Bola Ajimuda Seeks Declaration of Entire Ondo Coastline as Free Fishing Trade Zone for Indigenous Fishermen
Hon. Bola Ajimuda has appealed to the Ondo State Government to declare the entire coastline of the state a Free Fishing Trade Zone, saying the policy would provide needed economic protection for indigenous fishermen and unlock the huge fishing potential of the state’s littoral communities.
Ajimuda said the proposal was aimed particularly at protecting indigenous fishing operators from the growing economic pressure occasioned by rising costs of petroleum products and other inputs required for fishing. He described fishing as a major mainstay of the economy of the littoral communities and called for deliberate measures to ensure that indigenous fishermen are not driven out of the trade.
He noted that the removal of petroleum subsidy had significantly increased the cost of hydrocarbon-dependent businesses, with fishing operators bearing a substantial part of the burden. According to him, petroleum products and imported fishing essentials, including nets and other basic equipment, have continued to witness sharp increases in price, gradually eroding the revenue base of local fishing ventures.
Ajimuda further expressed concern that the rising cost of fishing operations had placed largely subsistence and indigenous fishermen at a disadvantage against better-equipped commercial fishing operators. He said the vulnerability of local fishermen required deliberate government intervention to preserve their occupation and protect the coastal economy.
He called for the introduction of measures including tax exemptions and reliefs for indigenous fishing operators, alongside an agricultural input and supply system that would enable government intervention in the provision of essential fishing tools and other basic inputs at affordable rates.
According to him, the hardship facing the fishing communities goes beyond the rising cost of inputs. The increasing cost of petroleum products has made it particularly expensive for fishermen to move their boats farther into the deeper sea in search of viable fishing grounds, making an already demanding occupation even more difficult.
He also pointed to the environmental challenges associated with oil exploitation in the coastal area, saying the situation had compounded the difficulties confronting fishermen whose livelihoods depend directly on the waters.
Ajimuda stressed that government intervention should deliberately prioritise indigenous fishermen along the Ondo coastline, whose families and communities have depended on fishing for generations. He argued that protecting them would have a multiplier effect on fish processing, transportation, trading, boat services and other businesses linked to the coastal fishing economy.
He said the proposed Free Fishing Trade Zone should therefore go beyond simply removing financial burdens, adding that it should create a broader framework for stimulating fishing activities, protecting indigenous operators and making the coastline more productive.
“The littoral environment in Ondo must be deliberately protected as an economic asset,” Ajimuda maintained, stressing that the state’s enormous fishing potential could be better harnessed if the people whose livelihoods are tied to the coastline receive the necessary support.
He said the specific details and mechanisms for implementing the proposed Free Fishing Trade Zone could be made available to the government upon request, adding that the ultimate objective was to protect indigenous fishermen, strengthen the coastal economy and create an enabling environment for sustainable fishing business across Ondo State.
