The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Andoni, under the command of
NNS BEECROFT, Apapa, Lagos, has handed over the arrested 12-man crew of fishing
trawler FT Hajiya Binta to the Federal Department of Fisheries for illegal
poaching fishes.
The suspects who were arrested by Andoni under the command
of Captain Ifeanyi Okpala, during a routine patrol of the Lagos fairway buoy,
were handed over to the department of fisheries for further investigation and
prosecution.
Preliminary investigations carried out by the Commander, NNS
BEECROFT, Commodore Chris Ezekobe, revealed that the fishing trawler was
carrying out illegal fishing as against catching shrimp which it was licensed
for.
Ezekobe who was represented by the Base Operations Officer
(BOO), Commander Sabo Lengaya and the the Base Information Officer (BINFO),
Lieutenant Patricia Onyekwere, said the trawler had official license for
inshore shrimping only and not fishing as it was caught doing.
He said, "During interrogation, the crew claimed to
have few bags of fishes asides from the shrimps and we had to carry out an
on-the-spot search on the trawler to ascertain their claims.
"However, when naval personnel boarded the vessel, it was
discovered that the trawler was actually carrying 180 bags of fish and 123 bags
of shrimps and this lead to their arrest."
Also speaking, Captain Okpala said his ship was on routine
patrol when they noticed suspicious movement of the trawler and approached her
for clarification.
He said, " During interrogation, it was discovered that
the trawler was poaching instead of shrimping which she was licensed to do.
"Also, the captain of the trawler later claimed he was
acting in the directive of his company, the Atlantic Shrimpers Ltd."
Whilst receiving the arrested vessel and the crew, Mr.
Popoola Babatunde Akinola of the FDF said the suspects would face the full wrath
of the law after investigations.
He also pledged to keep the navy abreast on steps taken
in the course of investigations as well
as the total outcome of the investigation.
Also, the Assistant Director Fisheries resources monitoring
Control and surveillance Department of Fisheries, Mrs. Bola Aduke Kupolati, while commending
the navy, called for more collaboration to nip poaching in the bud.
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