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Consequences of Pollution and Degradation of

Nigerian Aquatic Environment on Fisheries
Resources

Article in The Environmentalist · January 2003

DOI: 10.1023/B:ENVR.0000031357.89548.fb

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 The Environmentalist, 23, 297–306, 2003
 2004 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Manufactured in The Netherlands.

Consequences of Pollution and Degradation of

Nigerian Aquatic Environment on Fisheries Resources

OLANIKE K. ADEYEMO ∗
Department of Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria

Summary. Throughout the world, human use of water, and bad planning have led to drier and polluted rivers,
lakes, and groundwater resources with dramatic effects on the natural ecosystems. Nigeria’s vast freshwater re-
sources are among those most affected by environmental stress imposed by human population growth, urbaniza-
tion, and industrialization. Disposal and management of wastes in Nigeria present serious environmental problems.
The usual methods of waste disposal in the country are: land filling, dumpsites, land spreads, water disposal, and
incineration. Each of these methods has serious environmental implications because of their potential to pollute
and contaminate underground and surface water bodies in the country. Major cities in Nigeria face serious water
pollution crises, in which lack of environmental control of water-dependent activities (including domestic, agri-
cultural, and industrial) play an important part. Fish and marine resources in the country face total collapse or
extinction, due to over-fishing and destruction of marine life and natural habitats by pollution of water bodies.
Unregulated and excessive use of pesticides for fishing and the deliberate disposal and dumping of toxic and haz-
ardous wastes into water bodies are significant causes of massive fish kills and loss of aquatic life and habitats
in the country. The protection of water quality and aquatic ecosystem as a vulnerable resource, essential to sus-
tain life, development and environment is of utmost importance to prevent further pollution and degradation of
Nigeria’s freshwater resources. Integrating operational measures for safeguarding adequate levels of protection
of endemic habitats remains a major challenge. There is therefore a need to examine in tandem the entire range
of uses to which freshwater is put, and to design services which neither squander precious resources nor fail to
respect other, competing and complementary water needs.
This paper attempts to provide an overview of the Nigerian freshwater resources, to assess the pollution status
of inland waters, identify the sources of pollution, and infer the consequent effect on fisheries resource. Recom-
mendations were proffered on the strategies to employ to ensure that Nigerian fishery resources are adequately
managed in order to address the issue of food security.

Keywords: pollution, degradation, fisheries resources, Nigeria

Introduction negative effects on aquatic life. Most of the loss of

freshwater biodiversity originates from systemic fail-
Humans depend on their surrounding physical envi- ure to understand the linkages between development
ronment for the resources they need for their sur- activities and their impact upon freshwater ecosys-
vival. However, human exploitation of these resources
tems. In Africa, the main origins of aquatic pollu-
causes environmental degradation. Humans’ destruc-
tion are agriculture (run-off of fertilizers and pesti-
tive influence on the aquatic environment in the form
cides), domestic sewage, and industrial waste. The
of sub-lethal pollution results in chronic stress that has
huge population growth, which has taken place in
∗ Correspondence: O.K. Adeyemo (e-mail: nadeyemo@skannet. many African countries, has been accompanied gen-
com.ng; olanikeadeyemo@hotmail.com). erally by a strong expansion of uncontrolled urbaniza-
298 Adeyemo

