Nigerian fishermen are raising fresh alarm over the growing return of illegal operators; particularly foreign industrial trawlers into the nation’s waters, a development they say is worsening the hardship already faced by coastal and inland fishing communities. This situation persists despite renewed patrols by relevant government agencies.
The warning came from the Acting National President of the Fisheries Cooperative Federation of Nigeria (FCFN), Mashi Gabriel Sani, who disclosed that although there have been visible efforts by the Navy and the supervising Ministry, illegal fishing remains widespread and damaging.
Sani noted that while a few areas may appear calmer, fishermen across several coastal belts continue to report incursions by foreign vessels, destruction of nets, depletion of fish stocks and severe disruption of marine habitats.
“We have seen some progress, but we are not where we need to be. In many areas, illegal fishing is still a major threat. Foreign trawlers continue to enter zones meant for small-scale fishermen, and this is destroying livelihoods,” he said.
He added that the situation inland is no different, as weak local regulations have allowed illegal practices to thrive in rivers and lakes.
Beyond the menace of illegal operators, Sani highlighted worsening challenges confronting fishermen, including soaring operational costs, lack of affordable loans, unreliable data for decision-making, climate-related disruptions and poor cold-storage facilities. He said up to 30–40 percent of locally-harvested fish is lost before it reaches the market, due to inadequate infrastructure in many fishing communities.
According to him, “We need stronger enforcement, improved collaboration among maritime agencies, and more investment in technology and training if Nigeria is to protect its fisheries.”
Also speaking a former coordinator with the West Africa Fisheries; David Alaya, told Shipping Position Daily that Nigeria’s fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing remains weak and inconsistent.
“Illegal fishing is still one of the biggest drains on Nigeria’s economy. Until we fully digitise monitoring and enforce meaningful penalties on offenders, including local accomplices, the problem will persist,” he warned.
