The Nigerian Navy Ship Ekulu detained two fishing trawlers: TAURARO and STARSHRIMPER 29, for illegal fishing, in the Badary area of Lagos on Thursday.
There were over 100 bags of fish seized in the insulated fish holds compartment in the fishing trawlers
This information was made known on Thursday by the Rear Admiral Mustapha Hassan, who is the Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command.
According to the FOC, in a statement signed by the Command Information Officer, Commander Patricia Ochei, the fishing trawlers were captured in the wee-hours of Tuesday during a patrol of the waterways along the Badary axis.
He further explained that the arrest was due to the continuous exercise of the EJA EXPRESSION he flagged off recently to combat maritime illegalities and irregularities within and as well as improving personnel skills that would fight against economic crimes such as illegal fishing in the nation’s waters.
To explain how the fishing trawler was captured, a statement was provided which read “about 4am on Tuesday, November 28, 2023 while on patrol along the Badagary axis of Lagos, Nigerian Navy Ship EKULU interdicted and interrogated the two suspicious fishing trawlers.
“The vessels were subsequently boarded and confirmed to have large quantities of fish onboard despite their license to shrimp only.”” The flag off of Exercise EJA EXPRESSION may well be yielding positive results as the presence of Nigerian Navy ships at sea has continued to deter intending perpetrators and arrest suspected maritime offenders”.
” The exercise was to practice personnel procedure and processes of enforcing fisheries laws in Nigeria’s maritime environment, to ensure the fleet can perform the responsibility of deterring IIllegal, Unregulated and Unreported, IUU fishing and other illegalities.”“This is in line with the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanual Ogalla ‘s Strategic Directive towards promoting effective Ocean and maritime governance for a thriving Blue Economy.“
“Essentially, IUU fishing is a global problem that threatens ocean ecosystems and sustainable fishing. It also threatens our economic security and natural resources that are critical to global food security, while also putting legitimate businesses at risk”.
However, Rear Admiral Hassan confirmed that the Command and indeed the Nigerian Navy would stand no form of illegal operations at sea and have advised perpetrators to avoid such acts, including that the Nigerian Navy would not fail to seize the opportunity of punishing offenders and law breakers.