tion, agricultural and industrial land use, and that re- Greenwich meridian, is the largest country in Africa.
sulted in a tremendous increase in pollutant discharge It has a total land area of 923,773 km2 or 72.3 mil-
into waterways, which impact downstream uses of wa- lion ha, 18,000 km2 of which is brackish water or
ter, and encroachment and interference in the normal freshwater swamps. Nigeria has a coastline of 853 km
functioning of wetlands. from Lagos in the west to Calabar in the east, Man-
Nigeria lacks adequate technology and sufficient grove area of 12,200 km2 , and total marine area of
manpower or staff with necessary technical and man- 182,500 km2 . The coastal belt has estuaries and la-
agerial training and skills to properly handle wastes in goons as transition zones between the sea and the nu-
an environmentally safe and sound manner. The usual merous rivers and creeks flowing southward into the
methods of waste disposal in the country are: land Atlantic. Numerous settlements and some major cities
filling, dumpsites, land spreads, water disposal, and (Lagos, Port Harcourt, Warri, and Calabar) are located
incineration. Because Nigeria is entirely within the near estuaries and lagoons (Osibanjo and Bamgbose,
tropics and subject to heavy rains and because most 1989).
of the landfills and dumpsites are usually unlined, Nigeria claims a territorial sea of 56 km, conti-
toxic waste constituents, solvents, and leachates leak nental shelf of up to 200 m of depth of exploita-
or leach from them into the soil, where they contam- tion, and EEZ of 370 km. The vast hydrographic re-
inate underground water. Under heavy rains, wastes sources provide immense opportunities for commer-
from dump sites, land fills, and land spreads are usu- cial fish production in Nigeria. About 600,000 km2
ally washed into surface water bodies during soil ero- and 400,000 km2 has potential for subsistence and
sion or run-off. Inland and coastal waters in Nige- commercial fish-farming, respectively. For aquacul-
ria are also usual resources for waste disposal; the ture, water temperatures are optimal, annual rainfall is
emerging problems pose a serious threat to the sus- adequate to optimum in more than 95.5% of the land
tainability of the water resource base (Mino-Kahozi area, and water availability is optimal to suitable in
and Mbantshi, 1997). more than 95% of the area (FAO, 1994).
According to Ita et al. (1985), Nigeria is well en-
dowed with freshwater reserves of 12.5 million ha.
They represent a vital resource for a variety of human Present state of fisheries in Nigeria
activities and also provide a living environment for
an array of aquatic organisms. However, many users In Nigeria, with its ever-increasing population, the
of Nigerian resources still adopt behaviour patterns demand for fish far outstrips the supply. According
that pollute aquatic environments. The main forms of to FAO (1994), total national fisheries production in
aquatic pollution in Nigeria stem from urbanization, Nigeria was estimated at 248,964 t (inland fisheries
discharge of human, animal and industrial wastes, use at 103,209 t and marine fisheries at 146,889 t). The
of pesticides, and forbidden fishing practices. All con- estimated total domestic fisheries production in Nige-
tribute to a multifold depletion of fish stocks in partic- ria from 1990 to 1996 is 315,000, 343,000, 343,000,
ular and pollution and degradation of the aquatic en- 338,642, 251,275, 273,276 and 200,171 tonnes per
vironment in general. year respectively, which when combined with the to-
This paper examines and analyses the human di- tal imports for the same years, is just 51.34, 51.95,
mensions of the pollution and degradation of Nigeria’s 47.33, 47.23, 40.86, 53.12, and 49.95 percent of total
aquatic environment, highlights some of the key issues requirement for 1990 to 1996, respectively (Fig. 1).
and threats facing these systems, the consequences for However, the potential for the development of fish-
aquaculture and fisheries development, and proposes eries is higher than the figures documented in Nige-
strategies for reversal of the damage. ria. That is because the national statistics of fish-
eries are unreliable and incomplete (FAO, 1996). Cur-
Overview of the present state of fisheries in rent national fish demand is about 1.25 million metric
Nigeria tonnes per annum. The domestic fish production re-
mains low, necessitating in the continuous importa-
Hydrographic resources
tion of fish to bridge the demand and supply gap at
Nigeria, between latitudes 4◦ 16′ N and 13◦ 52′ E of the a very high cost to the nation (Fig. 2). In the aim to
equator and longitudes 2◦ 49′ E and 14◦ 37′ E of the increase the output from fisheries, traditional manage-
 Implications of Aquatic Pollution on Nigerian Fisheries Resources 299

Figure 1. Estimated domestic fisheries production in Nigeria between 1990 and 1996.

