Kwara govt to ban fishermen without permit from fishing
The Kwara state government has said it would, henceforth, ban fishermen without fishing permits from fishing from the government’s rivers.
The commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs Oloruntoyosi Thomas, made this known during a courtesy call to the members of the Fishermen Association of Nigeria in the Laduba and Aliara axis of the river, Asa River in Asa Local Government Area of the State.
Oloruntoyosi, while reiterating the government’s commitment to the development of the fishery sector and value chain operators in the fish industry to become one of the significant revenue-generating sectors in the State, said the government is ready to empower fishermen who are duly registered members of the association to boost the economic growth of the state.
The Commissioner, who was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Funke Sokoya and other principal management staff of the Ministry, also commended the contributions of the fishermen and the impact of the women in the fish value chain on the State’s economy, saying Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq would continue to prioritise the welfare of the people in the sector by ensuring an improved enabling environment for the fish business to thrive in the State.
She urged the fishermen to preserve the water so as not to contaminate it for public use, adding that any fisherman without a fishing permit would subsequently be banned from fishing from the Government’s rivers.
The Commissioner further charged them to avoid overfishing, noting that this would allow the small fish to mature and consciously increase the fishermen’s income.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs. Funke Sokoya, advised the fishermen to adhere strictly to the State government’s regulations guiding fishing practices in the State.
The Director of Personnel Finance and Supply of the Ministry, Mr Mayaki Babadzuko Maadu, enjoined the Fish Farmers in the areas to report any strange faces within their business premises to the constituted authority for prompt action.
The President of the Fishermen Association in Kwara State, Mallam Sardauna Sule, appealed to the State government to ensure that nobody is given a fishing permit without the consent of the Association with a view to training such persons on the rules and regulations guiding them in using the water.
He, however, pleaded with the government to assist the members with more fishing equipment, such as fishing boats and nets, among others, for efficient fishing practice in the State.
