Even as the Nigeria Police Force has assured that it will collaborate with the Nigerian Navy to curb the incessant attack on fishing trawlers and crew members at sea, a fishing company; ORC Fishing and Food Processing has passed a no vote of confidence on the Navy.
The company also accused the Navy of what it described as wrong interpretation of the fishing laws on the nation's maritime domain.
Even as the Nigeria Police Force has assured that it will collaborate with the Nigerian Navy to curb the incessant attack on fishing trawlers and crew members at sea, a fishing company; ORC Fishing and Food Processing has passed a no vote of confidence on the Navy.
The company also accused the Navy of what it described as wrong interpretation of the fishing laws on the nation's maritime domain.
General Manager of the organisation; Mr. Akinsola Amire made the allegation last week in Lagos, while responding to the Commissioner of Police; Western port appeal that both government agencies should collaborate to fight sea robbers, so as to protect fishing business in Nigeria,.
Amire noted that in the last 10 years, the number of fishing companies in Nigeria have reduced from 30 to only five, even as he added that the five are struggling to survive.
According to him, the navy has thwarted efforts of fishing companies and added that this has affected the level of sea food that the crews are supposed to catch.
He said apart from piracy and militancy at sea, the navy has not been able to make fishing business to thrive in Nigeria, because of what he described as the usual high level interrogation of crew members on the quantity of sea food on board their ships.
"About three months ago, if not for the fact that the situation was addressed, the five fishing companies would have fold up because we discovered that even the navy was now interpreting its own sea fishing laws".
"To the extent that they will board vessels and start to interrogate the crew on how many bags they have and when you mention the number to them, they will start complaining that it is too much"
"The navy will start saying that the crews are supposed to be shrimping and not fishing, saying, why must you catch fish when you are supposed to shrimps and I know this is not too good for the business as well"
He charged the commissioner of police, Western Ports Authority that there is the need for effective communication among the stakeholders involved in the fishing business.
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