Figure 2. Comparison between domestic fisheries production and importation in Nigeria (1990–1996).

ment systems were discouraged, and trials were un- ment strategies in Nigeria, as in many other countries
dertaken to replace them with ‘modern,’ government- in Africa, include:
controlled techniques of management.
Some fishery management measures proposed by • Inadequate area coverage of enforcement infrastruc-
scientists were adopted by the authorities of the States tures.
and the Federal Government in the hope of narrow- • Lack of motivated and well-trained human re-
ing the gap between supply and demand. Such man- sources at technical and sub-technical levels for en-
agement measures include regulation through gear re- forcement.
strictions, gear selectivity, seasonal and area closures, • Low budgetary allocations by government to the
control of fishing effort, mesh size regulations, eco- fisheries sector.
nomic control, and resource allocation through ter- • Corruption of law enforcement agents, caused in
ritorial rights (Panayotou, 1992). In most cases the part by the lack of financial resources for enforce-
measures listed above had to be implemented (en- ment.
tirely or partly) through policing by uniformed staff • Lack of fisheries data upon which to base manage-
of the Fisheries Departments, applying state and fed- ment decisions—too often, there is not even a data-
eral laws and local government by-laws. After about base, or data are fabricated in the data recorder’s
four decades of independence, it is clear that this ‘po- office instead of thorough visits to the landing sites.
lice’ enforcement approach has largely failed, as the • Alienation of the resource owners, the fisheries
gap between fish supply and demand grows (Fig. 2). communities (J.S.O. Ayeni, personal communica-
Reasons for the failure of government-based enforce- tion).
300 Adeyemo
Table 1. Water bodies suitable for development of fisheries in Table 2. Total fish ponds and reservations in Nigeria by states
Nigeria
State No. of No. of Total No. of Total size
Name Type Location Water surface fish ponds lakes ponds and lakes (hectares)
(state) area (hectares)
Abia 125 0 125 82
Maka Inland water Benue 70 Anambra 963 0 963 5,13
Ungidi Inland water Benue 60 Adamawa 56 1 57 3,176
Guibi Dam Inland water Bauchi 600 Awa Ibom 92 2 94 7,101
Dadin Kowa Inland water Bauchi 2900 Bauchi 108 7 115 6,226
Doma Inland water Plateau 1200 Benue 815 3 818 14,162
Liberty Inland water Plateau 500 Borno 46 5 51 15,087
Kiri Inland water Adamawa 11500 Cross River 15 2 17 1,092
Irrigation Inland water Borno 57 Delta 280 1 281 2,521
Damgun Dam Inland water Yobe 12 Edo 237 3 240 4,692
Kachia Dam Inland water Kaduna 1000 Enugu 604 2 606 9,121
Kangimi Dam Inland water Kaduna 4000 Imo 380 1 381 3,121
Jibiya Inland water Katsina 567 Jigawa 215 4 219 12,402
A.B.U. Inland water Kaduna 184 Kaduna 326 5 331 4,454
Egbe Dam Inland water Ondo 48 Kano 586 6 592 22,866
Oselowo Inland water Ondo 48 Katsina 532 2 534 18,268
Ero Inland water Ondo 120 Kebbi 162 4 168 6,920
Oya Dam Inland water Ogun 4000 Kogi 16 1 17 1,053
Iberekodo Inland water Ogun 1500 Kwara 56 7 63 14,177
Eket Brackish Inland water Cross river 250 Lagos 300 2 302 3,415
Engong Creek Inland water Cross river 500 Niger 8 2 10 2,020
Oghedekpe Inland water Edo 130 Ogun 618 5 632 16,736
Ikpoba Inland water Edo 106 Ondo 178 3 181 2,162
Asa Inland water Kwara 302 Osun 278 4 282 5,836
Jebba Inland water Kwara 35000 Oyo 143 3 146 8,618
Oguta Inland water Imo 80 Plateau 286 5 291 5,503
Iyieke Inland water Imo 10 Rivers 226 1 227 4,480
Ihioma Inland water Imo 6 Sokoto 127 4 131 10,571
Asejire Inland water Oyo 2369 Taraba 12 1 13 1,046
Eko-Ende Inland water Oyo 597.5 Yobe 15 1 16 938
Eleyele Inland water Oyo 156 Abuja (FTC) 18 2 20 515
Goronyo Inland water Sokoto 20000
Kaura Namoda Inland water Sokoto 2201 Total 7823 89 7914 208,901
Shiroro Inland water Niger 31200 Source: Federal Department of Finance (FDF) and UNDP (1992).
Suleja Inland water Niger 740
Kagata Inland water Niger 580

