Master Mariners carpet NIMASA over failure to sensitise stakeholders on importance of clean waters in maritime industry

Segun Oladipupo.

The Nigerian Association of Master Mariners (NAMM) has lampooned the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) over its failure to coordinate other maritime agencies and private sector players to celebrate the World Ocean Day.

The Master Mariners added that the Federal Ministry Of Environment and National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) have not done enough to promote importance of clean waters either.

World Ocean Day is an annual event held on 8th June and the 2020 edition was tagged: Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean

Captain Tajudeen Alao on Monday, harped on education of stakeholders on issues bothering on international water saying there were many codes associated with clean water.

According to him, the agencies and communities should understand the importance of the oceans even as he called on the media to challenge the government to do the needful.

Speaking further, Captain Alao stressed the need for local fishermen, fish traders, local government authorities and the federal government to key into the importance of the ocean to nation’s economy, noting that human beings are to manage the treasures of the blue sea.

“NIMASA does not have the muscle to call all the relevant agencies of government and private sectors on the need to champion this celebration and I think it’s a problem.

“Education is essential on issues bothering on international waters. There are so many codes associated to clean waters.

“Pollution from the sea, air, human beings and even ship board generated waste and even MARPOL are conventions we should be looking at because the world is a global village. The conventions are put in place for human beings to manage.

“It is very important to celebrate the World Ocean Day like we mark the World Seafarers Day and World Maritime Day in Nigeria because they are all in the same scale. Creating a date to celebrate this event is laudable but we are not doing much on this collective responsibility.