Members of the Fisheries Cooperative Federation of Nigeria Limited, (FCFNL), have expressed worry over what they called multiple taxation on fish. They lamented that the development has impacted negatively on the sub-sector.
Speaking at the maiden annual general meeting of the union, its president, Anthony Ashagye, lamented that despite its vast fisheries and aquaculture resource base, Nigeria remains the highest fish importer in Africa.
He said the country imports an estimated 950 metric tons of frozen fish valued at over N100 billion annually.
According to him, the collapse of the fishery sub-sector has resulted in loss of over 100, 000 jobs.
Ashagye said it would be beneficial if government sets aside N1billion as credit facility to fisheries and aquaculture cooperative organisations, provides pond construction equipment, fishing trawlers, motorized boats, outboard engines, fish feed milling machinery, cold rooms and improved fish broods and seed to fish farmers.
