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| Written by Ifeyinwa Obi | |
| Saturday, 01 March 2008 | |
| There are serious indications that the price of fish may run way out of reach of the common masses in the non-distant future if the activities of the sea pirates remain as it is today.Incidentally, the development is beginning to worry stakeholders including the Nigerian Trawler Owners Association (NTOA), the umbrella body of fishing companies, captains of ships and fish sellers. Fish on the run According to the vice president of the association, Mrs Margaret Orakwusi, government has to intervene urgently or the sector risks more losses as the attacks were becoming a daily occurrence. She said “the spate of piracy attack in this country is becoming alarming, the Nigerian coast at the moment, should be ranking the most dangerous in the whole world. In January this year alone, we recorded a lot of attacks, and lost about five lives in just two days. “But we are still waiting for the response of the government, it is a pity that nothing has been done so far. With over 170 fishing trawlers pilled up at the moment because the sea Captains refuse to sail any more, the sector is sinking. Besides, these trawlers are investments running into billions and they are lying idle there. If nothing is done fast, I am afraid about 50,000 skilled and unskilled labour will loose their jobs and having these lot back into the labour market can never be fun.” The dangers of what is happing in this sector is that it may breed economic down time. If such pressure builds and the threat of the pirate attacks continue to grow, it may cause serious economic consequences on the country’s maritime business concerns. Pirate attacks affect not only the Trawler owners, but also have a way of permeating into the life of common masses. The goods and services conveyed by these trawlers, end up at the stable of the common people. Now, at the Liverpool fish market in Apapa, a fish that ordinarily could go for N200 before the new development, now goes for about N500 or more and other markets, particularly in the Lagos metropolis are not spared. This development is mounting serious tension among the common masses and those who spoke to Vanguard expressed fear that like everything Nigerian, this trend might not be reversed. A fish seller at the Liverpool market, who identified herself as Mrs Bose said that “ the men who bring fish for us are complaining that the robbers are harassing them on daily basis and so they no longer go into the sea again. But today the whole thing is affecting us badly. Look at a small basket of crayfish that goes for about three hundred naira before, is now up to N1,800 to N2000 depending on the mood of the person selling it. Most times we don’t see any fish when the trawlers arrive because the robbers blocked roads. big fish is giving way to very small ones”. When Saturday Vanguard got to the Trawlers bay at Apapa, the trawling fishing vessels were all parked. One of the fishermen who identified himself as Prince Olangboye recounted what has been happening to them. “We can not fish again, we only move around the shores where we don’t get enough to keep us going. This situation is no longer funny, our families are suffering. Now take a look at the number of vessels that is parked here and imagine how much that is wasting on daily basis. The most irritating is that there is no alternative. Let the government come to our aid as they have promised. The promise is taking too long to be fulfilled,” he lamented. Also, one of the victims of the most recent sea robbery attack, Shola Ige, narrated his ordeal to Vanguard: “They attacked us yesterday after takwarbay inside the sea in a spot called signal. The robbers were armed with sofiscated weapons. They collected 9 engines ranking from 40 horse power to 25 horse power capacity from us, even as we tried to run away from them. Meanwhile, they chased after us with three speed boat that has double 75 horse power engine, giving them the opportunity of outrunning us”. The funny aspect of the whole thing is that even the sea pirates are complaining down time as the ship captains down tool. Ige said that the sea pirates “ disposed us of all our money and the little fish we have in the vessel. They also threatened to deal with the trawlers if they set eyes on them again, saying that for refusing to enter the sea, they (Pirates) have not been making good market since then”. Interestingly, this sector of the economy, earns a lot of foreign exchange for the country. Currently it is believed to be the second highest non-oil export industry. So the Government has the responsibility of providing it with security, to carry out their legitimate businesses. Yet more damages are looming large. The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) an International Workers Union, is threatening to declare Nigerian territorial waters a war zone due to the