Pirates Threaten Govt Trawlers In Bonny

The Rivers State Government has blamed the low operations of its trawlers on the increasing activities of sea pirates on the high seas.
The Special Adviser to the Rivers State Governor on Deepsea Fishing, Hon. Kurotamuno Briggs, who disclosed this in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt, also said that work on the three cold rooms to be sited in each senatorial zone will soon commence.
He, however, blamed the rising tide of piracy and other criminalities in the state on the influx of militants into the state as a result of the political crisis.
“Piracy is one of the challenges which we are facing, because the system had allowed all the militants that were chased away back to the streets”, he said.
The special adviser also said that despite these challenges, the government was still determined to ensure the success of the fishery sector in the state.
Hon. Briggs particularly said that the multi-billion Naira Buguma fish farms is still on course despite the recent kidnap incident which led to the death of a Nigerian while work has reached advanced stage on the fish farms in Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas.
Meanwhile, the Bonny Indigenous Fishermen Cooperative Union (BIFCU) has cried out over recent attacks that claimed the life of one of its members, late Mr. Ntiense Abasi Ezekiel.
The union also said that one Mr. Godday Assah was shot while Maxwell Philip, Etim Ndaowo and John Akpan were traumatized.
According to the President of the union, Comrade Promise A. Bristol, the fishermen were attacked by a crew of fishing trawler named Lilly 11 belonging to Atlantic Shrimpers Limited whose office is located in Lagos.
He said that the fishermen were attacked within 2.8 nautical miles off the shores of the NLNG RA 1 beach.