N-Power candidates to verify the status of their application and see if they have been shortlisted for the batch C cash grant…Reps ask FG to halt $70m illegal fishing by foreign vessels

Reps ask FG to halt $70m illegal fishing by foreign vessels