The Federal Government is set to deploy satellite-based vessel tracking in partnership with Norway to combat illegal fishing and protect Nigeria’s marine resources.
Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja when he received Norway’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Svein Baera, who introduced the Blue Justice initiative.
The programme provides participating countries with free satellite-based vessel-tracking data to detect suspicious movements, identify vessels evading surveillance and strengthen enforcement against illegal fishing.
Oyetola said Nigeria would join the initiative, warning that foreign operators were exploiting the country’s waters at the expense of local fishers and businesses.
“We cannot continue to allow foreign operators to exploit our marine resources illegally while our local fishers and businesses suffer the consequences. The Federal Government is determined to bring this practice to an end,” he said.
He lamented that illegally harvested fish were returned to Nigeria and sold at exorbitant prices, stressing that illegal fishing deprives the country of economic benefits and threatens local livelihoods.
“The protection of our waters is an environmental responsibility and an economic imperative. We must protect our fish stocks, safeguard the livelihoods of our fishermen and ensure that our marine resources contribute meaningfully to national development,” he added.
Baera said the Blue Justice Ocean Surveillance Programme would provide real-time and historical vessel-tracking data to help authorities identify so-called “dark vessels” that evade tracking systems.
He invited Nigeria to join the Blue Community, a network of participating countries, to strengthen maritime surveillance and combat illegal fishing and other maritime crimes.
Oyetola said the government was also pursuing measures to boost local fish production, create jobs, reduce import dependence and conserve foreign exchange.
