Industry operators under the Fisheries Cooperative Federation of Nigeria Limited have expressed concern that Nigeria is losing approximately $70 million annually due to outdated fishing laws.
These laws, they argue, hinder the sector’s growth and development by limiting access to modern fishing practices, equipment, and more efficient management of fishery resources.
The National President of FCFNL, Muhammad Laminu, disclosed this in a statement with Sunday, according to The Punch.
He pointed out that the Nigerian fishing sector is facing major challenges due to unreported, illegal, and unregulated activities.
“You know this unregulated fishing is a kind of fishing activity that violates laws. The problem with unregulated fishing is a result of outdated laws. The laws that regulate fishing activities in this country were enacted as far back as 1980 or so, and it has not been revisited since then,” said Laminu.
He emphasized the importance of the government revisiting the laws to ensure they are relevant and adaptable to current realities, noting that the existing legislation no longer addresses the challenges and needs of the modern fishing industry.
“It will not solve the current problem,” he said.
According to him, another major issue with unregulated fishing is the lack of effective enforcement.
He stated that the Federal Department of Fisheries, which is responsible for regulating fishing activities in the country, struggles to carry out its duties effectively due to inadequate funding.
Laminu also mentioned that corruption is a significant issue, with many individuals exploiting the country’s fish resources, both in the high seas and in other bodies of water, for personal gain.
“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 said.
He suggested that the government undertake comprehensive reform to tackle the problem, saying, “So that at least the government will give much-desired support in terms of finance. Because they don’t know about revenue annually, we are losing over $70m.”
He added that the group is working on a training and capacity-building program for all its members, emphasizing the importance of equipping them with the necessary knowledge and skills.
He stated that unregulated fishing is depleting the nation’s fish stock, and these challenges have contributed to the encroachment of foreign trawlers.
According to Laminu, the fishing regulations in Nigeria have not been reviewed since they were enacted in the 1980s.
