Nigeria, FCWC member States plan deployment of technology to tackle illegal fishing

Nigeria and other West African nations under the umbrella of the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC) have pledged to adopt a coordinated, intelligence and technology- driven approach to combat the menace of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The commitment was made at the 16th Conference of Ministers of the FCWC, hosted by Nigeria in Lagos on Thursday.

The high-level regional meeting, held under the theme “Securing Our Ocean Future: People, Resources, and Commitments,” brought together Ministers and senior officials from FCWC member states, including Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Togo, alongside representatives of regional institutions, international partners, and maritime experts.

Speaking, Nigeria’s Minister of Marine and Blue economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, who was also elected Chairman of the Committee described illegal fishing as a major economic and environmental threat, noting that foreign vessels often exploit weak surveillance systems to operate freely within Nigerian waters.

“Sometimes these vessels go just beyond our borders, switch off their trackers, harvest our fish, and even sell them back to us as imported products. We are losing a lot of revenue, billions through this practice,” he said.

Oyetola emphasized that effective monitoring of Nigeria’s 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone demands more than human patrols, adding that technology and regional collaboration remain the best strategies to tackle the problem.

“The only way out is technology. With advanced monitoring systems, we can reduce illegal fishing to the barest minimum,” he said.

Also speaking, the outgone chairman of the committee representing the Republic of Liberia and the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority, Mr. Cyrus Saygbe revealed that the region is moving decisively from policy to practice with arrangements finalized for a joint maritime patrol exercise between Liberia, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire coordinated through the FCWC’s Regional Monitoring Control and Surveillance Center.

“This is regional solidarity in action protecting our shared waters, our and our collective future. Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing continues to rob our region of billions of dollars each and every year, resources that will have built schools, funded hospitals, and created jobs for our youth.

“Beyond the numbers, IUU fishing threatens the very fabric of our coastal communities. It undermines food security, weakens state authority and erodes the trust of our fisher folks.

“Moreover, the nature of IUU activity is becoming interestingly sophisticated with vessel identity fraud, mobile transshipments and the use of advanced technology to evade detection. Our response, therefore, must be equally technological, intelligence-driven and coordinated” he said.

Hon Saygbe urged members to embrace the tools of modern fisheries management including digital vessel tracking systems, electronic edge document, satellite-enabled surveillance and real-time monitoring platforms.

“These are no longer optional luxuries. They are essential instruments for sustainable governance. I urge all of us to commit to expanding real-time vessel monitoring systems and adapting automated anomaly detection tools.

“Establishing interoperable electronic edge documentation and e-listening systems across all member states. Scaling up data sharing and analytical collaboration through joint enforcement actions coordinated by the regional centre.

“We must also strengthen measures, harmonize vessel and registration databases and align sanctions and penalties so that IUU actors find no safe haven, neither at sea nor in our boats” he said.

Meanwhile, speaking on strategies to strengthen the fisheries sector in Nigeria, Oyetola said the government is engaging the Bank of Industry (BoI) to provide single-interest loan to fishermen as part of efforts to boost local fish production and curb reliance on imported fish.

“We are already talking to the Bureau to look at the possibility of providing single-digit loans. This will empower artisanal fishermen, enable them to access funds, and increase local production,” Oyetola said.

He also highlighted progress in the local fisheries sector, disclosing that domestic fish production has grown from about 1.1 million to 1.49 million tonnes, reflecting steady improvement under the current administration.

According to him, the government is working to empower artisanal fishermen by providing inputs, organizing them into cooperatives, and facilitating access to single-digit credit facilities through development finance institutions.

Oyetola further stated that plans are underway to establish local fish feed mills and improve cold storage infrastructure to strengthen the fisheries value chain and reduce post-harvest losses.

Photo caption:

L-R: Benin Republic’s Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Mr Gaston Dossouhoui; Nigeria’s Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola (CON) and former Chairman of the Conference of Ministers of the Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC), Mr Cyrus Saygbe Sr, at the 16th Conference of Ministers of the FCWC in Victoria Island, Lagos, on Thursday.