Why Gov’t Should Take Ocean Biodiversity Enlightenment Drive to Coastal Communities – Captain Alao
Captain Tajudeen Alao, President Nigeria Association of Master Mariners (NAMM) spoke to JournalNG on the sidelines of the recently held World Maritime Day in Lagos and suggested a blending of our blue economy policy with ocean biodiversity plan while increasing inclusivity of coastal communities in ocean protection
Excerpt
This year’s theme for World Maritime Day is “Our Ocean, Our Obligation and Our Opportunity”. How do you think it resonates with Nigeria?
Nigeria has a large expanse of ocean adjacent to the coastline. It also has a lot of activities in the hydrocarbon exploration and nesting of the resources of the ocean. There are multiplier effects if we are deeply engaged in the activities going on there on the water. The theme actually resonates, it’s apt, and related to the programme of the Nigerian Association of Master Mariners (NAMM)
We, as Master Mariners, have transversed the oceans of the world. We have seen the ocean being abused and we also have seen the benefits from the ocean. Nigeria has signed another treaty now, apart from the blue economy which is the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction.
I’m talking of the Gulf of Guinea and Nigeria. That means we have so many opportunities before us. There are many foreign people coming to fish in our waters. What you call IUU- illegal, unreported, unregulated fishing will reduce.
If you go deeper, there are so many species of fish in the water that we can harness sustainably to assist our economy and also to keep something for the future. Pollution, illegal bunkering, breaking of pipes, etc will surely affect the water.
We have signed a treaty under MARPOL on pollution from ships into our waters. These areas are areas that we need to merge with the treaty of biodiversity and the framework on blue economy together so that we can get it properly regulated, enforced and the benefits harnessed.
Let’s look at enlightenment for sustainability. Do you think this message for sustainable marine practices is reaching the communities, or is it just restricted to like the elite class?
This message should go round. That’s why I told you that the biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction takes care of the communities adjacent to the ocean.I grew up as a water boy, and we were happy when we saw sharks come and drown .We always went to cut it. We were not educated.
I was in England some years ago when a big whale came off the River Thames. If you knew how much was spent in order to rescue the whale and put it back on the River Thames, and take it back to the ocean, you’d be alarmed. The cost was more than rescuing 100 people in distress at sea.
This is what we need. We need to go to the communities and educate them. Many years ago in Brazil, a specie of fish came ashore and they cut it into pieces. That fish would have fetched them, $2 million because it was rare and being sought after.
Fortunately, we have NIOMR, the Nigerian Institute of Marine Oceanography and Marine Research. They must be at the forefront, and it’s under the blue economy now. We need to get to those communities.
We have universities in Port Harcourt that should collaborate so that research can be carried out on protecting our ocean resources
Many foreign people go to communal areas with guns to do illegal fishing and beat up people because they are in remote areas and there is no way we can see them. That means we need to use sensors. We need to locate these people and empower them so they can raise alarms, because they are far away.
How best do we reach these communities that are not part of this room?
The press has a role to play. Campaigns must be done. Education is key. We must reach out to them. After this room, we should put machinery in place. This room is like a platform to discuss. But to get out there, we need to put resources in place and reach out to them. Let our presence be there. Without physical presence, the people will just be starving, they won’t join in implementation of what we have discussed here and Nigeria will be losing.
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