The effects of oil pollution on the marine environment in the Gulf of Guinea—the Bonga Oil Field example

Abstract

Fish makes a significant contribution to the food security of millions of people in the Gulf of Guinea, accounting for up to 80 per cent of the animal protein, and sometimes is the only source of thereof, consumed in coastal communities across the region, including those in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria. However, such contribution is increasingly undermined by unsustainable practices that are harmful to the marine environment such as pollution, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and by climate change. This paper focuses on the role that pollution from oil spillages plays in damaging the marine environment, thereby exacerbating food insecurity in the region. Using the Bonga Oil Field spillage example, the paper exposes, from a policy perspective, the manner in which the shortcomings of existing environmental regulations and their implementation in Nigeria weaken efforts for a sustainable marine environment and, by extension, threatens the food security of coastal communities.

Stable Seas: Gulf of Guinea

“…Violent conflict has been observed between migrating fisherfolk and existing communities in new fishing grounds, which has, in extreme cases, resulted in loss of life. 192,193 There are, however, distinctly positive cases from the region that should be noted. Improved management of Sierra Leone's natural resources through the Agenda for Change has been critical to economic development, peacebuilding, continued stability, and rural integration.…”

“…In Nigeria, crude oil accounts for 95 percent of foreign exchange earnings, and 80 percent of the total revenue accruable to the federal account. 20 Nigeria's offshore output in 2019 was an estimated 780,000 barrels per day (BPD), which is 39 percent of the country's 2 million-BPD total production. 21 Focusing on developing its upstream production through strategic partnerships and investments, Nigeria is set to increase its oil production capacity from over 2 million barrels per day to 3 million by 2023.…”

“…In the Gulf of Guinea, few, if any, of these preconditions are met. 185,186,187,188 Oil pollution depletes fisheries, 189,190,191 contributing to competition for resources. In the Niger Delta, oil spills, such as the 2011 Bonga oilfield spill, push fisherfolks to migrate in search of new fishing grounds.…”

“…220 Fish are vital to food security in the Gulf of Guinea as the main source of animal protein in coastal communities. 221 However, this resource is existentially threatened by pollution, climate change, human population growth, and illegal and excessive fishing.…”

“…265 Furthermore, the environmental pollution of the Niger Delta has wider implications for fisheries health across the Gulf of Guinea: an estimated 60 percent of the fisheries caught in the region breed in the mangroves of the Niger Delta. 266 Ultimately, marine pollution aggravates the problem of fisheries depletion. Nevertheless, its impact is limited when compared to the effect of overfishing, particularly IUU fishing.…”