Nigeria loses $70m yearly to outdated fishing laws – Operators
Industry operators from the Fisheries Cooperative Federation of Nigeria Limited have expressed concern that Nigeria is losing approximately $70 million per year due to outdated fishing laws.They argue that these laws stifle the sector's growth and development by limiting access to modern fishing techniques, equipment, and more efficient fishery resource management.
According to The Punch, Muhammad Laminu, the National President of FCFNL, made the announcement in a statement on Sunday.
He emphasized that the Nigerian fishing industry is facing significant challenges due to unreported, illegal, and unregulated activities.
"You are aware that unregulated fishing violates the law. The problem with unregulated fishing stems from out-of-date laws. The laws governing fishing activities in this country were enacted around 1980, and they have not been revisited since," said Laminu.
He emphasized the importance of the government reviewing the laws to ensure they are relevant and adaptable to current realities, pointing out that the current legislation no longer addresses the challenges and needs of the modern fishing industry.
"It will not solve the current problem," he told me.
According to him, another major issue with unregulated fishing is a lack of effective enforcement.
He stated that the Federal Department of Fisheries, which is in charge of regulating fishing activities in the country, struggles to carry out its responsibilities effectively due to insufficient funding.
Laminu also stated that corruption is a major issue, with many people exploiting the country's fish resources for personal gain, both on the high seas and in other bodies of water.
"The best thing to do is at least for the government to come up with a comprehensive reform and increase funding to the sector," Laminu suggested.
He suggested that the government implement comprehensive reforms to address the issue, saying, "So that at least the government will provide much-needed financial support. We are losing more than $70 million because they are unaware of our annual revenue.
He added that the group is developing a training and capacity-building program for all of its members, emphasizing the importance of providing them with the necessary knowledge and skills.
He stated that unregulated fishing is depleting the country's fish stock, and that these challenges have contributed to the influx of foreign trawlers.
According to Laminu, Nigeria's fishing regulations have not been reviewed since their enactment in the 1980s.
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