A discussion is presented on the importance of conservation of fishery resources, considering in particular the situation in Nigeria and providing also an outline of various legislations made by government. Suggestions are given regarding the following: education on the importance of conservation; fish farming or aquaculture; restocking or rejuvenation of depleted water bodies; stock assessment; monitoring and surveillance; provision of fishing inputs; and, extension research linkag

Adeleye, O.A.

English

Aquatic Commons

IrTp111-"sliliNT1'/A71«-»1:- SUST:pl_PAELE
cilf_111,71FZE PPLACnrECES
By
0A . .
lltural Development Project
gun State, Nigeria.
TION:
More i hE L'7/0 khirdS of the earth surface is covered by water in various forms, oceans
Lagoons, Seas, Rivers, Stnearns, Lakes and ri vulets. Other man-made water retaining
structures like dams, reservoirs and fish ponds hid also contributed to the aquatic habitat in
the last two centuries.
Both the marine and freshwater aquatic environment support diverse species of living
organisms - Fishes, crustaceans, cephalopods, molluscs, amphibians, reptiles and aqautic
weeds. They constitute the most widely exploited natural resources by man. In fact, aquatic
resources are God's gift to humanity when one considers their availability, accessibility,
diversity, simplicity and nutritional value.
Fish and fish products constitute more than 60% of the total protein intake in adults
especially in the rural areas. Like any other animal product 48 - 52% is edible, easily digestible
and contain low cholesteril level. They are widely acceptable on the menu card and form a much
cherished delicacy that cuts across socio-economic, age, religious, cultural, sex and educa-
tional barrier.
International trade in fish and other aquatic products had been put at US dollars 10 Billion
annually. Apart from food, they are used in medical preparation (fish oils), in fashion industry
(crocodile skins), in recreation (sport fishing) in other agricultural industries as vital protein
concentrate (fish meals as ornament and decoration (oyster shell). Exploitation of these
resources date back to the first appearance ofman on the surface ofthe earth. With the advent
of Industrial fishing and the sophistication of fishing technology the rate of exploitation is
putting much pressure on this supposed - Inexhaustive aquatuc resources.
2.0 Why G._ .-__ Ion is necessary.
Fishes and other aquatic animals were supposed to be inexhaustive the general belief,
especially among the artisanal fishermen is that, anytime you want to go fishing, some fishes
are waiiing to be caught. Provided the fisherman is armed with the appropriate fishing gear,
fishiLkg sicAi developed over the years and sacrifices offered to the river gods and goddesses.
But from landing record of artisanal fishermen, the catch per unit effort is becoming
increasingly low. This suggests nothing but the barrerress of our waters due to over fishing.
The precision offishing technology (echo sounder, fish detector, sonar etc.) had increased
the rate of exploitation faster than regeneration, thus it is common observation that a fishing
vessel, trawling at 140 - 250m depth rnay record not more than 60kg/trawling hour.
It is an erroneous belief that the aquatic environment is self-regulatory. That is, when
a body of water is over-fished, it becomes barren, there is low catch, fishermen abandon those
I -'
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ara and the syetertt hs tirrie w erate. SOaare 3V,i100i
the pPZ-at,'17.0 Illai.0-FC llyacintlt j OLL. it h1ì,yj
is a natural device ibr the ree.overy of the overfished 1,T,T1ter. Fishes a-1:f:oa wtic
liave declined due to ruthless exploitatiori, habitat los s tlueto13%!:;1/:"....?!lli
of VAAlandS pollution from oil e-,v1oration and 'Indus-it ;es. Also inipOri;CIJAisCYy:ornit'oh?,7j
practice ol' year round trawling for fishes and caistaceans. This has led to thee-d-ainctieti
sorne species and a drastic reduction in many others.
This trend had led the country into huge 'trade deficit incureed through iirn)ortatiot.of
frozen fish (low quality) to meet with tht',' shoitifall beLweq.:n rodction and Consuity:5
Taking into consideration the scarcity offor:,',ign er.cliaitge thi trend ..ituiA be revert.ec:l.
is blessed vvith a iony, coastline and rich inland waters, in 01-Ck.A. 'CO harness the t-cst:,ttrces.,
cooservation is necessary-
3.0 .Vri..rAwn ittciucpt atConservatkpai
Cittflitteni Pramtices:
Each community within a rural setting has its nonos and ethics aimed at providing checks
and balances on the activities ofits members. Thai is, where taboos and superstition ttike pre-
eminence. Fishes in certain river are dedicated to a particular god or goddess. They should
not be caught. Various myths and fables are us-ed to reinforce thi:st belief: The fish wili nor bc,-,;
boiled no matter how long one cook on the fire, the river goddesl,villvisit the culprit at night
to demand for her 'children', where; this intimidation fails, the olk.rider and members of his
family are fined heavily. Goats, yams paim oil, hot drinks and chicken are some clae mate iiais
demanded to appease the vexed goddess.