Total 122,593.5 Pollution and degradation of Nigeria’s aquatic

environment and consequences for inland fisheries
Source: (FDF, 1991).
and aquaculture

Fish are an integral part of most aquatic ecosystems.

It is apparent that extensive and suitable sites Modifications in one area have the potential to affect
for aquaculture are available throughout Nigeria (Ta- others. The aquatic environment is definitely more
ble 1). The number of fish ponds and lakes in Nige- abused than the terrestrial, as many industrial and do-
ria (including aquifer ponds, Fadama enclosure ponds, mestic wastes are dumped directly into streams, rivers,
fisheries resource lakes, and swamp ponds) is 7,914 lakes, and oceans.
with a total surface area of 208,901 hectares (Table 2). In Africa, unprecedented population growth ac-
In view of its huge but largely untapped potential, companied by an intense urbanization leading to
Nigeria’s fishery sector should undoubtedly be able to increase in agricultural and industrial development
supply the national market if better organized, con- (Biney et al., 1987, 1994; Saad et al., 1990) have
trolled, and promoted. caused huge increases in the quantity of discharge
 Implications of Aquatic Pollution on Nigerian Fisheries Resources 301

Figure 3. The Alaro river in Oluyole industrial estate in Ibadan, upstream a man is seen washing clothes directly into the river.

and a wide diversification in the types of pollutants

that reach inland bodies of water. These transforma-
tions have undesirable effects on the different compo-
nents of the aquatic environment and on the potential
for fisheries. The biggest threat to the endemic cich-
lids, the fish fauna as a whole, and the aquatic system
in general comes from pollution. In Nigeria, domes-
tic waste, industrial pollution, and agricultural run-off
have been identified as principal causes of water pol-
lution (FEPA, 1991).

Domestic wastes

The rural exodus, population growth, and the lack of

funds for urban development have resulted in inad-
equate sanitation. Although urban regulations pre-
scribe that sanitation and associated infrastructure
should be in place before settlement, in reality land
is usually occupied first but sanitation facilities and
drainage works fail to materialise. Watercourses are
used as outlets for sanitation (Figs. 3 and 4), thus hu-
man and animal waste is discharged into the water-
courses. The discharge of untreated domestic sewage
to the aquatic environment is a major source of hu-
Figure 4. Domestic/industrial wastes (both solid and effluents) are
man pathogens. This mechanical and physical pollu-
emptied through this waterway into the Alaro river.
tion occurs in most of the country’s watercourses.
In Nigeria, leachates from refuse dumping, as
shown by high values of BOD, COD, total solids, and leachates also reinforces the fact that domestic refuse
suspended solids in the receiving surface water bod- contributes to heavy metal pollution in surface water
ies, indicate the high potential cause of gross organic in addition to its high oxygen depletion capabilities
pollution. The presence of trace heavy metals in the (FEPA, 1996).
302 Adeyemo

Ita and Mohammed (1987) reported low fish den- tion process. Most plants fail to recycle their waste
sities and diversity in twelve reservoirs in Kano and lack treatment facilities and so usually discharge
state and also the dominance of Tilapia and Clarias effluents directly into the watercourse (Fig. 4), at the
species resulting from advanced stages of environ- expense of aquatic life and water quality (Fig. 5). Ta-
mental degradation in these reservoirs. ble 3 typifies the water polluting nature of the effluents
from most industries in the country. When compared
with the Federal Environmental Protection Agency’s
Discharge of industrial effluents (FEPA) guidelines and standards, all the industries’
effluents contain several pollutants far in excess of
Nigeria has several small, medium, and large indus- FEPA’s limits.
trial plants and factories; all of these use chemical The current lead limit in gasoline sold in Nigeria
products, generally in toxic quantities in the produc- is 0.7 g Pb/l. However, the lead level in the Nigerian

Figure 5. Downstream, the Alaro river is heavily polluted. there is no sign of aquatic life.

