A former President of Nigerian Trawler Owners Association (NITOA), Mrs Margret Orakwusi, has urged the Federal Government to ban imported fish products to encourage local production.
Orakwusi, who made the call on Friday in Lagos, bemoaned the mass influx of foreign fish products.
She said that the measure would among other things create jobs, feed Nigerians with good foods and would provide the needed foreign exchange.
“Most fishing companies in Nigeria have relocated to neighbouring countries due to lack of support from the government.
“We used to have 36 fishing companies in Nigeria but as I am talking to you now, only 19 are working.
“As an association, we have demanded for an enabling environment for industrialisation of the fishing sector but to no avail,” Orakwusi said.
According to her, many companies are finding it difficult to break even with the unending influx of cheaper imported fish products from other countries.
She urged the government to make a national policy to enforce all the laid-down regulations to enable the fishing sector to thrive.
Orakwusi expressed regret over loss of jobs in the sector in recent times.
She said that this trend would be reversed if the government should lend its support to the sector.
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