Pollution, Fisheries and Food (In)Security in the Gulf of Guinea

Abstract

Fisheries contribute to the food security of more than three billion people globally. In the Gulf of Guinea, it accounts for more than 80 percent of the animal protein and sometimes is the only source of animal protein consumed in littoral communities in Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau, Ghana and Senegal. However, the pervasiveness of unsustainable practices that are harmful to the marine environment such as pollution, overfishing - illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, coupled with the impact of climate change threatens the resource's ability to continue to contribute to the food security of these communities especially those in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria. The paper focuses on the role of pollution from oil spillages in undermining the marine environment, thereby exacerbating food insecurity in the region. Using the Bonga oil field spillage as an example, the paper exposes the shortcomings of the existing environmental regulations in Nigeria as contributing to the depletion of the marine environment.