The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, weekend announced its decision to commence the structured embargo on the importation of fish into the country, with the implementation of the backward integration policy for the fisheries sector beginning January 2014.
Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina told This Day that against erroneous claims by some faceless groups that he had ordered a blanket ban on fish importation into the country, government is actually working on an integrated policy that will gradually deliver the country from the wasteful dependence on fish produced in foreign nations, while Nigeria’s abundant aquatic resources stays untapped.
Adesina explained that the new policy being introduced, which takes full effect from January 2014 targets a 25 percent annual reduction in fish importation into the country. He said in line with the backward integration policy, all fish importers must begin to engage in fish farming enterprises like their counterparts in other parts of the world with the aim of increasing local production and reducing fish import.
