By Evelyn Usman
The Nigerian Navy Ship EKULU has arrested two fishing trawlers: TAURARO and STARSHRIMPER 29, for alleged illegal fishing, in the Badary area of Lagos.
Over 100 bags of fish were recovered in the insulated fish holds compartment in the fishing trawlers
This disclosure was made by the Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Mustapha Hassan, yesterday.
The fishing trawlers according to the FOC, in a statement signed by the Command Information Officer, Commander Patricia Ochei, were intercepted in the early hours of Tuesday during a patrol of the waterways along the Badary axis.
He described the arrest as the outcome of Exercise EJA EXPRESSION he flagged off recently to address maritime illegalities within the Western Naval Command Area of Responsibility, as well as horning personnel skills at curbing economic crimes such as illegal fishing in the nation’s waters.
Explaining how the fishing trawler was intercepted, the statement read “about 4am on Tuesday, November 28, 2023 while on patrol along the Badagary axis of Lagos, Nigerian Navy Ship EKULU
intercepted and interrogated the two suspicious fishing trawlers.
“The vessels were subsequently boarded and confirmed to have large quantities of fish onboard despite their license to shrimp only.
” The flag off of Exercise EJA EXPRESSION may well be yielding positive results as the presence of Nigerian Navy ships at sea has continued to deter intending perpetrators and arrest suspected maritime offenders.
“The exercise was to practice personnel procedure and processes of enforcing fisheries laws in Nigeria’s maritime environment, to ensure the fleet can perform the responsibility of deterring IIllegal, Unregulated and Unreported, IUU fishing and other illegalities.
“This is in line with the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanual Ogalla ‘s Strategic Directive towards promoting effective Ocean and maritime governance for a thriving Blue Economy.
“Essentially, IUU fishing is a global problem that threatens ocean ecosystems and sustainable fishing. It also threatens our economic security and natural resources that are critical to global food security, while also putting legitimate businesses at risk”.
With the blue economy in mind, Rear Admiral Hassan said that the Command and indeed the Nigerian Navy had zero tolerance for any form of illegality at sea and therefore warned perpetrators to desist from such acts , adding that the Nigerian Navy would not hesitate to go after them and prosecute them.
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