Akassa—Fishing communities along the Atlantic Ocean in Akassa, Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, have sent a Save Our Soul (SOS) message to the Federal and Bayelsa State Government about the activities of fishing trawlers in the area.
Indigenes of the communities lamented that the activities of the fishing trawlers have subjected them to untold hunger and economic hardship.
Mr. Raynus Ebiegberi, a wildlife conservationist and Youth Affairs Coordinator of the Akassa Development Foundation told Mangrovepen.ng that “according to federal laws, operations of fishing trawlers must be five nautical miles from the shorelines. Despite these instructions, trawlers remain adamant and seamlessly violate regulations.
“Apart from the illegal activities,” Raynus states, “the commercial fisherfolk carry small arms, causing havoc to helpless fishermen. Their drags and ghost gears destroy the fishing gears belonging to the near-shore fishers.”
Raynus, who is an indigene of Akassa, further revealed that fishermen from the area have become scared of fishing in the ocean, because of series of attacks targeted at them.
“The fear of being attacked by trawlers frightened small fishermen, this has, in turn, resulted in low fishing activities, hunger and depletion of economic activities.
“Between June 2020 and March 2021, trawler operators like the herdsmen shot two Fishermen from Minibie for complaining over the damage of their gears likely they survived.”
He called on authorities at different levels to come to their aid “by prioritizing threat to human lives” and also formulating regulations to arrest the situation.
Raynus also stated that an investigation by the Akassa Development Foundation has revealed that “trawlers perpetrating the damages come from other states.”
