Regulation to facilitate quality fish production underway

THE Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) said that the FCT Fisheries Regulation would facilitate sustainable fish production and safety of consumer through Quality Assurance System.The FCT Minister of State, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide said regulation would also lead to rational utilisation of the natural fisheries resources thereby promoting conservation and sustainability.The minister spoke during the flag-off ceremony of a sensitisation workshop on FCT Fisheries Regulations in the six area council at the weekend.Represented by her Special Adviser on Area Councils, Mr. Peter Fwa, Akinjide noted that the regulation took a long time to come on board during which it created friction between the extension workers and the fisher-folks community as it slowed fisheries operation, which has been the major business of the fisher-folks.She congratulated the FCT Secretariat for Agriculture and Rural Development for the sensitisation workshop to enlighten the fisher folks on their operations in fishing without causing harm to the environment and threat to human health.Earlier, the FCT Mandate Secretary for Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Mrs. Olvadi Bema Madayi said the Fisheries Regulations, which was drafted in 1994 only became enforceable in August 2010.She stressed that the new law introduced legal decorum to Fisheries in the FCT has made Abuja joined the comity of states in the federation to finalise the process of issuing Fisheries Regulations for FCT.National President, Fisheries Society of Nigeria (FISON), Dr. Abba Abdullah explained that the effort to educate the fisher folks was commendable but lamented that the approach to the project was belated.Abdullah said that enforcement of these regulations has always been problem in Nigeria due to lack of education amongst the fisher-folk and inadequate participation in the formulation and enforcement of the regulations.He also pointed out that the cost of enforcement is enormous as it is shouldered only by the government agencies and outright absence of independent regulator in the fisheries sector.He said that the resource exploitation, water bodies productivity enhancement and quality assurance of products was critical for food security and safety of consumers.
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