Rising diesel prices have crippled Nigeria’s fishing industry, leaving more than 80 percent of trawler vessels grounded.
A visit to the Ijora Fish Market in Lagos showed a sharp drop in fish supplied by Nigerian trawlers, leading to scarcity and higher prices for consumers.
Retired Navy Captain Oladele Robinson, National Executive Secretary of the Fisheries Cooperatives Federation of Nigeria, said both artisanal and industrial operators are badly hit by the soaring cost of fuel.
He explained that small scale fishers rely on petrol PMS to power their boats, while industrial trawlers depend entirely on diesel AGO. Many now go to sea and return without enough catch to cover fuel costs, making trips unsustainable.
Robinson said this situation is driving up the prices of fish and other seafood across markets.
Sources close to the Nigerian Trawlers Owners Association NITOA said diesel prices have more than doubled, making long fishing trips almost impossible to finance.
They revealed that diesel, which previously cost about N900 per litre, now sells between N1,800 and N2,000 per litre, an increase of over 100 percent.
Because trawlers run 100 percent on diesel, the surge has pushed many companies to tie up their vessels at the jetty instead of sailing at a loss.
The source warned that the industry is in a critical state, with operators unable to cover operating costs while overheads remain the same. Many firms are already going under.
The fuel crisis also threatens food security, as fish is one of the most affordable sources of animal protein for Nigerians. If vessels remain idle, the country will face even greater shortages of fish, the source cautioned.
There are also fears of large scale job losses across the fishing value chain. Up to 10,000 direct and indirect jobs could be at risk if operations do not resume.
The source linked part of the diesel price spike to global disruptions caused by hostilities involving Iran, which have affected oil and gas logistics and pushed up international fuel prices.
She called for targeted government support, such as subsidies or special interventions, to keep the industry alive. She stressed that unlike other sectors, industrial fishing depends completely on diesel and has no alternative energy source.
She compared the fuel demand of a trawler to running a diesel generator non stop for 50 days, saying this gives a sense of how high the cost of keeping a single vessel at sea has become.
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