“Stay off dead fishes” NIMASA warns coastal communities as scientific investigations begin
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has advised against further harvesting of hoards of dead Croaker fishes washed ashore along coastal areas of some Niger Delta communities.
The coastal communities cut across states including Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta.
In a Marine Notice on Friday, April 24,2020, calling attention of owners, operators, masters,
crew of fishing trawlers, artisan fishermen, and the public, the NIMASA Management urged people in those communities to avoid consuming that specie of fish involved in the incident of
dead fishes.
crew of fishing trawlers, artisan fishermen, and the public, the NIMASA Management urged people in those communities to avoid consuming that specie of fish involved in the incident of
dead fishes.
“The Agency wishes to advise the public and specifically the coastal fishermen/women operating along the mentioned areas of the contaminated fish on the human health, which may result in criminal liability for willfully selling such dead fish to the public,” the Marine Notice states partly.
NIMASA however said it had commenced the necessary scientific investigations with relevant experts to identify the possibly cause(s) and get means of mitigating the impact of the incident.
As enshrined in the Merchant Shipping Act, 2007, and in compliance with the MARPOL Regulations and other relevant instruments aimed at protecting Nigeria’s marine environment, NIMASA is legally mandated to addresses issues pertaining to marine environment protection.
OnepageAfrica reported earlier this week that communities along coastal communities in some
Niger Delta states woke up some weeks ago to see hoards of dead fishes on the shorelines, and the situation was later escalated by a group of concerned youths in the area.
Niger Delta states woke up some weeks ago to see hoards of dead fishes on the shorelines, and the situation was later escalated by a group of concerned youths in the area.
The youths including Godswill Jumbo, who is a journalist, Humphrey Buowari, Kelly Brown and Kindness Brown, disclosed their findings in a report after they visited Finima Town, Amariari, Lighthouse, River 7, Agaja, Uku-Mbi, Mbisu 1, Mbisu 2, and Ifoko communities in Rivers State.
