Rising diesel prices cripple fishing sector

,,80% of vessels grounded
By Godwin Oritse

Members of the Nigerian Trawlers Owners Association, NITOA, have said more than 80 per cent of their vessels were currently grounded due to the sharp rise in diesel prices.

At Ijora Fish Market, a sharp decline in the volume of fish supplied by Nigerian trawlers was noted, resulting in scarcity of the commodity.

The development has also triggered a sharp increase in the prices of available fish across markets.
Commenting on the development, National Executive Secretary of the Fisheries Cooperatives Federation of Nigeria, Navy Captain Oladele Robinson, retd, said both the artisanal and industrial segments of the sector were being adversely affected by the rising cost of diesel and petrol, which is impacting operators’ activities.

Robinson explained further that operators in the artisanal segment relied on Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as petrol, to power their fishing boats, while the industrial sub-sector depended on diesel to run trawlers.

He stated that operators often deployed their vessels without securing sufficient catch to justify the high cost of petrol or diesel, adding that the situation had become unsustainable for continued operations.
He said: “At times, operators go to sea but are unable to secure enough catch to justify the cost of fuel, a situation that has driven up the prices of fish and other seafood.”

Efforts to reach Mrs Ben Okonkwo, President of NITOA, was futile as she was said not to be on seat when our correspondent visited her office in the Kirikiri area of Lagos but sources close to her office told Vanguard that the cost of Automated Gas Oil, AGO, which powers fishing vessels, had surged by over 100 per cent.

The source explained that deploying a vessel for a 50-day fishing trip under current fuel costs would result in significant financial losses.

“The problem is AGO, which is diesel. The vessels run 100 per cent on AGO. Right now, the prices are so high that you can’t even think of fuelling a vessel for a 50-day trip. The vessel will come back at a very big loss.

“What has happened is that operational costs have gone far beyond what companies can handle. That’s why operators have brought their trawlers back to the jetty rather than remain at sea and continue recording losses.

“We used to get diesel at about ¦ 900 per litre. Today, it is between ¦ 1,800 and ¦ 2,000 per litre, well over a 100 per cent increase,” the source said.

The source noted that the spike in fuel prices had pushed the industry into a critical state, with operators unable to sustain vessel operations, while overhead costs remained unchanged.

“The implication is that trawlers cannot operate under these conditions. The industry is in a critical situation. Companies are going aground,” she said.

The source warned that the development posed risks to food security, stressing that fish remained an affordable source of protein for many Nigerians.

“For the economy, this affects food security. If vessels do not go to sea, there will be shortage of fish. If vessels are not running, where do the seafarers go? These vessels are meant to be at sea, not tied up at the harbour.

‘’Across the industry, both direct and indirect labour, close to 10,000 jobs are at risk if there is no immediate government intervention,” she stated.

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