Bayelsa Fishermen, Trawler Operators at war over Fishing Grounds

Fishermen in communities of Brass and Southern Ijaw Local Governments Areas, Bayelsa State, have decried the unpleasant activities of fishing trawler operators, who they accused of damaging their fishing gears, attacking local anglers and violating maritime laws.

Vanguard reports that the fishing trawlers which should be on the high sea, about five nautical miles away, now come very close to the shore where local fisher men/women operate, and in the process, wrench the fishing nets, hooks and other tools.

Speaking with one of the Fishermen, James Sampson, Vanguard reports that the excesses of trawler operators has forced many of the locals to stay away from the sea.

According to Sampson “fishing is our means of livelihood, but the excesses of the trawler operators have forced many of our people out of business. The trawler operators have continued to violate the existing laws, which prevent them from operating close to the shoreline and in the process, destroying our fishing gears as well as loss of lives”.

The fishermen have called on the security agencies, state and federal governments to rescue them by prevailing on the owners of the big fishing trawlers to abide by the maritime laws and desist from operating close to the shoreline and destroying their fishing gears. They also lodged similar complaint with the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth (ERA/FoEN).

Also lamenting the predicament of the local fishermen, the Community Development Committee, (CDC) Chairman of Sangana community, Akassa axis of Brass council area, Benjamin Ayibatonye, said:  “Our people are really suffering from these trawler operators. 

They come beyond where they are not expected to be seen fishing. In times past, we use to see them only when we proceed deeper into the sea, but these days, they come into areas they were never seen before, as if the kind of fish they are looking for are now closer to the coastline. Each time they come, they destroy people’s nets.

Ayibatonye explained that each time the fisher men tried call the trawler operators to attention, the latter would begin to shoot at them.

He however called on the government to defend the rights of the local fishermen.

“We need help from the government, whether it is the state or federal government, the authorities should step in and prevail on the trawler owners and operators to go back to where the law permits them to operate and not come to the coast and give us problems”, Ayibatonye expressed.