By Daniel Essiet
As the fishing industry struggles with coronavirus crisis to stay afloat, experts have called for restrictions on vessels landing and processing fish.
With increasing number of victims, experts urged the government to take the steps to ensure operators in ocean fisheries continued to operate safely.
A don with Imo State University, Prof. Onuh Martin Onuh said seafood provision remains an essential function even in these extraordinary times. Adequately monitoring the nation’s fisheries, according to him, is an essential part of the process.
The agricultural expert said: “It is not necessary that Nigeria should prevent ships carrying food materials, including fish from coming into the country. Yes, ship crews can be carriers of the Corona virus. But their own case is not like that of airlines where it is difficult to quarantine the passenger and crew for 14 days because disembarking from the aircraft. For the ship own, both passengers and crew can be compulsorily made to quarantine for as long as necessary in the ship before the ship is allowed to berth and off-load its content. With proper monitoring and application of safety policies, commerce can be on in any country, provided the port workers and other people are highly disciplined to abide by the rules and guidelines that guarantee safety from the Corona virus.”
He added: “You can even see that, presently our problem with management of the Corona virus in Nigeria is indiscipline on the part of Nigerians who don’t want to obey the instructions of the States and Federal governments on who best to avoid contracting the disease, and preventing its spread. If Nigerians will judiciously obey the lockdown policy and be sincere in reporting to the appropriate government committees, those in their mist that show signs of the disease, for immediate evacuation and isolation, this pandemic will not spread here as we observe it in other countries.”
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