Publications
Toolkit for Oceans and Human Rights Defenders
Our oceans have never been treated so carelessly as we see these days. Along with increased extractivist activities in the seas, overfishing and unreported fishing come increasing human rights abuses against the populations who live on coastlines and others whose economies are connected to the oceans. With these aberrations and to protect the rights of the people and defend aquatic ecosystems, the importance of community organizing, and advocacy cannot be over-emphasized. It is important for people to make concerted efforts to stand up for their environment, lives and livelihoods, and defendant their human rights based on knowledge and solidarity.
The Need to Establish Fresh Water and Marine Protected Areas in Nigeria
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are important and powerful tools for biodiversity conservation and management of aquatic ecosystems and balanced cycles. Unfortunately, Nigeria has no formally established marine or fresh water protected areas and is not engaging in constructive mangrove restoration programmes. Also, there is no nationally designated marine park in Nigeria.
There is need to develop institutional framework and an all-inclusive fresh water and marine protected areas policy to protect the aquatic ecosystem against destructive and extinctive practices.
A Guide to Aquatic Ecosystem Monitoring, Reporting, Organising & Advocacy
The marine ecosystem and fisheries sector is under threat from forces that impact aquatic ecosystems and general misuse water bodies – rivers, creeks, lakes – that provide freshwater system.
There is an urgent need to organise, form partnerships and alliances to monitor and report activities that endangers the aquatic ecosystems – using the reports of our monitoring and reporting as baselines for advocacy.
Blue Economy Blues
To understand the Blue Economy, one needs to look at the concept that inspired its creation. That concept is that of the Green Economy.
The Green Economy is another top- down concept that jars the organic relationship of humans with their physical environment as it essentially deconstructs that relationship and builds up on a philosophy that distances humans and other species from the environment and presents that environment as a thing to be
manipulated, transformed and exploited in a way that delivers gains along subsisting unequal power alignments.
Threat to Fisheries in the Gulf of Guinea
Pollution from industries and exploitation of resources on the Gulf of Guinea have lead to the degradation of the ecosystems. Violence from sea pirates and other unlawful activities in the zone have made the Gulf of Guinea one of the most unsafe waters today.
It is clear that a deliberate combination of actions and stakeholders is needed to restore and protect the once fecund marine ecosystem of the Gulf of Guinea.
Fishnet Alliance
Introducing FishNet Alliance, a network of fishers engaged in and promoting sustainable fishing in line with ecosystem limits. We stand in solidarity against extractive activities in water bodies – including rivers, lakes and oceans. Download and read about FishNet Alliance for more details and for information on how to be a part of the Alliance.