A maritime expert and consultant to the International Labour organisation (ILO); Captain Thomas Kemewerigha yesterday raised an alarm about increase in attacks on fishing trawlers in the Niger Delta region. He said such attacks disrupt fishing activities and endanger the life of seafarers.
Kemewerigha who raised the alarm during a session with some maritime journalists in Lagos, stressed the need for the Nigerian government to look beyond attacks on pipeline installations in the region.
According to him, there have been precisely seven attacks on fishing trawlers along the Bayelsa and Rivers States coast in the last 10 days; he lampooned the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Navy for allegedly being docile.
The former President of Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association reiterated that areas that are more prone to pirate attacks within the South-South include: Middleton rivers, Kulama rivers, Fish town rivers, Akassa rivers , Pennington rivers and Brass river offshore.
He said that those areas have witnessed several bloody attacks by sea pirates who unleash terror on defenceless seafarers and also forcefully collect their valuables.
He alleged that sea robbers and pirates have been killing and maiming sailors on board fishing trawlers , containers vessels and offshore supply vessels.
Speaking further , he said “various pirate attacks had been experienced since on 14th of January 2016 till date”
“Within the mentioned period over seven attacks have been recorded on fishing vessels and vessels working for Chevron Nigeria Limited to mention but a few”
“Pirates are having a field day on these vessels in areas are not patrolled by the Nigerian Navy or NIMASA, hence living the seafarers on board these vessels, defenceless, which has in some cases led to loss of lives and valuable properties of seafarers”.
Kemewerigha also revealed that the incessant attack on such craft has been reported by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB’s) piracy reporting centre.
The ILO consultant pleaded that, “we draw the attention of the federal government of Nigeria, the Navy and NIMASA who are saddled with the responsibility of policing our territorial waters to look into incessant piracy attack on vessels within our territorial waters”.
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