FG Starts Registration, Categorization For Nigerian Fish Farmers

The Federal Government of Nigeria, in its bid to solve the food crisis in the country, has kick-started the registration and categorization of all fish farms across the country. This move is also aimed at fighting the country’s economic challenges and encouraging export, inspection, data collection and record-keeping.

Investors King gathered that the Federal Department of Fisheries & Aquaculture, alongside states of the federation will commence the operation in the coming weeks. 

This development was disclosed at the end of a capacity-building training for fisheries officers and stakeholders involved in fish farming, processing and export recently.

During the training which was organized by the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC), participants urged the Federal Department of Fishery to hasten the completion and perfection of the Aquaculture Residue Monitoring Plan for approval, in order to enable the export of farmed fish into the European Union and other countries.

In the same vein, the Norwegian Customs has said that Nigerians can now export fish to Norway without duties. However, the products must be of standard quality. 

“Exporters of Nigerian farmed fishes can only enjoy the zero duty rate the moment the ban on such fishes is lifted by the European Union”, the Customs said. 

Meanwhile, the Central Bank Nigeria (CBN) has expressed concerns over the absence of off-takers for fishery farmers in Nigeria. The bank said the situation is affecting the Bank’s ability to intervene in the aquaculture Anchor Borrowers’ initiative.

At the training, an official of the Development Finance Department, CBN, Mr. Samson Alatise said that the CBN is set to support the growth of the fishery sector in Nigeria “if there are the willing anchors that will take up the farmed fishes from the farmers.”

Alatise stated that there is a committee set up by the federal government to checkmate the activities of the sector in the absence of an undertaker. He also said that the “development is limiting the Bank’s participation in funding the aquaculture of ‘Cat’ and ‘Tilapia’ fishes. 

‘‘We are keen on funding aquaculture; the issue is that there is no viable anchor and this has limited the CBN’s participation in terms of growing the fishery sector.

“The CBN wants to see how it can be assisted to overcome the issue of non-availability of anchor,” Alatise added.