NITOA Admits Reduction Of  Pirate Attacks On Trawlers

Sea pirates attacks on fishing  trawlers  in Nigerian territorial waters have been said to have drastically reduced due to constant patrol of naval personnel along the coastal

 

A top official of Nigerian Trawler Owners Association (NITOA) name withheld disclosed this to our correspondent on Monday.

 

He said  due to close monitoring of the coast by men of the Nigerian Navy, they experienced only two attacks throughout 2021 while no attacks has been recorded in the first quarter of 2022.

 

Another factor that led to the reduction , according to the official, is the Guards attached to the vessels

 

Recall that the trawlers had recorded incessant attacks in the line of duty much that it caused some of the ship owners to quit the arena.

 

In 2013, over twenty trawlers were active in the fishing sub-sector of the maritime industry but gradually reduced to less than ten in 2019.

 

Attacks on fishing vessels, kidnapping, hostage taking and activities of foreign fishing vessels threw the Nigerian trawlers out of business.

 

Our source added that in recent time, there has been much reduction in the number attacks on vessels in fishing business in Nigeria.

 

Primarily, most of the attacks on fishing trawlers were recorded in the Niger Delta region of the country, even as seafarers have clamoured for the deployment of coast guards thus support the fight against insecurity in the region.

 

 

Comrade Bob Yousou, National President,Nigeria Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association (NMNOWTSSA), While lending his voice on the fishing sub-sector of the maritime sector, urged members of Nigeria Trawler Owners (NITOA) to improve on the welfare of sailors, while calling on the government to rectify convention 188F and other fishing conventions.