Table 3. Physico-chemical characteristics of industrial effluents in Nigeria

Parameter Sugar Paper Brewery Textile Soft drink Petroleum Steel making Tannery *FEPA’s effluent
factory mill factory factory refinery plant limit

Temperature (◦ C) NA NA 32.0 39.0 31–44 7.0–8.2 NA 29 <40

pH 4.8 4.4 9.0 7.1 3.2–11.4 NA 6.90 10.2 6–9
T/solid (mg/l) 1415 905 3170 2200 130–680 560–740 NA 6960 2000
S/solid (mg/l) 468 790 406 10 10–30 5–620 NA 2470 30
D.O. (mg/l) NA NA NA NA 5.0 Nil-7.3 0.7–4.8 4.50 NA
BOD (mg/l) 1688 100 2110 103 NA NA NA 2000 50
COD (mg/l) 1954 730 3000 710 10002600 72–800 NA 4650 NA
Chloride (mg/l) 2.0 NA 1.0 285 6–30 268–720 28 2300 2000
Phosphate (mg/l) 1.7 NA 1.9 NA 0.04–1.60 17–64 NA NA 5.0
Iron (mg/l) 0.35 0.65 NA 0.5 2.4 0.20–6.30 NA NA 20
Chromium (mg/l) NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 39 NA
Oil & Grease (mg/l) NA NA NA 10 25 3.7–260 NA NA 20
Sulphide (mg/l) NA NA NA 3.0 0.98 0.85–1.0 NA 127 0.20
Nitrate (mg/l) NA NA NA NA 1.1 1.0–1.5 1.0 NA 20
Sulphate (mg/l) NA NA NA NA 32.5 0.03–2.30 6.50 1500 500
Colour Yes Yes Yes Purple Yellow Yellow NA NA NA
Odour Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes NA NA NA

Source: (Osibanjo et al., 1988; FEPA, 1991; FEPA, 1996).

NA: No data available.
 Implications of Aquatic Pollution on Nigerian Fisheries Resources 303

