Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, and members of the Nigerian Trawlers Owners Association, NITOA have met, few days after the just concluded International Conference on Piracy and Armed Robbery at Sea, to further finetune collaborative arrangements towards harnessing Nigerian maritime potential in the area of fishing.

The Director General of NIMASA, Dr. Ade Dosunmu who led the Agency's team to the meeting reiterated the important role NITOA has played in the promoting Nigerian economy via the fishing industry and described the meeting as the beginning of a mutually beneficial relationship between NIMASA and NITOA.

While commending the fishing trawlers owners association for championing the cause of bringing the problem of piracy on Nigerian waters to the front burner, Dosunmu assured them that government is fully committed to making the country's waters a safe haven for both indigenous and foreign investors.

According to him, the significant reduction of fishing companies in Nigeria due to the activities of pirates is totally unacceptable to government. He promised that NIMASA would work with the association to find a lasting solution to this menace.

The NIMASA DG further disclosed that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe has assured of prompt action on the communiquÈ issued at the end of the international conference on piracy and armed robbery at sea which took place in Abuja, last week.

Meanwhile, NITOA has said that despite Federal Government's assurance through the Nigerian Navy to return to sea, the sea is still unsafe owing to the fact that pirates are still attacking their trawlers.

Executive Secretary of NITOA, Dr Michael Bissong who stated this during a chat with newsmen said that Nigerian waters are unsafe which contradicts the Navy assurance, saying that in the first week of their resumption at sea, six of their trawlers from four companies were attacked by pirates on the high sea.

"The trawlers resumed operation after the Naval assurance but coincidentally in the first week of our resumption six vessels were attacked in four days from four different companies. So, this situation calls for a lot of concern, which is a pointer to the fact that the sea is not safe for shipping activity and that the assurances given by the Navy are nothing to hold onto. So, we still implore Nigerian Navy to put in more effort to make the water safe", Bissong stated.

The Executive Secretary also disclosed that only one third of the trawlers have been released owing to the security situation at sea and the rising cost of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO).

He has also commended the effort of the government in trying to combat the piracy menace.

"We cannot allow the trawler companies to die because the government knows the importance of the industry because it provides employment and foreign exchange, and I believe that the government will provide the necessary facilities and fund", he said.

However, the DG disclosed that within the next few months, 8 more Patrol Boats would be added to the fleet patrolling Nigerian waters. He also stated that the Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Ganiyu Adekeye has agreed to deploy more Naval Officers to compliment efforts of the Maritime Guard Command.