The Nigerian Navy Service (NNS) has directed its commanders, officers and men to pay more attentions to illegal fishing trawlers across the nation waterways to reduce illegal fishing activities.
The operatives said it arrested two fishing trawlers for alleged illegal activities in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.Director, Naval Information, Commodore Suleman Dahun, disclosed this to newsmen in Port Harcourt.
Dahun said the two impounded vessels were arrested around ANTAN field, 21 nautical miles, off the Nigerian coastline.
He said the vessels and their crew members had no business keeping such distance according to the Nigerian Fisheries Act.
Dahun said the activities of the fishing vessels were detected by the NN Falcon Eye Surveillance System, after which the NNS UNITY was deployed to intercept them.
He said upon the arrest of the fishing vessels, “It was discovered that they were laden with excess catch of fishes in contravention of the Nigerian Fisheries Act as the vessels are licensed for shrimping only.
He said the two vessels are currently at Bonny Anchorage for further investigation and possible prosecution.
Dagun gave the names of the vessels as Nigerian flagged vessels BANALY V and OLOKUN V allegedly caught with varieties of fish despite being licensed for inshore shrimping.