produced gasoline averages about 0.25 g Pb/l. With Although the manufacture and use of OCPs have
a national consumption of 25 million litres and a been banned or restricted in developed countries, they
75 per cent emission rate of lead as lead particu- have been used in both developed and developing
late, it can be deduced that up to 5 tonnes of lead countries for several decades and have played a major
per day, or 1800 tonnes per annum, would be un- role in increasing world food production and protect-
leashed into the Nigerian environment in 2002. Thus, ing human health and natural resources. These sub-
over a seventeen-year period spanning 1985–2002, stances however, are considered micro-organic pollu-
a total of about 30,000 tonnes of lead has been un- tants because of their persistence, toxicity, and other
leashed into the Nigerian environment (Agbo, 1997; negative ecological effects. Being lipophilic, they can
Maduka, 2001). The source of lead in water is mostly be concentrated to harmful levels in aquatic environ-
from the drainage and surface run-offs. Areas where ment through bioaccumulation. (Müller and Lloyd,
lead-based activities are high contribute to the lead 1994). Nonetheless, they are still being used in Nige-
levels in the final recipients such as rivers, streams, ria, as in most developing countries, because they
or wells. are relatively cheap and due to lack of appropriate
Petroleum pollution of surface waters caused by oil enforcement of national regulations (Calamari, 1985;
spills of various sizes from oil exploration, pipeline Biney et al., 1987; Osibanjo and Bamgbose, 1989;
movement of products, transportation, land-based pol- Saad et al., 1990).
lution sources, and product seepage is also a major
problem in the Niger Delta, Lagos, and around all the
petroleum refineries (FEPA, 1996). Textiles produce Over-exploitation of fisheries resources
water tinged with fat, oil, soap, tallow, and other in-
gredients. The scouring and washing of cotton fibre is Fishing constitutes the greatest and most serious hu-
a major source of organic pollution and waste loading. man perturbation of the Nigerian aquatic ecosystem.
Textile industries in Kaduna are responsible for more Fish and marine resources in the country face total col-
than fifty per cent of waste discharges into the river lapse or extinction, due to over-fishing and destruction
Kaduna (FEPA, 1996). of aquatic life and natural habitats by pollution of wa-
ter bodies.
There are approximately 12,000 fishers exploiting
Pollution from the agricultural sector the fisheries of Lake Kainji, Nigeria’s first artificial
lake (Ayeni and Mdaihli, 2002). The essence of man-
Intensive agricultural activities are a major threat to agement of renewable natural resources such as fish-
Nigerian fishery resources and their biodiversity. Most eries is to balance the rate of use (catch) with that
farmers, in order to increase their yields, use agro- of renewal (recruitment). The fishery being over-
chemicals, which then are carried by run-off to the exploited requires regulatory control, which can only
wetlands, thus changing the water chemistry, and work when there is effective mechanism of monitor-
triggering vegetation succession and other ecological ing and enforcement of regulation. These include
changes. Aquatic pollution by agrochemicals results laws, enforcement boats, power to arrest and charge
mainly from their widespread use in agriculture and to court, and punishment for infractions of regulation.
in vector control campaigns.
Over the years, acute toxicity of pesticides to
aquatic organisms has been seen by a large kill of fish Harmful fishing practices
associated with the accidental release of organochlo-
rine pesticides (OCPs), such as DDT, toxaphene, People living in villages often use toxic plant prod-
dieldrin, aldrin, and heptachlor into the aquatic en- ucts or natural toxic substances to catch fish. The
vironment (Leveque, 1989; Yameogo et al., 1993). products are usually introduced upstream; they then
Recently, several workers have reported the toxic- gradually flow downstream. The intoxicated or dead
ity of these substances to Nigerian fish (Ufodike and fish float to the surface. This practice destroys the
Omoregie, 1990; Alam and Manghan, 1993), and the fish stocks, fingerlings, eggs, plankton, and other
substances have been suspected to be carcinogenic in aquatic flora and fauna. It also disturbs egg-laying,
fish and other aquatic organisms (GESAMP, 1991). breeding, and hatching, and by reducing the supply
304 Adeyemo

of food and dissolved oxygen makes survival diffi- • Promoting cooperation with similar bodies in other
cult. Some fishermen also use small-mesh nets, which countries and international agencies associated with
further depletes the fish stocks especially when used environmental protection.
in nursery areas (Omorinkoba et al., 1997; KLFPP, • Cooperating with Federal and State Ministries, Lo-
1998; Olapade and Mdaihli, 1999; Ayeni and Mdaihli, cal Governments, statutory bodies, and research
2002). agencies on matters relating to the protection of the
The Nigerian Government has imposed a ban on environment.
most of these harmful fishing practices (Ajayi, 1996).
The instruments of intervention so far developed by
Extension of services to educate fishermen has made
FEPA on environmental pollution include:
the beach seine users to realise that their fishing be-
haviour is detrimental not only to the economic well- • The National Policy on Environment adopted on
being of their non-beach seining colleagues, but also 27 November 1998.
to the future livelihoods of their own children (KLFPP, • Establishment of a National Council on the Envi-
1998; Ayeni and Mdaihli, 2002). ronment.
• The National Guidelines and Standards for Envi-
ronmental Pollution in Nigeria (March 1999).
Nigerian policies, legal and institutional • National Effluent Limit Regulations S.1.8 of 1991.
framework on environmental pollution • Pollution Abatement in Industries and other Facil-
ities Generating Wastes Regulations S.1.9 of 1991.
Over the years, the Nigerian Government has promul- • Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) decree
gated various laws and policies on fisheries, which No. 86 of 1992.
were mainly to increase local supply in order to bridge
• National Guidelines and Standards for Water
the gap between the estimated total requirement and
Quality in Nigeria (1999).
its domestic production and to achieve a sustainable
• National Guidelines on Spilled Oil (1999).
use of fishing resources in Nigeria. These are:
• Guidelines on Environmental Auditing.
1. Sea Fisheries Decree (No. 30) of 1971.
Other major legislation in the area of environmental
2. Sea Licensing Regulation of 1971.
pollution includes:
3. The Sea Fisheries (Fishing) Regulation of 1972.
4. The Exclusive Economic Zone Decree (Act) of • Oil in Navigable Waters Act 1968, Chapter 337.
1978.
5. Inland Fisheries Decree (No. 108) of 1992.
Constraints to implementation of the policies

