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FISH PARTY 2012

CELEBRATING FISH WITH A VITAL ROLE IN SUSTAINING HUGE AREA OF DIVERSE POPULATION AND LOOKING AT THE EFFECTS OF ITS DISAPPEARANCE

1.0       INTRODUCTION

Fish is an important source of food and a means of livelihood for many people in developing world. It is the cheapest source of animal protein consumed by the average Nigerian, accounting for about 40 percent of the total protein intake (Ndimele and Owodeinde, 2012). In Africa, as much as 5% of the population, some 35 million people depends wholly or partly on the fisheries sector for their livelihood (FAO, 1996). It is estimated that by 2050, when world population is projected to be over 9 billion, Africa will have to increase food production by 300%, Latin America by 80% and Asia 70% to provide minimally adequate diets for the projected population of 2 billion, 810 million and 5.4 billion people in the respective regions (Anon, 2000). The consumption and demand for fish as a cheap source of protein is on the increase in Africa, because of the level of poverty in the land. The vast majority of the fish supply in most cases comes from the rivers in the continent. While capture fisheries based on species that are presently exploited seem to have reached their natural limits (FAO, 1996), there is considerable potential to expand aquaculture in Africa in order to improve food security (Owodeinde and Ndimele, 2011).

                      

In Nigeria, artisanal fisheries sector produces bulk of fish consumed by the populace. In addition, the fisheries sector provides income, employment, raw materials and foreign exchange to the Nigerian populace and the nation (Ndimele and Kumolu-Johnson, 2012). A major threat to the growth of the fisheries sub-sector even at global level is environmental pollution especially oil spillage. A devastating spill occurred in 2010 due to the explosion of the Transocean Deepwater Horizon rig killing 11 people and many aquatic lives. This British Petroleum (BP) oil spill threatened coastal Louisiana, Gulf Coast fisheries, Gulf of Mexico ecosystems, and perhaps the East Coast, as the spill reaches the loop current (The Daily Green, 28^th June, 2010; Ndimele, 2010). The British Petroleum oil spill has now obtained the dubious distinction of being the worst oil spill in United States history, surpassing the damage done by the Exxon Valdez tanker. Oil spill is a regular occurrence in oil-producing Niger Delta region of Nigeria. The spills have rendered a lot of the water bodies in the region useless because they can no longer support life. This has had devastating effects on the socio-economic activities of the region and it is the cause of the youth restiveness in the region. Only time will tell if amnesty is the solution.

2.0       IMPORTANCE OF FISH

(A)       DIRECT CONTRIBUTION OF FISH TO FOOD AND NUTRITION SECURITY

Fish is a critical source of dietary protein and micronutrients for many isolated communities in rural areas. Fish may also be the sole accessible and/or affordable source of animal protein for poor households in urban or peri-urban areas. Nutritionally, fish is therefore one extremely important direct source of protein and micronutrients for millions of people in Africa. In addition, fish also contribute indirectly to national food self-sufficiency through trade and exports. In equivalent terms, 50% of the low-income food deficit countries’ import bill for food was paid in the year 2000 by receipts from fish exports.

 

Protein and calorie intake

FAO estimates that fish provides 22% of the protein intake in sub-Saharan Africa. This share, however, can exceed 50% in the poorest countries (especially where other sources of animal protein are scarce or expensive). In West African coastal countries for instance, where fish has been a central element in local economies for many centuries, the proportion of dietary protein that comes from fish is extremely high: 35% in Nigeria, 47% in Senegal, 62%, in Gambia and 63% in Sierra Leone and Ghana. Equally important is the contribution of fish to calorie supply. Where there is a lack of alternative locally produced protein and/or where a preference for fish has been developed and maintained, fish can provide up to 180 calories per capita per day. This is not advisable because of the high cost of protein when compared with carbohydrate.

 (B)       FISH AS SOURCE OF INCOME

For large proportion of the world’s population, fishing is not just a major way of getting food; it is also a vital source of income. Fishing is a global industry that employs up to about 200 million people all over the world. Furthermore, there are far more people who are in some way dependent on fishing for their survival. However, for those who choose to sell the surplus from their catches, fishing is obviously an important means of livelihood.

(C)       FISH AS SOURCE OF EMPLOYMENT

The fisheries sector, including aquaculture, is an important source of employment and income. However, employment in fishing and fish farming cannot be taking as the only indication of the importance of fisheries to a national economy. In addition to fisheries and fish farmer involved in direct primary production of fish, there are people involved in other ancillary activities, such as processing net and gear making, ice production and supply, boat construction and maintenance, manufacturing of fish- processing equipment, packaging, marketing and distribution. Others are involved in research, development and administration connected with the fishery sector. No official data exist on the estimated numbers of people involved in those other activities. Some estimation indicate that, for each person employed in captured fisheries and aquaculture production, there are about four job produced in the secondary activities, including post-harvest, for a total of more than 170 million jobs produced in the whole fishery industry.

