Abstract
The
study examines the management and policy frameworks for illegal, unreported and
unregulated fishing in Nigerian waters, how maintaininga legal and regulated
fishing system in Nigeria is a pre-requisite for the growth and development of
the Nigerian economy, to examine theprevalence
of illegal, unreported
and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Nigerian waters, to examine the consequences of illegal, unreported and unregulated
(IUU) fishing in Nigerian waters, to examine factors that has militated against cordial
management of fishing in Nigeria, to propose ways of improving fishing in
Nigerian waters.
The
methodology of the study cited the population of the study area with the
sampling techniques used to ascertain the sampling size for this research work.
It also explained the mode of data collection and analysis; Questionnaires were
used to sample people’s opinion while carrying out the survey. The researcher
discarded the secondary data designs so as to get new, accurate findings and
data analysis on the subject matter.
Base on finding, the study has the sample size of one hundred (100)
respondents.
From
the result and the conclusion of this study, the following recommendations are
made by the researcher,fishing
should be properly managed and well regulated, it would pave room for more
Nigerians to become interested in fishing and by so doing, more and more
corporate individuals and even the government will begin to appreciate and
support the idea behind fishing in Nigeria.
TABLE OF
CONTENT
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY-------------------------------------------
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM-----------------------------------------
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY--------------------------------------------
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS---------------------------------------------------
1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS--------------------------------------------------
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY-------------------------------------------
1.7 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY-------------------------------
1.8
DEFINITION OF TERMS-----------------------------------------------------
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 INTRODUCTION--------------------------------------------------------------
2.2THE CONCEPT OF ILLEGAL, UNREPORTED
AND UNREGULATED
FISHING----------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.3 IMPORTANCE OF FISHING AND IMPLICATION
OF IUU TO THE
ECONOMY--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.4 THE STRUCTURE AND FEATURES OF THE
FISHING INDUSTRY IN
NIGERIA------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.5 IUU AND RELATED
MATTERS-----------------------------------------------
2.6 EVIDENCE OF IUU IN
NIGERIA---------------------------------------------
2.7 FISHERIES LAWS AND
REGULATIONS------------------------------------
2.8 FISHING ACTIVITIES THAT ARE NOT
REAPONSIBLE-------------------
2.9 POLICY FRAMEWORK AND INTERVENTIONS
TO CONTROL ILLEGAL
FISHING-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.10 ILLEGALITIES ON ISSUES OF
FISHING----------------------------------
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1RESEARCH DESIGN-----------------------------------------------------------
3.2 STUDY AREA-------------------------------------------------------------------
3.3SAMPLING DESIGN AND PROCEDURES-----------------------------------
3.4DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT------------------------------------------
3.5ADMINISTRATION OF DATA COLLECTION
INSTRUMENT---------------
3.6 DATA PRESENTATION---------------------------------------------------------
3.7 STATISTICAL
TOOLS FOR DATA ANALYSIS-----------------------------
CHAPTER FOUR
ANALYSIS OF DATA AND PRESENTATION OF
RESULTS
4.1: INTRODUCTION--------------------------------------------------------------
4.2: DATA
ANALYSIS--------------------------------------------------------------
4.3: RESEARCH
HYPOTHESIS
CHAPTER FIVE SUMMARY OF FINDINGS,
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 SUMMARY
OF FINDINGS--------------------------------------------------
5.2 CONCLUSION---------------------------------------------------------------
5.3 RECOMMENDATION------------------------------------------------------
REFERENCES
QUESTIONNAIRE
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
West Africa’s waters are endowed with
one of the world’s richest concentration of finfish, crustaceans and mollusks (Tobor,
1989). In contrast, its coastal fishing communities are amongst the most
impoverished and therefore vulnerable to Illegal, Unreported and
Unregulated (IUU) fishing by foreign fishing
vessels (FAO, 1995).
The
increased efforts of the present administration in Nigeria to drive the
development of the fisheries industry which has been taking shape to the
applause of many stakeholders, is being plagued with a major challenge of
illegal fishing in its territorial waters, which according to a recent report
by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) results in an
annual loss of over $60 million and has been identified as a major clog in the
wheel of the development of the sub-sector.Many marine and coastal ecosystems
are close to collapse due to Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing,
also known as Pirate fishing. Global losses from IUU fishing range from $10bn –
$23.5billion annually as the harvest from IUU fishing represents almost
one-fifth of the entire global catch.
IUU
fishing is easy and highly lucrative due to lack of monitoring and enforcement
especially in West Africa. These pirates target places called Inshore Exclusive
Zones (IEZ) – which were created to protect shallow coastal waters where fishes
come to reproduce (FAO, 2001). They target high value species whilst generating
a huge amount of unwanted by-catch which is then tossed into the oceans dead or
dying.Coastal communities across West Africa are reporting a dramatic decline
in the amount of fishes caught (FAO, 2001). As a result, they spend longer time
at sea for fewer and smaller fish. This is because the rate of harvest far
outstrips that of replenishment.
The
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in its 2015 biennial
report to Congress on IUU fishing has identified Nigeria as one of the six
nations including Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua and Mexico in which IUU
fishing is very rampant and as such is threatening the current efforts to
secure long term sustainable fisheries as well as promote healthier and more
robust ecosystems.In a bid to tackle the situation, the United States has
declared that if any of the listed nations do not take sufficient action as
well as receive a positive certification in the next biennial report, it may prohibit
the import of fisheries products from that nation and deny port privileges to
their fishing vessels.
In Nigeria, the fisheries resources
poached within territorial waters include shrimps, tuna, and sharks, among
others. The estimated value of catches exploited by IUU fishing is enormous, up
to30 million US dollars per annum. It is unfortunate that illegal fishing
activities, particularly those committed by foreign private fishing vessels,
continue unabated and unchallenged due to the lack of an adequate monitoring,
control and surveillance structure with regards to both equipment and
management systems in the developing West Africa sub-region.
Nigeria with her vast coastlines,is
blessed with valuable aquatic resources of commercial interest, particularly in
the global market. It would therefore be desirable to undertake a detailed
study of IUU activities in order to stop illegal plundering of fisheries
resources in the West African Country of Nigeria through proper management and
policy framework. It is envisaged that this would contribute to the attainment
of sustainable fisheries management in Nigeria and the West Africa sub-region
at large.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated
(IUU)Fisheries are a global phenomenon which require an international, holistic
and coordinated approach in order to stem these distasteful activities.
Illegal, unreported and unregulated
(IUU) fishing has many facets and motivations, although the mostobvious
underlying motivations are driven by economic considerations. Other
considerations likely to contributeto IUU fishing include the existence of
excess fleet capacity, the payment of government subsidies (where they maintain
or increase capacity), strong market demand for particular products, weak
national fishery administration (includingweak reporting systems), poor
regional fisheries management, and ineffective monitoring, control and
surveillance (MCS) including the lackof vessel monitoring systems (VMS). A key
consideration in addressing IUU fishing is the need to achieve effective flag
State control over the operations of fishing vessels. However, this study will
examine the management and policy frameworks for illegal, unreported and
unregulated (IUU) fishing in Nigerian waters.