Lagos - The National President, Catfish Farmers Association of Nigeria (CAFAN), Mr Taye Akingbolagun, on Tuesday urged the Federal Government to grant subsidies to the fishery sub-sector to reduce importation of fish and create more jobs.
Akingbolagun, who made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, said that the subsidy would reduce Nigeria’s fish import bill by 25 per cent.
``We have made some requests to the Minister to look at the issue of fish importation in this country.
``We spend N100 billion to import fish to the country.
``And it is very easy to do aquaculture in Nigeria, the weather is suitable, the manpower is and the market is there.
``Why should we be importing fish worth N100 billion every year?
``So, there is a road map; the federal government has now reduced fish import bill by 25 per cent.
`` In other words, in this fiscal year we are looking at N25 billion and not N100 billion.
``It’s a road map, the following year, we will go another 25 per cent; we will now do N50 billion.
``In the next maybe four, five years we will be self sufficient in fish production and begin to export to other countries,” he said.
Akingbolagun also called on government to ensure that the aquaculture sub-sector enjoyed agricultural subsidies in 2014.
He said that for more than 20 years other sectors had benefited from agricultural subsidies except the fishery sub-sector.
``For more than 20 years, federal government has subsidised agriculture in the areas of cocoa, rice, cassava, cashew, cotton and raisin, not one naira has been spent on fisheries.
``Yet, it is believed that the fishery sub-sector is the fastest growing sub-sector in agriculture and it contributes more than other sub-sectors. So, why the neglect?”
Akingbolagun said that the huge importation of fish meant Nigeria was directly supporting the fishing industry of other developed and developing nations.
The president also commended the ban on the importation of some fish species stressing that the association would collaborate with government in boosting the nation’s fish production.
``Again, we want to look at other cultivable fishes because people are asking, ‘why Catfish, why not Tilapia?’
``Now government has now banned Tilapia importation so that we can stimulate home production of Tilapia.
``Government banned some fish importation to stimulate fish farming and expansion of employment through aquaculture.
``Look at the fishery; most of the fish we eat in the country are all imported. As such, we are exporting our jobs.
``So we, as an association, want to encourage people to produce fish locally so that we can create jobs for our people and expand the business,” he said. NAN
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