Seafood Prices Soar As Sea Pirates Lay Siege To A’Ibom Waters

The global seafood market has opened a huge opportunity for Nigerian seafood Agriprenuers to explore due to the global demand for seafood such as shrimps and prawns. Weighing in on the potentials of the seafood market.

Data revealed by the Federal Department of Fisheries says that Shrimps and prawns have an inshore production of 17,654 metric tons annually, also Nigerian shrimp is largely produced in the Niger Delta and it is the second-largest brackish habitat in the world.

Sadly, the excruciating socio-economic crunch biting hard across virtually all sectors of the nation’s economy has led to an increased tempo of crimes orchestrated by unemployed youths, who have resorted to illegalities as their regular pastime in Akwa Ibom State affecting the business.

For instance, shrimp has a rich content of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidant astaxanthin which helps to promote heart and brain health, shrimp is also a very good source of protein and has a rich vitamin and mineral content.

Also, the global value of shrimps and prawns only, in the seafood industry has an estimation of about $39billion and is expected to reach $68billion by 2027 sadly, might not be achieved due to growing insecurity.

Apparently worried by the activities of hoodlums who are in the habit of breaching the peace and tranquility the 34-year-old state has enjoyed over the years, the state governor Udom Emmanuel had since the inception of his administration in 2015, placed much premium on the security of lives, properties and investments.

According to the governor, who had been working in partnership with the Police, Army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), the Department of State Services (DSS), and other para-military agencies to curb crimes in the last couple of years, “the peaceful nature of our dear state has ranks Akwa Ibom among states with the highest Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs)”.

Corroborating this, the Police said the huge investments in security by the governor Emmanuel-led administration has bolstered the fighting spirits of the officers and men to take crimes fighting to the dens of criminals across the 31 Local Government Areas.

However, checks by our Correspondent revealed that while armed robbery cases including petty crimes like shoplifting, breaking and stealing, rape, cultism, and other sundry misdemeanors have reduced drastically, the waterways spread across the coastal communities of Uruan, Mbo, Esit Eket, Eastern Obolo, Ibeno and Oron LGAs, have been taken over by Sea pirates.

A local fisherman Bassey Ekpo who plies his fishing business on Akwa-akpa (big river) in Uruan LGA said, “the sea pirates have shut us out of business, we can’t enter our waters to fish anymore because of incessant attacks and robbery by Sea pirates.”

On coastal crimes, he said in the last couple of months, “Several fishermen and travellers to Cameroon have been robbed, kidnapped and others killed or missing with several boats and outboard engines seized, even with some of the boats allowed to float on the high sea without control,” he lamented.

Meanwhile, seafood dealers and traders at the Oron Beach and seafood market, as well as Nwaniba Beach and Ishiet market in Uruan LGAs, have expressed dismay at the frequent disruption of their major means of livelihood.

“The activities of the hoodlums have deeply affected our operations because we no longer purchase fish and other seafood in the quantity we expected.

“Because of this problem, which has become almost a daily occurrence, seafood like fishes, crayfish, prawns especially in this fishing season have been scarce with prices on the high,” Akan Ukpong, a dealer in popular Inagha fish, lamented.

Also, Madam Bessy Akpan, said her fresh fish business has gone down “because I can no longer afford to buy the normal kilogram of Inagha fish that I can comfortably supply to my customers; I can’t even buy half of what I used to buy previously”.

She recalled that “on many occasions, I had to return home without buying a single fish due to the scarcity of the items at the markets”.

Another trader who sells crayfish, Mrs. Peace Umoh, lamented that “the situation is so pathetic that one could just leave the home with the hope of buying the quality of crayfish for their customers, and end up going home with nothing.”

Due to incessant attacks and fear of being killed, Mbakara Inyang, a ferry transport operator to Cameroon, said that marine transport services have been disrupted following “frequent kidnapping of our men and robbing of passengers.”

“Because of the problem, the women cannot go to the seashore to get enough sea items,” he stressed.

Similarly, the seafood market at Ishiet market at Uruan LGA is now deserted with few buyers and sellers bargaining and interacting amid skyrocketing prices, rise in the cases of attacks by criminals, and the need for the government to tackle the scourge.

What increased the criminal activities of the hoodlums, according to a community leader in Uruan LGA, who spoke on condition of anonymity, was when one prominent man, who owns a resort at Uruan, was kidnapped, but sadly killed.

He said the killings forced the Nigerian Navy to wade into the matter.

He recalled that “the Navy personnel had opened an attack on another group of hoodlums and vice versa.

“Since then, there have been fighting, disturbances and tension inside the waters, making it difficult for the fishermen to carry out their duties, resulting in scarcity of the items, which is also affecting the traders and the end users,” he stated.

The Akwa Ibom State Police Command, following a distressed call, according to the PPRO, Odiko Macdon, in a statement on the raging problem, assured of Police intervention.

The Police Superintendent (SP), in a statement in Uyo, the State capital, said: “From the Chairman of Uruan Local Government Area, Hon. Iniobong Ekpeyong, the Command received a distressed call that a boat conveying fish traders from Ishiet market in Adiadia community, had been attacked and occupants kidnapped by Sea Pirates along the Uruan water channel.

“The Commissioner of Police (CP), Olatoye Durosinmi, mobilised Tactical Teams and the Command’s Marine Police to go after the hoodlums.

“The Akwa Ibom State Marine Police, who had been trailing the hoodlums, closed in on them after an aggressive search, causing the evil men to abandon their victims at the creeks, after robbing them of various sums of money, macheting two. They also burnt one of their engine boats.

“Victims were successfully rescued and brought to the Akwa Ibom State Police Headquarters and those in need of medical attention were taken to the police Clinic for treatment.

“CP Durosinmi had visited the Nwaniba Beach and Ishiet Market in Adadia community in Uruan LGA in the company of the LGA Chairman, where he met with community leaders and youths, assuring them that the Police will spare no resources in safeguarding lives and property in the state.

“The CP urged them to continue to cooperate with security agencies and report criminal and suspicious elements around their locality to them or call any of the Command’s emergency HOTLINES: 08039213071 or 08189243935”.

The Chairman of Adadia Boat Drivers Association, Chief Ekong Bassey, recalled that the pirates numbering about 12, attacked four boats at Ekeya fishing camp, robbed all passengers on board, removed nine 40 horsepower engines and set one of the boats ablaze.

Expressing his displeasure over the incident, Chief Bassey, lamented that “this is one of the major challenges fishermen are facing in their line of business”.

“Many women, who move from one fishing camp to another have been raped and robbed by sea criminals”, he added.

He, therefore, appealed to relevant authorities to come to their aid as “this has affected the smooth running of their businesses as well making life hard for the common people in these hard times”.

One of the victims, Mr. Usen Sunday, who described the experience as horrible, stated that “sailing from Issiet beach to Oron and Cameroon, has become difficult to us as we are subjected to horrifying experiences during voyage on shore.”

It was gathered that despite the Police action, the activities of the sea pirates have continued unabated, leaving the common traders at the mercy of their liquid cash, which they said, “we have started using the capital due to lack of businesses and profits.”

“We are calling on federal and state governments to harmonize and both deploy more security agencies and gunboats, to safeguard the coastal communities so we can return to our businesses,” they implored.