16 June 2008
Akwa Ibom — Fishermen in Akwa Ibom have appealed to the state and the federal government to assist them in their efforts to combat food scarcity.
The fishermen under the auspices of Artisan Fishermen Association of Nigeria said the scarcity of fish was due to delayed rainfall and the recent oil spill at the Qua Iboe Oil Terminal.
The association's chairman in Akwa Ibom, Mr Samuel Ayadi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at Ibeno that fishermen toiled endlessly at sea with very little catch.
He said that the dwindling catch had threatened the income of about 6,000 fishermen in Akwa Ibom.
Ayadi said: "The last time we experienced this type of scarcity was between the year 2000 and 2001, and it usually occurs after major oil spillage.
"Fish migrate further into the high sea, where our fishermen cannot get to, but we are praying for more rainfall to cleanse the waters so that fish can breed and multiply.
We appeal to government to assist fishermen with outboard engines to enable us undertake deep sea fishing.
"We need financial assistance to get modern fishing gears to boost our catch so that prices can come down."
Ayadi said that the only option to reduce the scarcity of fish was to undertake deep sea fishing because the fishes had migrated into the Atlantic Ocean.
He said that if fishermen in the country were assisted, they would supply enough fish for domestic consumption and for export.
Ayadi said that market women at the Ibeno fish market in Akwa Ibom were complaining that the scarcity of fish was driving them out of business.
He said that the women explained that customers from neighbouring states no longer got enough fish from the market.
He appealed to the Akwa Ibom Government to extend the support enjoyed by farmers in the state to fishermen as they were also engaged in the agricultural sector.
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