FISON President condemns lawlessness in Nigerian fishing industry

NaijaAgroNet:

The National President of the Fisheries Society of Nigeria (FISON), Dr. Abbah Y. Abdullah has said that the absence of laws to regulate the activities of operators in the Nigerian fishing industry has brought lawlessness which has greatly impeded the sustainable exploitation and utilization of the nation’s fisheries resources over the years.

Abdullahi made this statement at the National Validation Workshop for the review and update of the Inland Fisheries Act 1992 held in Abuja, under the aegis of the European Union (EU) by the Federal Department of Fisheries in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and  described the existing Fisheries Act as ‘inadequate and outdated.’

He stated that in line with international best practice, Nigeria requires a holistic fisheries act that will ensure proper conservation, management and development of the sea fisheries, inland fisheries, aquaculture and other related matters.

“Operators in the fisheries sector do whatever they like, so we need an Act that will curtail their excesses, focus on technological, socio-economic and political development and other issues in the sector in line with international best practice and international instruments signed by Nigeria,” he said.

Dr. Abdullah informed NaijaAgroNet that the European Union which sponsored the current review has observed the lawlessness in the Nigerian fishing industry and is addressing it accordingly, because no investor is ready to put money in an unregulated industry.

*With additional report from the Nation

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