In Nigeria, many communities have intricate culttp.-al relationsHps with aut,,,atic
In parts of Anambra, Edo, Delta and Rivet- S-tate, crocodile is worshiped. Some communities
are doing is indirectly conservirts; the fauna in their envirOilMQrit and pi-eventing the extinction
of the aquatic animals nature had bestowed on them.
3.2 Legislatlions:
Various legislation had been made by government through various stoat; ministry of
Agriculture and Water Resources in attempt to conserve the aquatic resources. Obnoxious
.fishing practice especially the use of pesticide, insecticides, and eKplosives in killing fit:.hes
along our river systems. This practice constitute 01W of the ILP.::..):A serious threFa .to
aquatic resources COilSer1/0.tiOn OUr inland water;'. Ailhvmgorganisms within tue vidiAty
are killed inCitpInt!, f*.rys and fingeriins. lt also 'estitttie serious health hazakl to the
.unsuspecting consumer. Thus die use of cneaticalz. for fi.sh. tig, jepcin1y &dale
(Gamalin - 2-) attra.cts a tiJ11,1 kirie or both on the part of the
fishermen.
There are other legislative acts guiding the use of nets .cast, set or seine) Of vriziculat. roesh
size by fishet men. This is aimed at preventing the capture (ThfS, and ;:ingerling0
1,vhich should grow to replace the adults being exploited. The use of ionglirtz.s with hooks;
placed in close suceession that dot.ts no t discriminate between small and big, flsrh:-:.3 haci
been prohibited in some states. Construction of fish i:ences across the :31-7-.*u]-1::3 rid rive s. has
as 0 been declaredill t:,-tgal iy-x;au:.3o thc-y constitute it-tap:Aliments fiton.-2 ,t)ne
habitat to the other. Agitating Or beatirlg the water in anZli:V.:17(.1Qt tO scaDe nric soorc fUA(3
into a waiting net had been viewed as destructive W the breeding yrf.3-t. 0E Vile fhes s;t1d
consequently outlawed.
'.."1"172pL 13 Lr)
0ii:Oti011 Oil0-pil1age and the dumping at
continually Lhig evaied 'c.hrough e:Tiension rnessages, radio programmes,
2e-oce f:ishing ,iarnonsietieiri and contact fishermen on the dangers of mortgaging
'cc! idoptir fihi, píaice ha may be detrirnen' al co the aquatir; environment
401 CifiCTLF L ;' 311"h12:
711177;Lshi g popiAy;e, eapecinfty rtic,"0 artisanal fishermen are yet to appreciate the
essence of so ce..awnent legislation on the conversation of aquatic resources as a gesture on the
-pana Cne gfayernmeni to protect them, their immediate families, the fishes upon which their
yes dangea. They view such act as unecessary goverranent intervention aimed
at nv 7:7 difficult for the poor and uneducated. This view had often times generated
'aosfiniy Leta,,,een the f;aheiniaeri and the fisheries extension worker who is supposed to advise
1he fishermen Ofi the dangers of these practices.
Seinveillilane
of the various legislative acts proposed fo conserve aquatic resources had
very difficult especially in the inland waters and creeks. Although there are some level
of s..irveillance by patrol boats in our coastal waters and lagoons, and there are 'courts set-up
to try erring fishing vessels, the case of foreign fishing vessels venturing into the countries
Exclusive Economic Zone (EZZ) illegally is rampant. The activities of fishing trawlers going
into the non-trawling Zone, thus destroying the fishing gear of artisanal fishermen is on the
increa.se. The inspection of the mesh sizes of the various fishing nets and the landing records
of fishermen (size of fish species) had not been taken seriously. In the inland waters, no law
enforcement agent keep surveillance obnoxious fishing practices.
