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.