sea robbers attacks and kidnaping on the merchant shipping. This would alert the shipping world on the dangers in operating in Nigerian waters. Just last year, a piracy report confirmed Nigerian waters as one of the most deadly in the world during the first half of 2004. In a similar development, the International Maritime Bureau, reported that half of the 30 deaths recorded in pirate attacks round the world in the first half of 2004 occurred in Nigerian territorial waters, adding that on the number of attacks, Nigeria ranked third after Indonesia and Malacca. Industry watchers say Nigerian’s growing prominence for piracy can be traced to crude oil and its sales to vessels off shore. Meanwhile, Saturday Vanguard gathered that the illegal oil trade has in turn funded further arms procurement which is behind the spawning of a wide range of criminal activities including sea robbery. This could not unconnected with corruption and mismanagement which has characterised successive governments in Nigerian administrations, has in no little measure left the oil rich Niger Delta as one of the most improverished regions in the country. Massive unemployment is just one of the manifestations that have so far spiraled into producing other social vices. Many of the attacks occur on the high seas as ships approach Nigerian waters. An equally of criminal activities including sea robbery. Industry analysts blamed this attitude to corruption and mismanagement which has lingered successively by the Nigerian administrations, has in no little measure left the oil rich Niger Delta as one of the most impoverished regions in the country. Massive unemployment is just one of the manifestations that have so far spiraled into producing other social vices. Many of the attacks occure on the high seas as ships approach Nigerian waters. An equally large number of attacks occur within Nigerian waters as well, eliciting a wave of complaints from ship captains. The IMB said it hard issued a warning to ships in the Vicinity of Nigeria and advised sea farers to be on their guard even as it further declared the nation’s terminals and waters as one of the most unsafe in Africa. Already the bureau has warned any vessel that come into the Nigerian waters to be way of attack. Recently pirates attacked some fishing trawlers and killed some sailors on boards. Marines are frequently being warned to be extra cautions and to take necessary precautionary measures when transitting certain areas, which include Nigeria. During vessels stay in Nigerian waters, masters are always advised to remain vigilant, because other vessels at berth, anchorage and carry out this operation have reported boarding and violent attacks on crew. The warnings go further to say the presence of police hardly deter the robbers, while calls to the ports control fall on deaf ears.A martime groups noted that security problems on land were diverting the resources of the authiorities from security at sea. They believe the increased ferocity and number of attack is linked to law and order problems ashore which criminal gangs of pirates are using to their advantage, knowing that the authorities are under pressure to tackle the security problems in the hinterlands, and so unable to respond adequately to attack at sea. Pirates are violent and have attacked and robbed vessels, kidnapped crews on the coast ports. While many attacks go unreported a total of 42 incidents have been reported since March 2007. Twenty five attacks alone for Lagos and seven for Bonny River. A sailor Adams James who spoke with Saturday Vanguard, stated that the pirates are dangerous. “They are very dangerous. They always operate with automatic weapons, to stop ships and most times they use Rocket propelled Grenade (RPG) to launchers at ships. They usually target the most vulnerable vessels like the shipping trawlers; he said. But the Nigerian Security forces said they are really doing their best to track down. These sea robbers “our presence have cracked down, the pirates activities. There would have been a higher piracy death rolls if not, for our intervensions.” The Nigerian Navy have been taking the problem of piracy seriously but like most African fleets has limited resources to cope with the problem, and the profit of more than a decade from stealing from the oil industry have helped arm gangs with heavy weapons, and the navey often find itself out gunned. On this the travelers owners association said the association and the Navy Patrol team were not well equipped to confront pirates who carry sophisticated weapons. “The pirates usually hijack trawlers in the high sea, dispossess them of their valuables and in most cases kill them.The minister of state for water transportation, Prince Emeka Okechukwu, have some time ago re-visited the issue of patrol of the territorial water and surveillance, and promised to take appropriate actions. |
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