Buhari approves purchase of vessels to check illegal fishery

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the purchase of some patrol vessels for the depa‎rtment of fisheries in the federal ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The vessels would be managed in collaboration with the Nigerian Navy‎ to check illegal fishery activities in Nigeria Territorial waters.

Although, Vice President Osinbajo did not mention how many vessels while giving the information, he, however explained that it would enhance the search and rescue capacity of security agencies, deter illegal and unregulated fishing in Nigeria’s territorial waters and in the Gulf of region.

Nigeria it would be noted has a coastline of 854KM and a fleet of 155 fishing vessels is playing a greater role in the economy and security of West Central Gulf of Guinea.

Osinbajo who spoke at ‎the 10th Annual Ministerial Conference of the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea in Abuja on Friday  said:”The government policies and programmes  must be guided towards supporting the aspirations and ‎ambition of this small scale and big energy entrepreneurs in aqauculture.”

‎The Vice President said,”The six member countries,has to also deepen strategic cooperation,to harvest enormous fishing potentials in the gulf of Guinea.‎Also,it must be to prioritise speedy sharing of information,in order to more effectively check mate foreign investors fishing illegally,in the territorial waters of the gulf of Guinea.”

‎He noted that,”On a matter of small fisheries operations,our economies thrive largely on the combined efforts of multitudes of individual enterprises,consisting of farmers,fishermen,artisans,traders,and all of whom form what really is the economy of our nation.”

‎Speaking further on the theme of the conference,which is:”Investing for Growth and sustainability of fisheries in West Africa”,the Vice President said,”The theme  is apt in respect to experience sharing and encouraging the well being of our people.

“Aquaculture is one of the most critical engines in our economic diversification,and create jobs and prosperity for our hundreds of thousands of  our young people.”

We think that fisheries and the whole aqua culture economy,will supply all that we need,in terms of opportunities for the several of this young people,and which the Ministry of Agriculture has been leading through.

He pointed out further that,”The federal government’s  efforts is yielding the desired results. Our domestic fish production  last two years has increased from 450 000 metric to ‎1.1 million metric tons.‎”

In his earlier response, the Minister for state for Agriculture Heineken Lokpobiri said the Fisheries Committee for West Central ‎Gulf of Guinea was established to primarily facilitate cooperation in fisheries management between the six member countries comprising of Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana,Liberia,Nigeria and Togo.

He said that the Nigeria’s government’s efforts at harnessing the huge potentials in fisheries and aqua culture is being intensified,with the support of the federal government’s initiatives and programmes in harvesting more benefits from aquaculture.