Establishment of Federal Environmental Protection These include:

Agency (FEPA)
• Uncoordinated piecemeal policies and legal in-
FEPA was established under Federal Environmental struments.
Protection Agency Decree No. 58 of 30 December • Weak database.
1988 (as amended by Decree No. 59 of 1992). The • Ineffective law enforcement.
agency has specific powers, which include: • Lack of funds and mismanagement of available
funds.
• Developing plans of action and advising the Federal • Inadequate public awareness, thus lack of appreci-
Government on national environmental policies and ation and involvement of the populace in environ-
priorities. ment related issues.
• Prescribing standards for and making regulations • Use of inappropriate technologies.
on air quality, water quality, pollution, and effluent
limitations.
• Monitoring and enforcing environmental protection Conclusion
measures.
• Enforcing international laws, conventions, proto- It is increasingly necessary, first to monitor the state
cols and treaties on the environment. of the aquatic ecosystem, and then to manage human
 Implications of Aquatic Pollution on Nigerian Fisheries Resources 305

interventions (including those by fishers) within that • Community involvement should be fostered via
ecosystem. Only within such a framework will it be a participatory approach especially in the area of
possible for capture fisheries to continue to be a source waste disposal and harmful fishing practices.
of food and income for future generations. Pollution • Ensuring the incorporation of environmental is-
of inland waters in Africa, in contrast to the situa- sues into educational curricula related to aquatic
tion in most developed countries, is often the result of systems.
poverty, socio-economic underdevelopment and lack • Identifying natural resources (such as wetlands
of planning, and in comparison with temperate re- and coastal zones) in the country and investing
gions, there are relatively few studies concerning con- monetarily in environmental protection of vulner-
tamination of African inland waters. able areas.
Nigeria’s aquatic ecosystems are currently under • Enforcement of the existing water quality stan-
threat of localized or widespread physical, organic, dards and promotion of water quality monitoring,
and biological pollution. Most of the freshwater including active monitoring and evaluation sys-
ecosystem in the country is subject to various pres- tems for water-related projects and services in the
sures from human activity and, like most developing Federal, State and Local Governments.
countries, Nigeria lacks funds for sustained research • Establishment of a framework for collaboration
and routine monitoring of inland waters for pollution through training and financial support by govern-
and pollutants. With the expected increase in urban- ment to strengthen environmental agencies and or-
ization and socio-economic activities around tropical
ganizations in their role as a watchdog thereby en-
inland waters, there is a need for increased under-
suring the exchange of information, especially for
standing of inputs, distribution, and fate of contam-
high risk projects.
inants (Biney et al., 1994). Special care should be
taken to keep fish habitats clean because fish are par-
ticularly sensitive to water pollution. They are also
vulnerable to variations in water levels and tempera- References
ture, particularly during spawning.
Data from industrialized countries situated in tem- Agbo, S.: 1997, ‘Effects of Lead Poisoning in Children,’ in
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