Navy Hands Over Three Vessels, 33 Crew to Fisheries Officials Over Illegal Fishing
Chiemelie Ezeobi
The Nigerian Navy has handed over three fishing vessels and their 33 crew members to the Federal Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture (FDFA) following their arrest for alleged illegal fishing activities and violations of maritime regulations.
The vessels — MV OLUFUNKE 1, MV IRUO OGHENE and AM 8702 — were arrested between August 26 and 28 during a recent anti-illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing operation codenamed Abo Eja.
The handover took place on Thursday at the Defence Jetty in Marina, where the vessels and crew were received by the Assistant Chief Fisheries Officer/Head, Fisheries Monitoring Centre, Are Taiwo, and Senior Fisheries Officer, Folakemi Bamidele.
The arrests highlight the Navy’s continuing enforcement against activities threatening Nigeria’s marine resources, particularly fishing in restricted areas and non-compliance with the Automatic Identification System (AIS), a maritime tracking and identification requirement.
Conducting the handover, Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT, Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, represented by the Executive Officer, Captain OO Oginni, said the vessels were arrested for alleged violations relating to fishing activities and AIS compliance.
He specifically disclosed that the vessels were found fishing within the five nautical miles reserved for shrimping, while two of them had switched off their AIS.
According to the Commander, the Navy had concluded its preliminary findings before transferring the vessels and crew to the FDFA for further investigation and regulatory action.
Asked about the immigration status of the foreign nationals among the crew, including two Chinese and three Ghanaians, Adams-Aliu said their statuses had been confirmed.
He explained that the FDFA was taking over the vessels because it was primarily responsible for fishing regulations and enforcement, allowing the department to continue the investigation and take necessary action.
Adams-Aliu said: “The operation forms part of the Nigerian Navy’s sustained efforts, under the leadership of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, to strengthen maritime security, enforce applicable laws and safeguard Nigeria’s maritime resources.
“Following their interception, preliminary investigation established various areas of concern involving the three vessels, including alleged fishing within restricted areas, AIS and communication equipment irregularities, as well as discrepancies relating to vessel classification and documentation.
“The handover to FDFA is intended to facilitate the necessary regulatory processes, including further examination, determination of applicable violations and, where appropriate, enforcement or prosecution in accordance with extant laws and regulations.
“The development underscores the importance of sustained inter-agency cooperation in safeguarding Nigeria’s maritime domain and protecting the nation’s marine resources.
“Under the leadership of Rear Admiral AA Mustapha, the Western Naval Command remains committed to strengthening collaboration with the FDFA and other relevant stakeholders through coordinated patrols, surveillance, inspections and information sharing to deter illegal, unreported, unregulated fishing and other maritime violations.
“It is pertinent to note that NNS BEECROFT, will continue to actualise the mission of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, which is to deploy a highly motivated and professional naval force capable of safeguarding Nigeria’s maritime interests and contributing effectively to joint operations in defence of national sovereignty and the maintenance of internal stability,” the Commander said.