Nigeria Loosing $600m to Illegal Fishing

Investigations have shown that Nigeria could be missing out on up to $600 million due to illegal and unreported fishing by foreign vessels, predominantly due to lack of appropriate equipment and tracking technology.

The same report noted that presently Nigeria is importing $800 million annually on the importation of fish, making it the fourth largest importer in the world after China, Japan and the US.

According to documents obtained by THISDAY from the Federal Department of Fisheries in Lagos, Nigeria's annual fish demand is estimated at 3.32 million metric tonnes while domestic production is only about 1.12 million metric tonnes.

Leaving a deficit of 2.2 million metric tonnes, which is largely supplied through importation.

An anonymous member of the Federal Department of Fisheries has called on the federal government to create a ministry of fisheries and marine resources to effectively harness Nigeria's abundant ocean resource.