Consequences of Pollution and Degradation of Nigerian Aquatic Environment on Fisheries Resources

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 resources are among those most affected by environmental stress imposed by human population growth, urbanization, 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, agricultural, 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 hazardous 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 sustain 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. Recommendations 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.