By Gbenga Abulude
A network of fishers, the FishNet Alliance has called for support for fishers operating in Makoko, Lagos State and in other coastal communities across Nigeria.
The group which is made up of artisanal fishers, fish processors and marketers, expressed how their members groaned under lockdown measures that has deprived them of access to fishing grounds and daily income to take care of their families.
The call was made during a meeting of members of the Alliance in Makoko, Lagos on Wednesday, 19 August 2020.
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In a statement released by the group, Mr Akintimehin Claudius Adewole, leader of the Alliance in Lagos State, called on the government to support the fishers and roll out policies that would protect the aquatic environment, clean-up already polluted areas and guarantee the rights of the people to a decent livelihood as fishers.
According to some of the fishers at the meeting, the pandemic has brought about disruptions in supply chains for fish due to disruptions in transportation, trade, and labour. Many people employed in the sector, such as fish vendors, processors, suppliers or transport workers lost their jobs and subsistence has become a huge challenge.
Also Mr Nnimmo Bassey, the Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), urged government to provide adequate support systems for fishers to preserve their wellbeing.
She noted that there are stories of woes among fishers along the entire 850 km Atlantic coastline of Nigeria where their job existence are being disrupted by oil spills. In places like Makoko, a community on the edges of the Lagos Lagoon, life is precarious due to both the pandemic with heightened vulnerability due to the state of their environment.
She said, “Without fish a vast population of Nigerians would go without that source of protein thus exacerbating the nutritional deficiencies in the population. Our fishers are among the most vulnerable of our country.
“Special measures including ensuring that wastes are not dumped into our water bodies to ensure healthy aquatic species and higher catch for the fishers.
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“It is regretted that thousands of fish died off the Niger Delta coasts between February and May 2020 and to date there is no definitive statement from government about what killed the fish and what actions have been taken to avoid future occurrences”.
HOMEF, during the meeting, extended food items to the fishers as a way of cushioning the impact of the environmental and socio-economic stress brought about by the pandemic.
The vice president of the association of fishers in Lagos State, Mr Segun Seminor implored that the FishNet Alliance be extended to all 5 divisions of the fishermen association where fishers are also facing the challenge of pollution including from toxic chemicals.
At the end of the meeting, the group resolved and made their demands in a 6-point resolution:
Government should put adequate measures in place to help fishers during COVID-19 pandemic.
There should be increased participation of fishers in public policies with regard to the aquatic environment.
Traditional knowledge of fishing practices, including those that would help mitigate climate change impacts should be adopted in policies.
All Indiscriminate displacement of fishing settlements and sand-filling of fishing creek, rivers and wetlands should be halted.
Polluting corporations should be held liable for the harms created, required to clean-up immediately and to duly compensate the affected people and communities.
Fishers should unite and engage in further dialogues to equip members with skills to serve as environmental defenders and as climate change.
FishNet Alliance is an Africa-wide network of fishers engaged in and promoting sustainable fishing in line with ecosystem limits. The Alliance opposes extractive activities in water bodies – including rivers, lakes and oceans.