On the International scene, there is the control commerce in wild animals by controlling
the markets. This liad resulted in the formation ofCITES, the convention ofInterantiona Trade
in Endangered species of wild Fauna and Flora. The convention requires party nations to
prohibit imports of wild life taken or exported illegally from its country of origin. Nigeria is
a party to the convention. Many party nations have not been keeping to the spirit of the law,
thus making it easy for some of these endangered species to be exported illegally. Many of
the aquatic species in Nigeria are also not listed in various appendices of the Law, since there
are no detailed scientific studies that demonstate trends in population size and geographic
range, or reports on habitat destniction or other potential causes of extinction.
4.3 COMMIlptiORE Cullture:
The consumption culture of many Nigerian especially the rural populace and the lowest
stratum in the socio-econornio grouping which unfortunately accounts for over 80% of the
entire population, leaves much io be desired. No fish is considered too small to be consumed.
In a particular species of Sardinella (Sava), the juvenile is consumed, (Efolo) while the frys
(Yoyo) are aL:,o collecled at the shoaling stage and eaten. Since there is no market resistance
to these products, fishermen will continue to exploit them as long as there are willing members
of the public to buy them.
)t the aquatic habina, aais necessitate a constant
the aquatic enVe-Dnmerit.
232
154113 Con off Fispt
The cosi of fishing inputs - Nets floats, 'twines, ropes, lead weigh,t ad ,")1X
iS 011 ikk: ii1CreaSQ and beyond the reach of most fishermen. The inavailability .:!,;F.:a' inoutz
have forced these fishermen to adopt unwholesome and obnoaious fishing pravkes thar,se
detrimental Lo the conservation off sherie.:; resourcee within fne
4.5 Lach of A dmiquate Iniformatioaa en Sioci& Assessment:
There is dearth of information on the various species offish avaiiabie in most OfOUI wats:
bodies. Thi 5 had made, long term planning very diffieult. The impel Kling dangers posed by over
fishing are not readily realised until the harm had been doi leSince- t here is no data on no pulation
trend, size and geographic distribution, it is very difficult to orediet and prevent the extinction
of some species. Also, biological studies on some of our marine speeics as it affeets breedin5T,
SeaSOil, spawning grounds migration pattern and seasonal abundance seem to be Tin:adequate,
4.6 ACirwilie3 of Foreign Fishing Vessei:
The nefarious activities of foreign fishing vessels is a majo threat to consenvation
aquatic resources in these country. Their presknice in our territorial waters and exclusive
economic, zone (EEZ), with their superior fishing technology had resulted in over-exploitation
of fishes and shrimps in our waters.
More often than not these foreign fishing vessels, apart from constituting security risks,
do not show enough respect for the laws of the land. There had been reports of occasional
incursion into the non-trawling zone thus causing considerable damage and losses to the
artisanal fisherinen.
4.7 inability to find Allternative use for Non-Food Aquatic Resources:
Inability to find alternative uses for non-food aquatic resources had often times prompted.
the massive detruction ofthese organisms. A point in case is that of water -hyacinth (Ejechoiwia
Crassipes) which had been termed as an obstructive weed. The danger it constitute to fishing
and navigation had been well orchestrated, so much, that all hands are on deck to destroy these
weeds. One of the methods being contemplated is herbicide (Cheinical control). Although,
some ofthese herbicide had been authenticated to be safe and non-toxic but any mis-application
especially by the uniformed could desecrate the aquatic habitat.
4.6lind strilaization and Urbanisation:
Most Industries in Nigeria discharge their liquid waste untreated. TheSU i074le chemicals
find their way to the big rivers, lagoons and the OCeall. The ratc:; of deforestatioi . for road
construction bridges and j ett es had resulted in the destructi0:10n114111y wet-lands l,vhich are the
natural habitat of some of these organisms.
4 .9 P001° 1IreSter/Vai011115 Processing and Storage oil Elaraesteid Aquaak Resoraper.aes:
At peak season, when there, is abundance, and consequently big eateh, the antisanal
fishermen is -faeed vvith what to do with the boom. He eillIer Sell; at rock boltorn rices
discarcis a substantial part of the catch as wastes, since he has AO technology to preserve 11.ie
fish and prevent spoilage. He returns to sea the following clay and follows the S:1131e
activites no doubt nut treinendous pressure on the available aquatic resourees.
2-:53
5.1 rryntlla it nù uc Lf ufl:
be 9roer and. re20±:r publicenlige,nn-le-1-'c. on the importance of aquatic
----Tes conservation and the benefits that would acrue from same. Agricultural radio and
T.on programmes highlighting the importance of conservation should be stepped up.
