Traders, HOMEF Lament Oil Pollution On Fisheries

Some fishermen and traders in Rivers State have lamented the impact of oil pollution and artisanal refining activities on the fishing industry and the environment.
They complained that the activities of illegal refinery operators have negatively affected fishing in Rivers State, warning that if nothing was done to stop illegal activities of oil bunkerers, there may soon be no more fishes in the rivers for human consumption.
They made this complaint at a dialogue forum put together by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), a non-governmental organization (NGO), in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The stakeholders argued that the devastating pollution as a result of illegal oil refining in the state has affected fishing activities, and stressing that they were now finding it very difficult to sustain their livelihoods.
“This ‘Kpor’ fire is making the fishermen to be very poor, today. A fisherman cannot train his children again; he cannot feed very well because he can hardly make enough money from his hitherto lucrative occupation.
“We want the state governor to intervene and stop this “Kpor” fire problem. It is affecting our fishing business negatively,” they complained.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the interactive forum, a renowned environmental rights activist and Executive Director of HOMEF, Nnimmo Bassey, regretted that the activities of artisanal refinery operators have devastated aquatic lives in Rivers State.
Bassey warned that there was huge devastation in the waterways in Rivers State, and called for urgent action to avert the threatening future danger.
“We are having what we call the fish-net dialogue, which is a community dialogue concerning fish, and the impact of oil extraction on fisheries, a situation where communities sit down to discuss issues concerning their environment, how their water and activities were in the past and to look at what has brought about the difference.
“So, we have been looking at pollution, effect of pollution on fisheries, effect of gas flaring, effect of offshore drilling, and the people have agreed that we were better off, if we protect our environment to make sure we have fish and not just depend on oil,” Bassey added.

Susan Serekara-Nwikhana