21st January, 2024
By Shedrack Frank
The Nigerian Navy (NN) on Saturday handed over a fishing trawler, MFV Lady Jessica ll, and 13 crew members to the Federal Department of Fisheries in Bayelsa.
The trawler was arrested on Dec. 11 by the Navy’s Forward Operating Base (FOB) Formoso.
It was arrested while trawling within an area reserved for artisanal fishing boats.
It was arrested at a position less than five nautical miles from the shore around the Pennington River entrance, without operating her Automatic Identification System.
The handing over was held at a brief ceremony at the Forward Operating Base, Egwema, Brass.
It was performed by the Commanding Officer, Capt. Murtala Rogo, represented by the Executive Officer, FOB, Commander Dantani Bukar.
Rogo said that the act violated the Sea Fisheries Act of 1992, adding that such acts, among others, would not be tolerated by the Nigerian Navy.
“To this end, I wish to advise all mariners to be law-abiding as they engage the Nigerian maritime domain,” he said.
The Commander also said that the Nigerian Navy would not tolerate any maritime infractions in the Nigerian waters and the Gulf of Guinea.