The Nigerian Navy recently flagged off
Exercise EJA Express to tackle the menace of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Chiemelie Ezeobi, who was embedded in the exercise, reports that it also provided opportunity to enhance operational readiness and efficiency of troops and platforms
In the Gulf of Guinea waters, an estimated US$9 billion to US$24 billion is lost to Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUUF) globally, with the level of illegal fishing in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) being 40 per cent higher than the global average.
The destabilising impacts of IUU fishing in the GoG result in losses estimated on average at about 790,000 tons of fish per year. This has resulted in annual economic losses in income of over $2 billion.
Essentially, IUU Fishing is a global problem that threatens ocean ecosystems and sustainable fisheries. It also threatens our economic security and the natural resources that are critical to global food security, and it puts law-abiding fishermen and seafood producers abroad at a disadvantage.
Exercise EJA Express
For this reason and more, the Nigerian Navy (NN), flagged off Exercise EJA Express. The Fourth Quarter Sea Exercise showcased a multifaceted approach encompassing various maritime activities to enhance operational readiness and efficiency.
As one at the forefront of fighting maritime crimes, the exercise saw NN personnel put out vessels and helicopter to sea with elements of the Special Boat Services (SBS).
Flag Off
At the flag off, the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Western Naval Command (WNC), Rear Admiral Mustapha Hassan said EJA was derived from Yoruba language, meaning “Fish” in English, which encapsulates the essence of the exercise; to address prevalence of IUUF in the GoG.
He said: “It is well known that Illegal Unregulated and Unreported Fishing (IUUF) is significant in the GuIf of Guinea…The Western Naval Command is therefore launching this exercise to work up her ships and personnel in keeping up with our constitutional responsibilities.
“EX EJA EXPRESSION will greatly enhance the proficiency of Nigerian Navy personnel in the command and also enable us to test the operational state of our machinery.”
The FOC WNC further acknowledged the leadership of Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, Chief of the Naval Staff, for the unwavering support provided in ensuring a safer environment for economic activities within the area of responsibility.
Assessing Fleet Readiness
Given the multi-faceted nature of the exercise, Flag Officer Commanding, Naval Doctrine Command, Rear Admiral Habila Zakaria, who flagged off the exercise said that it was also to assess the fleet’s readiness to combat situations.
He said: “The function of the Western Naval Doctrine Command is to conduct combat readiness assessments of all the fleets within the Nigeria Navy. This is to ensure that the fleets are always prepared to carry out their functions, whether during wartime or peacetime.”
He said assessment would be based on conducting maritime operations, aspects of war-fighting, and checking how the ships carry out exercises to evaluate their major operational readiness.
“In a nutshell, as a Naval Doctrine Command, we will assess and work on them, contributing to the combatant CNS exercises,” he said.
Exercises at Sea
Having set the tone for the exercise, the senior officers including WNC Fleet Commander, Commodore Victor Choji, set sail onboard NNS KADA with its CO, Captain Tony Bassey and crew. Three other platforms followed suit
At sea, exercises like fleet maneuvers, gunnery exercises, vertical insertion, and VBSS (Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure), and interceptor boats were observed. Communication exercises and seamanship evolutions were also integral parts of the operation.
Collaboration
With the ultimate goal being to curb martine crimes and re-tool skills of personnel while assessing the platforms, the collaborative part of the exercise cannot be understated.
In this exercise, the navy partnered relevant stakeholders in the maritime sector including the Nigerian Maritime and Security Agency (NIMASA), the Nigerian Police and the Federal Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, to fortify interoperability while enhancing security within the maritime domain which contributes to the overarching goal of fostering a vibrant blue economy.
At the end of the exercise at sea, the Nigerian Navy reinforced its commitment not just at protecting aquatic life, but also the maritime domain from all crimes in its entirety.
