By Diana Omueza
The Federal Government has assured Norway of Nigeria’s participation in the Blue Justice Initiative to strengthen satellite surveillance of its waters and intensify action against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, gave the assurance on Monday when Norwegian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Svein Baera, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.
Oyetola said Nigeria was ready to partner with Norway to deploy satellite-based vessel-tracking technology to identify suspicious maritime activities, protect fisheries resources and strengthen enforcement against illegal fishing operators.
He expressed concern that foreign operators sometimes harvested fish illegally from Nigerian waters before rebranding the products and returning them to the country for sale at exorbitant prices.
“We cannot continue to allow foreign operators to exploit our marine resources illegally while our local fishers and businesses suffer the consequences.
“The Federal Government is determined to bring this practice to an end,” he said.
The minister said illegal fishing undermined local livelihoods, deprived Nigeria of legitimate economic benefits and threatened the sustainable management of its aquatic resources.
He said satellite surveillance and improved intelligence sharing would enhance the government’s ability to detect suspicious vessel movements, investigate suspected offences and enforce fisheries regulations.
“The protection of our waters is an environmental responsibility and an economic imperative.
“We must protect our fish stocks, safeguard the livelihoods of our fishermen and ensure that our marine resources contribute meaningfully to national development,” he said.
Oyetola said the government was also pursuing measures to boost domestic fish production, reduce dependence on imports, create jobs and conserve foreign exchange.
He said Nigeria was interested in deepening its longstanding relationship with Norway, particularly in sustainable fisheries management, aquaculture development, green shipping and technology transfer.
The minister said the development of domestic aquaculture remained a priority, adding that Nigeria required technical assistance, modern technology and capacity development to strengthen local production and support fishermen.
He expressed appreciation for Norway’s willingness to share its expertise and reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to join the Blue Justice Community, a network of countries collaborating to combat illegal fishing and other maritime crimes.
Earlier, Baera said Norway was introducing the Blue Justice Initiative to Nigeria as a practical mechanism for strengthening maritime surveillance, detecting illegal fishing and promoting cooperation among governments.
He said the Blue Justice Ocean Surveillance Programme provided participating countries with satellite-based Automatic Identification System (AIS) vessel-tracking data to monitor activities at sea and identify suspicious movements.
The ambassador said Norway had developed five satellites capable of monitoring maritime activities along the Nigerian coast and across West Africa, providing valuable information to help identify suspected illegal fishing and other criminal activities.
He said the initiative offered opportunities for governments to share intelligence, exchange experiences and improve their capacity to address maritime crimes.
Baera invited Nigeria to join the Blue Justice Community, saying participation would strengthen the country’s ability to protect its marine resources and improve maritime law enforcement.
He said Norway was also interested in expanding cooperation with Nigeria in aquaculture and fish farming, noting that the sector had helped diversify Norway’s economy beyond oil and gas.
The ambassador expressed the readiness of the Norwegian government to host a delegation from the ministry to explore practical opportunities for cooperation and support the development of Nigeria’s aquaculture industry.
He also reaffirmed Norway’s commitment to its longstanding stockfish trade with Nigeria, expressing confidence that the relationship would continue to grow.
Also speaking, Ms Michelle Hovi, the Second Secretary, Political and Humanitarian at the Norwegian Embassy, said the Blue Justice Initiative provided participating countries with access to real-time and historical AIS data covering vessel movements for up to three years.
Hovi said the information could help maritime authorities track vessels, investigate suspicious activities and identify patterns associated with illegal fishing.
She explained that the initiative went beyond providing surveillance data, as it also offered technical guidance, information sharing and opportunities to train maritime officers to analyse and use the data effectively.
According to her, more than 40 countries are already participating in the initiative, and Norway would welcome Nigeria’s membership.
Hovi said the initiative would enable Nigeria to benefit from the experiences of other participating countries while strengthening its own maritime monitoring and enforcement capabilities.
The delegation presented a letter from the head of the Blue Justice Secretariat to the minister, alongside explanatory materials on the programme and its operations.
The meeting ended with both countries expressing their readiness to strengthen bilateral cooperation in maritime security, sustainable fisheries management and aquaculture development.(NAN)
Edited by Isaac Aregbesola
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