The Nigerian Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association (NMNOWTSSA) has called on the leadership of Nigerian Trawler Owners Association of Nigeria, (NITOA) to improve the welfare of Nigerian sailors.
The Association said an improvement in their incentives and welfare would enhance greater productivity in the sector.
The body called on the Federal Government to rectify Convention 188F and other fishing conventions.
National President, NMNOWTSSA, Comrade Bob Yousou, stated this to journalists in Port Harcourt during an interview on issues bordering the maritime industry sub sector.
He expressed happiness that NITOA had recorded low rate of pirates attacks on fishing vessels on the high sea in recent times.
NITOA, Yousuo said, only recorded two attacks on fishing vessels on sea in 2021.
While admitting that in the first quarter of 2022, there has been no attack recorded on fishing trawlers, he attributed the drastic reduction on attacks on fishing vessels to the regular patrol by the men of the Nigerian Navy and marine police formations.
He noted that the Navy and the Marine Police personnel have been monitoring the waterways closely in recent times leading to the positive outcome.
“Another factor that led to the reduction, is the Guards attached to the vessels”, he revealed.
Recall that the trawlers had recorded incessant attacks in the line of duty so much that it caused some of the ship owners to quit the arena.
In 2013, over 20 trawlers were active in the fishing sub-sector of the maritime industry but gradually reduced to less than 10 in 2019.
“Attacks on fishing vessels, kidnapping, hostage taking and activities of foreign fishing vessels threw the Nigerian trawlers out of business”, he recalled.
According to him, most of the pirate 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 to support the fight against insecurity in the region.