Rivers Kicks Off Fish Trawling Scheme

If plans go as planned, the fish trawling scheme introduced by the Rivers State Government may kick-off before the end of the year.

Giving the hint to newsmen on Monday, Special Adviser to the Rivers State Governor on Aqua-Culture, Hon. Kuro Briggs disclosed that already about 2,000 cooperative societies have applied to participate in the scheme.

However, he assured that the applications need to be properly screened, stating that the registration of a trawler scheme require a lot of documentation.

Currently, he stated that the government is in touch with NIMASA, an agency in-charge of registration of trawlers and waterway big vessels. Including the safety aspect of the exercise by registering with the maritime agency and Rivers State Marine Transport Company.

He expressed the believe that with the amnesty granted the militants ‘the waterways would be safe for the trawlers to operate, “government is doing its best to ensure that the waterways are totally safe”.

According to Hon. Briggs, the five trawlers are to be managed by VINJONES Investment Nigeria Limited under a public, private partnership in partnership with the National Poverty Eradication Scheme.

Explaining how the scheme is going to be managed, he stated that application so far received would be forwarded to microfinance banks, who would provide loans for them.

He called on indigenes of the state to form cooperatives in order to tap from the state sponsored loan scheme, which is offered without collateral.

Commenting on the planned cool rooms that would serve as storage facilities for the trawlers, the Governor’s aide disclosed that plans are in top gear, “one of the greatest challenges we are facing now is electricity because without it, you can’t do the fish preservation.

“Preservation is very necessary, if you don’t preserve the fish then the whole exercise is defeated”, he added.