Yemisi Izuora
Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development has expressed dissatisfaction on activities of trawler owners in the country’s territorial water, alleging that most of their operations are not transparent while at sea.
The Ministry appealed to trawler owners to be accountable in their operations as part of effort in engaging government for effective fishing activities.
Speaking at a monthly forum organised by the Nigerian Association of Agriculture Journalists (NAAJ), in Lagos the Senior Special Adviser on media to the minister of Agriculture, Dr. Kayode Oyeleye said that it would be difficult for government to assist trawler owners in anyway, when it is obvious that their operations are not transparent towards economy growth.
Oyeleye stated that, “basically issues affecting trawler operations is not peculiar to Nigeria alone but we are aware that there are illegal operations going on in our territorial water”
“Those of them who are doing things right need to come forward, form a strong front and engage the government so that government can also help them”
Oyeleye said many of the trawlers operating in Nigeria’s maritime space do not declare their actual catches at sea and government is aware of the practice, thus would be seen as economy sabotage.
He noted that some of the crew aboard such vessels is in the habit of selling their catches at sea; later go back to their respective organisations to say activities were low.
The said trawler owners would have played a key role in the agriculture sub sector but their attitude has discouraged the government to do more in the area of assistance and incentives.
He called on trawler owners and their crew to be transparent in their operation for government to show interest in the nature of their operations adding that the fishing sub sector can generate huge revenue only if the operators are honest with the catches at sea.
He added that pirate attacks on trawlers within the maritime space is not the major problem affecting their operations alleging that some of their business at sea were under shady deal conditions.
He urged them to be accountable in their operations at sea which in turn would be easy for government to come in to support the nature of their business operations
“It will be difficult for help to be raised when they know that they are not doing things right themselves in an open and transparent manner”, he added.