 (D)       SOCIAL AND CULTURAL BENEFITS

Beyond the food, employment and financial benefits, there can be significant social and cultural outcomes attached to fishing.  In fisheries that are community-managed and fished, the income from fishing may go towards community projects and improving infrastructure and services for the community, or towards support for needy families. For example, in Lao PDR, increased production from inland enhancement fisheries provided greater community income for community projects such as building health centres, or to support poorer community members. Fishing is rarely carried out alone and is often a social activity, strengthening bonds between people and community cohesion. Research in the Pacific showed that the benefits of community rules that limit fishing were primarily social, through community fishing days when the fish were harvested to provide a feast. People often turn to natural resources when other livelihood options are limited, and fisheries can act as a ‘safety net’ for the poor. For example, during years of conflict in Mozambique, many people who were displaced from their agricultural lands in the hinterland migrated to the coast and turned to fishing. However, problems are often associated with open-access arrangements which fail to control exploitation of the fish stock. The result may be over-exploitation and reduced productivity of the fishery.

 3.0       FISH DISAPPEARANCE (EXTINCTION)

The planet is now in the midst of its sixth mass extinction of both plants and animals. We are currently experiencing the worst spate of species die offs since the loss of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Although extinction is a natural phenomenon, it occurs at a natural ‘background’ rate of about one to five species per year. Scientists estimate we are now losing species at 1,000 to 10,000 times the background rate, with literally dozens going extinct every day. It could be a scary future indeed, with as many as 30 to 50 percent of a species possibly heading toward extinction by mid-century.

 

However, increasing demand for water, the damming of rivers throughout the world, the dumping and accumulation of various pollutants, and invasive species makes aquatics ecosystems some of the threatened on the planet; thus it is not surprising that there are many fish species that are endangered in both freshwater and marine habitats.

 CAUSES OF FISH DISAPPEARANCE

Overfishing: - overfishing occurs when fish and other marine species are caught at a rate faster than they can reproduce. We now know without a doubt that the fish in the ocean are finite resources.

Pollution: - pollution is the introduction of chemicals or physical constituents into the environment. Oil spill is a major threat to aquatic biota. For example, the spill of 37,000 metric tons (11 million gallons) of North Slope crude oil into Prince William Sound, Alaska, from the Exxon Valdez in 1989 led to the mortality of thousands of seabirds and marine mammals, a significant reduction in population of many intertidal and subtidal organisms, and many long-term environmental impacts (Spies et al; 1996; Ndimele, 2010). Plants and animals need a clean environment in order to survive.

Habitat alteration;- one way that humans have altered fish habitat is through dam construction. Dams are built for many reasons and can be quite useful to us. They provide hydroelectricity, flood control and recreation.

Loss of habitat: - the human population has exploded with growth in just a few decades. In other to accommodate more people, land must be developed to make room for people and their business. However, this means taking away the natural habitat of a number of species. As a result, their living space, which allow them all to roam freely with plenty of food for all, is greatly reduced.

Invasive alien species: - the introduction of alien species to a new environment can have major adverse effects on an entire ecosystem and could be a key driver in species extinction.

EFFECTS OF FISH DISAPPEARANCE

• Reduced gross domestic product

·         Reduced source of income

·         Reduced food security

·         Reduced employment opportunity

 References

Anon. 2000. Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament. COM (2000) 724, Brussels: European Commission, 20 pp.

 

Ndimele, P.E. (2010): A review on the phytoremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon. Parkistan Journal of Biological Sciences, 13(15): 715-722.

 

 Ndimele, P.E. and Kumolu-Johnson, C.A. (2012): Some aspects of the physicochemistry and heavy metal content of water, sediment and Cynothrissa mento (Regan, 1917) from Badagry Creek, Lagos, Nigeria. Trends in Applied Sciences Research, 7(9): 724-736.

 

Ndimele, P.E. and Owodeinde, F.G. (2012): Comparative reproductive and growth performance of Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) and its hybrid induced with synthetic hormone and pituitary gland of Clarias gariepinus. Turkish Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 12(3): 619-626.

Owodeinde, F.G. and Ndimele, P.E. (2011): Survival, growth and feed utilization of two clariid catfish (Clarias gariepinus, Burchell 1822 and Heterobranchus bidorsalis, Geoffroy, 1809) and their reciprocal hybrids. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 27: 1249–1253.

Note: This is an original article by Dr. Ndimele, Prince Emeka, Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Science, Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos. You can contact Dr. Ndimele by e-mail using any of these web addresses-  drpendimele@yahoo.com; drpendimele@gmail.com; emeka.ndimele@lasu.edu.ng