LAGOS- The Federal Department of Fisheries (FDF) has assured fish consumers of quality supply to markets across the country.
The Director, Mr Aderemi Abioye, told newsmen in Lagos that the department in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development was passionate about sale of quality fishes.
According to him, the sale of rotten fishes is now a thing of the past in Nigeria.
Abioye said the department’s Fish Quality Assurance Division had started monitoring ports, cold stores and markets to ensure that fishes in the markets met required quality standards.
“There are lots of awareness programmes being organised by the department. Also we are monitoring cold stores and sea food facilities all over the country.
“In the last seven months, we have not had a case of spoilt or rotten fishes from the cold stores and the markets.
“Dr Akinwumi Adesina, the Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resource, is passionate about this.
“We must ensure that the fish being sold are of good quality and that is the essence of the department,’’ Abioye said.
The director said that necessary legal framework had been put in place to punish erring traders who sell rotten fish.
“We have put in place necessary infrastructure and regulations to punish any offender who sells or trades in unwholesome fishes to Nigerians,’’ he said.
It would be recalled that in March 2014, the department inspected some cold stores and facilities believed to be selling unwholesome fishes in Lagos.
Four vessels believed to be trawling juveniles and throwing back to sea dead fishes, thereby endangering other species were seized by the Nigerian Navy.
