Nigeria Loses $450m Annually to Illegal Fishing —Minister Oyetola

News in Brief:

— Nigeria loses an estimated $450 million annually to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, according to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy.

— Norway's Blue Justice initiative offers satellite-based vessel-tracking data to help Nigeria identify suspicious maritime activities.

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, disclosed $450 million in losses to illegal fishing activities when he met with Norway’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Svein Baera.

During the meeting, Baera introduced the Blue Justice initiative, which could improve detection of suspicious vessel movement. It aims to strengthen enforcement against illegal fishing and protect the country’s marine resources.

Satellite Tracking to Strengthen Enforcement

The Blue Justice initiative provides participating countries with free access to real-time and historical satellite-based Automatic Identification System (AIS) vessel-tracking data. This technology can help authorities detect vessels attempting to evade surveillance and improve responses to illegal fishing and other maritime crimes.

Minister Oyetola assured the Norwegian ambassador that Nigeria would participate in the initiative, describing illegal fishing as a threat to local livelihoods, fish stocks and the economic benefits the country should derive from its marine resources.

“We cannot continue to allow foreign operators to exploit our marine resources illegally while our local fishers and businesses suffer the consequences. The Federal Government is determined to bring this practice to an end,” he said.

Illegal Fishing Threatens Fisheries Value Chain

Beyond the estimated annual financial losses, illegal fishing puts pressure on Nigeria’s fisheries value chain. Worth over ₦4.9 trillion in gross domestic product (GDP), the sub-sector supports activities ranging from fish harvesting and processing to storage, transportation and distribution.

Oyetola also raised concerns about foreign operators harvesting fish illegally from Nigerian waters and returning the products to the domestic market for sale at exorbitant prices. Such practices place local fishers and legitimate businesses at a disadvantage while weakening the country’s ability to manage its fisheries resources sustainably.

Ambassador Baera said Nigeria’s participation in the Blue Community, a network of countries involved in the Blue Justice initiative, would strengthen its capacity to detect suspicious maritime activities and combat illegal fishing and other maritime crimes.

The challenge now is to turn access to satellite intelligence into effective action at sea. With an estimated $450 million lost annually, stronger surveillance and enforcement could be important steps towards protecting Nigeria’s fisheries and the livelihoods that depend on them.