Nigeria, Norway Forge Stronger Alliance Against Illegal Fishing
Oru Leonard
Nigeria is set to strengthen its fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing through enhanced maritime surveillance in partnership with Norway under the Blue Justice initiative.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, gave the assurance on Monday in Abuja while receiving Norway’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Svein Baera, who visited his office alongside the Second Secretary (Political and Project Development), Ms. Michelle Hovi.
Oyetola said the Federal Government was committed to protecting Nigeria’s aquatic resources from illegal exploitation, noting that closer international cooperation and access to advanced surveillance technology would improve the monitoring of activities within the country’s waters.
During the meeting, Ambassador Baera introduced the Blue Justice initiative, which offers participating countries free access to satellite-based Automatic Identification System (AIS) vessel-tracking data through the Blue Justice Ocean Surveillance Programme.
He urged Nigeria to join the Blue Community, a network of countries participating in the initiative, to strengthen its ability to monitor vessel movements, detect suspicious maritime activities and identify vessels that deliberately evade tracking systems.
According to the Ambassador, the programme provides access to real-time and historical vessel-tracking information, enabling authorities to investigate suspicious movements, identify patterns linked to illegal fishing and improve maritime law enforcement.
He explained that the initiative would support Nigeria’s efforts to conserve its fisheries resources, enhance surveillance capabilities and tackle illegal operators exploiting the country’s maritime domain.
Responding, Oyetola commended the Norwegian government for its continued partnership with Nigeria and expressed the Federal Government’s readiness to participate in the initiative as part of efforts to strengthen fisheries monitoring and enforcement.
The Minister expressed concern over the activities of foreign operators who allegedly harvest fish illegally from Nigerian waters, only for the products to be returned to the domestic market and sold at exorbitant prices.
“We cannot continue to allow foreign operators to exploit our marine resources illegally while our local fishers and businesses suffer the consequences. The Federal Government is determined to bring this practice to an end,” he said.
He noted that illegal fishing undermines the livelihoods of local fishing communities, deprives the country of legitimate economic benefits and threatens the sustainability of its aquatic resources.
Oyetola maintained that access to satellite-based surveillance and improved intelligence sharing would enable relevant agencies to identify suspicious vessel movements, investigate potential violations and enforce fisheries regulations more effectively.
“The protection of our waters is an environmental responsibility and an economic imperative. We must protect our fish stocks, safeguard the livelihoods of our fishermen and ensure that our marine resources contribute meaningfully to national development,” he added.
The Minister further disclosed that the Federal Government was implementing measures to increase domestic fish production, reduce dependence on imports, create employment opportunities and conserve foreign exchange.
He said strengthening the protection and sustainable utilisation of Nigeria’s marine resources remained critical to the development of the blue economy and the expansion of economic opportunities for Nigerians.
The proposed collaboration with Norway is expected to provide additional technological support for Nigeria’s maritime surveillance efforts and reinforce the country’s response to illegal fishing and other maritime-related offences.
Cover Photo Caption, L-R: Senior Special Assistant to the President on Marine and Blue Economy, Professor Busayo Fakinlede; Second Secretary, Norwegian Embassy, Ms. Michelle Hovi; Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola; Norwegian Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Svein Baera; and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Mrs. Fatima Mahmood, during the Ambassador’s courtesy visit to the Minister in Abuja on Monday.
(FMMBE Press. October 12, 2026)
