The Fisheries Society of
Nigeria (FISON) held the 1st Fisheries stakeholders meeting at the
Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research, Victoria Island, Lagos
on Thursday 29th January 2015 with the aim of reappraising the
fisheries sub-sector and proffering solutions to identified challenges.
Stakeholders were drawn from
the Academia, Embassies, Fish Farmers, Feed Producers, Fish Processors, Civil Servants,
Fish Marketers, Students and Non-Governmental Organizations.
The meeting was chaired by
the National President of Catfish Farmers Association of Nigeria (CAFAN), Chief
Tayo Akingbolagun. Goodwill messages were given by the Director of Fisheries,
Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Pastor Aderemi Abioye
and representatives of NITOA, CAFAN, TADAN, AFISUN, NUFAS, WINROCK, and the
Advocacy for Fisheries group, among others.
Stakeholders were broken
into sessions, including the following: Industrial/Artisanal fisheries,
Brookstock and fingerlings production, fish production, women in fisheries,
fish marketing, fish feed, fish processing and value addition, fish
transportation/ornamental fisheries, Charter strategy/Human resources
development, and Review of Fisheries Act.
At the end of the meeting, stakeholders
identified the following challenges facing fisheries:
Illegal incursion of foreign
fishing vessels into Nigerian Territorial waters and lack of surveillance,
control and monitoring of our waters.
Absence of adequate
fisheries data base.
The current Fisheries Acts
of 1992 are now obsolete.
The relationship between the
Ministry, Department of Fisheries and the Fisheries Commission is not clearly
stated in the proposed Fisheries Act.
High cost of raw materials
and fisheries equipment.
Overlapping/conflicting
roles of regulating bodies.
No standardized processing
methods.
Non-compliance to standard
packaging materials.
Ornamental fisheries has
been neglected over decades.
High licensing fees for the
use of natural water bodies for aquacultural purposes such as fish cage culture.
Participants made the following
recommendations for fisheries to go forward in Nigeria:
Updating and speeding up of
the enactment of Fisheries Act with clear cut definition of duties of the
Federal Department of Fisheries, States, local Government and private sector.
Monitoring, Control and
Surveillance should be improved upon
to discourage illegal fishing and poaching.
Private sector should go
into Tuna exploitation to reduce our fish import bill and develop local Tuna
canning industry.
Private sector to consider
collaborating with NIOMR to operate the Research vessel of the institute for
the purpose of fishing pelagic species for fish meal production.
Stakeholders should be
encouraged to develop comprehensive data base for the industry.
Stock assessment and
enhancement should be carried out in our natural water bodies.
Government should encourage
private sector to establish commercial fish feed mills in the six geo-political
zones of the country emphasizing locally available feed materials in the zones.
Stakeholders agreed that
there should be standardization and certification of processing and packaging
of fish and fish products
Aggressive enlightenment
campaign should be carried out on consumers on the health benefits of consuming
wholesome fish and fish products.
The forum identified the
immense contribution of women in value addition and marketing, and that they
should be supported with EASY access to soft loans and encouraged to imbibe
modern technology.
Stakeholders also identified
the need for broodstock development of various fish species and availability of
viable fingerlings production.
Ornamental fisheries should
be recognized as a veritable economic venture in the country.
There should be a renewed
interest in the use of water bodies across the country for cage aquaculture
that is capable of increasing production within a short period of time.
Stakeholders have tasked
themselves to be self-sufficient in food fish production in the country and
encourage government to implement a phased ban on fish importation.
CONCLUSION
Stakeholders called on
Government to establish a Fisheries Commission and immediately start the
process of chartering the fisheries profession. A Committee was immediately set up to coordinate the
effort of the Society towards the charter. Participants also advised that since
there is a fall in the price of crude oil in the international market, there
should be a stimulus to galvanize the fisheries sub-sector and as such a zero
import duty on all fisheries and aquacultural inputs is being recommended.
Stakeholders also suggested a regime of 1 and 2.5 percent interest rate for
aquacultural and fisheries allied investments respectively.
