From the beginning of time, rivers have been a source of livelihood for many people. Many depend on aquatic life for various purposes, including food. The situation is no different for the people of Okrika in Rivers State, Nigeria.
This story looks at the struggles fishermen and fish sellers in Okrika face as fish become harder to find and how this affects their daily lives and income. It also highlights the need to protect fish and their natural environment as Nigeria works towards its goal of protecting biodiversity by 2030.
After three months of interviewing and speaking with fishers, fresh fish sellers and dried fish sellers, The Colonist Report Africa found that several fish species are becoming increasingly difficult to find in the river. Nigeria still has a lot of work to do to restore and protect its remaining fish populations and ensure that fish species are preserved rather than allowed to become extinct.
According to some fishers, environmental pollution, such as crude oil pollution, is contributing to the decline of several fish species.
Fishermen Report Changes in Fish Availability
Christ Tubotamuno, 43, a fisherman in Okrika, said fishing was easier when he was a child because he could catch different species of fish without travelling far from the community.
“I have been fishing since I was a child with my grandfather. The time I usually caught fish with him was easier because we didn’t have to go too far to catch different species of fish. The river was better,” he said.
He explained that catching fish has become more difficult over the years, even for species that were once common in the river. “Now, it is difficult to even get a big sized tilapia, which is common in the river. To catch catfish and other species, you have to go close to the ocean,” he added.
Tubotamuno said some fish species and other seafood had become increasingly difficult to find, which he attributed partly to oil pollution. Some of the fish species that are now rarely seen in the river include Isla, locally known as mudkeeper; Ikingin, known as hile; Ofoor, known as spade; Sika, known as ray; and Oroum, known as grouper.
Tubotamuno appealed to the government to help clean up the polluted environment, similar to cleanup efforts in other communities, so that fish populations could recover.
Agokabo Fyneface, chairman of fishermen in Ama Nago Biri Koniju in Okrika, said oil spills and climate change were contributing to the difficulties fishermen faced in finding fish.
“Fish are difficult to find because of oil spills and climate change. Many species can no longer be found in the small river unless you go close to the ocean.”
The Colonist Report Africa understands that travelling to the ocean or sea to catch fish sometimes requires local fishers to use boats with engines, which need petrol to operate. However, the cost of petrol sometimes discourages fishers from travelling far because they are not guaranteed a catch or the particular species of fish they are looking for.
According to Fyneface, the increasing distance fishermen must travel to catch fish has contributed to higher fish prices. He also pointed to rising fuel costs and the increasing prices of goods in the market as additional challenges.
He explained that fish species such as Oroum, known as grouper; Dorun, known as parakuta; and Sika, known as ray, had become difficult for fishermen to catch.
He added that catching large-sized fish had also become increasingly difficult unless fishermen travelled closer to or farther into the ocean.
Fyneface called on the government to address the pollution affecting their river. He expressed concern that future generations might grow up without knowing some of the fish species that were once common in their waters.
Fish Sellers Struggle with Scarcity and Rising Prices
With the decline in fish availability in the rivers, buying fish has become more difficult for consumers, as prices are now higher than many can afford. Fish sellers told The Colonist Report Africa that they sometimes have to travel long distances to buy fish from fishermen.
Biobele Collins is a fresh fish seller at Ikpukulu, a fishing port owned by the Okrika community and located on New Road, Borokiri, Port Harcourt.
Collins, who has been selling fish for 30 years, told The Colonist Report Africa that many species of fish she sold had gone extinct, while others were available only in small quantities.
The fishes that have gone extinct are “She said she had not seen certain species, including Oroum (grouper) and Sika (ray), being brought to the market by fishermen for a long time.” She particularly noted that grouper had become difficult to find in the market.
She added that the fisherman she usually bought fish from sometimes travelled as far as the Arubarna fishing port area to obtain supplies.
Asikiye, a dried fish seller at Creek Road Market, also described the situation as challenging. “Fish are expensive, and they are very scarce,” she said.
Asikiye, who has been selling fish for more than 40 years, said the current situation was the worst she had experienced because many of the fish species that were readily available in the past were now difficult to find.
She explained that fishermen had complained about travelling far into the open sea to catch fish, yet struggling to find large-sized ones.
She also expressed concern about the dangers fishermen face at sea, including attacks by sea pirates and the risk of their boats capsizing because of waves generated by large vessels.
Miss Goddeth James, a fresh fish seller, trading at Ipugulu jetty New road Borokiri, said buying fish from fishermen had become increasingly difficult because they often complained about the long distances they had to travel to catch fish. She added that, due to pollution, there were no fish to catch. “Only tilapia remains the fish that available but not even in big size,” she said.
Fishermen and fish sellers in Okrika say finding fish is becoming increasingly difficult. Their experiences raise concerns about the effects of oil pollution and changes in the environment on fish and the people who depend on fishing to earn a living.
Nigeria has a plan to protect nature and tackle the loss of plants and animals. Under its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan for 2025–2030, the government aims to restore at least 30 per cent of identified damaged areas by 2030. The plan includes restoring forests, mangroves and other coastal areas, as well as rehabilitating rivers and wetlands and reducing pollution.
These plans are important to fishing communities such as Okrika, where many people depend on fish for food and income. However, it is not yet clear whether these government plans are being carried out in Okrika or whether they are helping to improve fish stocks in the area.
Protecting rivers, mangroves and other natural habitats, while reducing pollution and encouraging responsible fishing, could help protect fish and support the families who depend on them for their livelihoods.
This story was produced with funding from The Colonist Report Africa as part of the 2030 Marine Conservation Target reporting initiative, supported by the Earth Journalism Network.