I 'ishermen could be reached through Co-operative Societies, group meetings fishing
,s, acid a- gricultural shows.
vartous organ of Agricultural services like the Ministry of Agriculture and Water
Le:uïces(M A.LT I ) Agricuitural Development Programmes (A.D P ) and Fisheries De-
pariments s!lotIld be used aS ;:c.+ infprin the fishermen of the importance and the need
to conserve aquatic resources by not engaging unwholesome fishing -practices that shoud be
detrimental to same. Incentives, either in cash or in kind should be awarded to the best
fishermen/fishing group annually.
E:a.3:tsion agents ',Alai visiL iie isheimnen cegulady,, apart. from teaching improved fishing
techniques should also inform the fishermen on the importance of aquatic resource conserva-
tion.
5.', Aq acultere:
-»aculture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the rearing (culture) of aquatic
animals (fisheries prawns, oyster, snail, crabs, crocodiles, alligators) and evenweeds in a a
controlled aquatic environment. Fish farming helps to conserve aquatic resources by reducing
the pressure or the level of exploitation of the wild species.
It guarantees regular availability of fish and fish products, ensures the regular and mass
production of a particular species, iinprovement of species through genetic manipulation and
biotechnology, improves the protein intake and the economy of the rural populace.
Although, the contribution offish farming to the total national fish requirement is still low,
but if encouraged, the shortfall between the consumption offish and fish production (through
capture fisheries) could be reduced and thus conserve foreign exchange. More importantly,
lands hitheto considered agricultural unproductive (swamps, bogs) could be put to use. Other
agricultural waste and by products could also be channeled into fish feeds. If farmers could
appreciate the need to tend and nurture cultured fish to maturity through fish farming, then the
concepi of e;Lploiling aquatic resources less ruthlessly and the desecration of aquatic habitat
will be readily imbibed.
50,3 LesliceP,dng, (DV R4uvenn(tion of Depileted Water Bodies:
1,sa trieans of coueciing, the iAlbalarice that had been created by overfishing and over
exploitation of other aquatic resources, government through the various agricultural agencies
coul of policy produce a large number offingerlings ofone or many species based
.6ogi-a survey and restock the various water bodies in wder to create the
on the aquatic environment.
nck assesent of ourwaier bodies should be done on a regular basis. Apart from
provision of 1,nforrRalioa on the standing 'Crop', the productivity of the water, lend cyf
r data that is required for conservation, poiicy fc nn. 7',cn
and ! readily available. The status, population densini and
234
distribution of various species could easily be ascertained.
5.5 Monitoring nnd rveillance:
Proper monitoring of fishing vesselsand artisanal fishermen on the sea and inine.e.! ne,
There should be spot checks on the mesh sizes ofthe net, landing records, activites
and boat transpon op.erators.
The observance of close or off-season periods, or non-fishing zone especially the breeding
grounds of the fishes should be well monitored. Stiff penalties should also be prescribed for
fishermen or fishing groups that engage in acitivites considered to be detrimental to :he
csinservation of aquatic resources.
5. Provisi n Heishing Imo} is:
Fishing inputs could also be procured by the appropriate Government Agencies and sold
to the fishermen or fishermen groups at subsidized rate or at instalmental payments. This vvotild
ensure that the appropriate fishing gear is used for fishing and at the same time reduce the
temptation of adopting obnoxious fishing practices and its attendant consequence on aquatic
resources conservation.
5.7 Extension Research Linkage:
There should be research back-up into the various level of exploitation, preservation,
processing and storage. These improved technology should be passed on to the fisherman.
such that wastages through spoilage could be reduced and increased catch per unit effort could
be achieved.
6.0 Conclusion:
The need to conserve aquatic resources had never been pressing than it is at the MORTient.
Various factors - environmental and behavioural had contributed to the depletion of these
natural resources faster than they could be regenerated.
The pressure on these resources is also great. Population is ineresing at alarming rate more
than what the environment could support. The level of exploitation is beco ing ruthlessly
efficient. There is the threat of pollution from oil exploratio and exploitation, effluent fron-i
industries, toxic waste from nuclear plants, destruction of the natural habitats due to
urbainization and the ever increasing urge to export for foreign currency.
Necessary machinery should be mobilised to halt this trend, at le,asl.fer cur collective
survival as human beings, othenvise like the proverbial trader, who live onis capital instead
of his inciuie, the day of reckoning a.wait.
235


Conservation needs of fisheries resources and reorientation for sustainable captive and culture practices

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