Charles Okonji
Fish Farmers of Association of Nigeria has lamented the loss of over N300million to the activities of smugglers and fraudulent importation of unhealthy tilapia fish into Nigeria through the nation’s sea port.
The National Vice President of the association, Nurudeen Tiamiyu, who spoke to The Nation, regretted that this fraudulent activity is being perpetrated at time that the global economy is undergoing serious challenges.
Tiamiyu said, “They are being imported with the active knowledge of the Federal Department of Fishery (FDF) and Customs, even as they both know that Tilapia import is banned for now.”
He noted that the imported tilapia from china is unhealthy for consumption, adding that it is sold in Nigeria at a ridiculous price as low as N580 per kg, and this has shut down all local tilapia markets selling for 900 naira per kg.
He said, “They are being sold for 580 naira per kg and this has shut down all local tilapia markets selling for 900 naira per kg. Price of Tilapia in some parts of the world are as follows: Indonesia N1,050, Thailand N600, Benin Republic N1,300, Burundi N2,000, Kenya N2,000, DRC N2,000, Cameroon N1,300, Cote Divoire N1,600, Nigeria N900 per kg. This will make you understand that what is being brought here is not fit for human consumption.”
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Also, the National President of the association, Mr. Remi Ahmed stated that the Chinese are flooding our market with fishes they can’t send to other countries.
He noted that during lockdown, that some containers of Tilapia fishes were cleared at the Nigerian port, regretting that no sanction was melted at the violator who imported the prohibited fish.
According to him, “We have reported to the Federal Department of Fishery (FDF) and nothing has been done to check the illicit import of the fish. We need strict enforcement of the policies available for the sector to remain viable.
“We frantically have no market. This is as result of continuous influx of tilapia fish into the country through Nigeria’s sea port. The perpetrators do not declare tilapia in their manifest, though we are reliably informed that they are not monitored adequately.”
The result of the illicit activities, he stressed, has made the fish farmers continue to operate at a loss. “We are not selling, so we resulted to reducing our production, and this affected our employees as we have to lay off some of them in a bid to reducing expenses and the cost of feeding. When you are not producing in full capacity, what is the essence of keeping workers? We are only functioning at 25 percent capacity. If we don’t do so, we would end up paying redundant staff for nothing. So, that is the danger and we cannot continue like that.”
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