L-R: Senior Special Assistant to the President on Marine and Blue Economy, Prof. Busayo Fakinlede; Second Secretary, Norwegian Embassy, Ms Michelle Hovi; Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola; Norwegian Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb. Svein Baera; and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Mrs Fatima Mahmood, during the ambassador’s courtesy visit to the minister in Abuja on Monday
Fishing
The Federal Government says it will partner with Norway to use satellite surveillance to combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in Nigerian waters.
Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, disclosed this on Monday in a statement issued by his Special Adviser, Dr Bolaji Akinola, in Lagos.
Oyetola spoke when Norway’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Svein Baera, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.
Baera said the visit was to introduce Nigeria to the Blue Justice Initiative, which provides free satellite vessel-tracking data to help countries monitor maritime activities.
He invited Nigeria to join the Blue Justice Community to identify suspicious vessel movements, including those of vessels operating without transmitting tracking signals.
According to him, the initiative provides real-time and historical data to support maritime surveillance, fisheries protection and law enforcement.
Responding, Oyetola commended Norway for the initiative and assured that Nigeria would key into the programme.
The minister lamented that foreign operators were illegally harvesting fish in Nigerian waters and reselling them to Nigerians at exorbitant prices.
He said the government was determined to end the exploitation, boost local fish production and conserve foreign exchange.
Oyetola stressed that protecting Nigerian waters was both an environmental responsibility and an economic imperative.
He said the partnership would support efforts to safeguard the country’s fisheries resources and strengthen enforcement against illegal fishing. (NAN)
