Vanishing Fish, Polluted Waters: Cross River Fishers Battle For Their Livelihoods

By IFIOK UDOM

FOR generations, fishing has sustained families in Esuk Atu, a coastal community in Calabar, Cross River State. Today, however, fishers say that livelihood is coming under growing pressure.

At a community rights defenders training held in Esuk Atu, fishers described declining catches, smaller fish, polluted waterways, disappearing mangroves and increasingly unpredictable weather as threats to their survival.

The training was organised by Peace Point Development Foundation, in partnership with the Health of Mother Earth Foundation, under the second phase of the Building Community Rights Defenders in the Niger Delta project.

A livelihood under pressure

According to the fishers, spending longer hours on the water no longer guarantees a good catch. Instead, they often travel farther, consume more fuel and return with less fish.

Fish seller Mmayen Archibong said consumers often focus on rising fish prices without asking why supply has fallen.

She argued that the problem goes beyond the market price of fish because the resources that support the trade are gradually disappearing.

Fisher Effiong Otu similarly linked the declining catch to changes in the aquatic environment. He identified mangrove destruction, pollution, plastic waste and mining activities among the major pressures confronting the community.

Mangroves, he explained, provide important breeding habitat for fish. Yet residents have watched portions of the vegetation disappear, while nipa palms increasingly occupy some areas.

Scientific research provides additional context. Studies of the Great Kwa River have documented pollution associated with human activities, including domestic waste, wastewater, industrial effluents, sand mining, hydrocarbons and other toxic substances. Research has also identified the mangrove creek system as important spawning habitat for fish and other aquatic species.

Pollution adds to the burden

For Esuk Atu fishers, environmental degradation has also increased the cost of doing business.

Otu said polluted water could force fish to move towards cleaner areas. Consequently, fishers spend more time and fuel searching for productive fishing grounds.

Plastic waste presents another visible challenge. Meanwhile, residents also reported pollution associated with vessels and mining activities.

Research conducted in the Great Kwa River has found evidence of heavy-metal contamination, with some measured concentrations exceeding recommended Nigerian drinking-water standards. Another study examining the river’s water quality also documented pollution pressures linked to human activity.

However, the community’s concerns extend beyond pollution. Flooding, erosion, changing weather patterns and insecurity have added further uncertainty to an already difficult occupation.

Fishers also complained that vessels navigating smaller waterways sometimes damage fishing equipment, increasing losses for people who depend on modest tools and boats.

From fishers to environmental monitors

Against this background, the PPDF training sought to give residents practical tools for documenting environmental problems and demanding accountability.

PPDF Coordinator Umo Isuaikoh introduced participants to the Nigeria Socio-Ecological Alternatives Convergence and Niger Delta Alternatives Convergence frameworks.

He argued that development should not destroy the land, rivers and communities that sustain local economies.

For the fishers, that principle means having a voice whenever extractive activities, pollution investigations or environmental remediation affect their communities.

Isuaikoh also argued that compensation should restore damaged livelihoods rather than simply provide financial settlements. Similarly, he called for environmental damage to be prevented instead of merely assigned a monetary value after it occurs.

Building collective community power

Environmental advocate Idongesit Essien urged the fishers to organise because individual residents often struggle to influence government decisions or powerful economic interests.

He identified fragmented communities, fear, political co-option and the exclusion of women as barriers to effective advocacy.

Consequently, the training promoted networks such as the FishNet Alliance, Women’s Eco Defenders and Youth Ambassadors.

Participants also learned how to map their communities, document pollution with mobile phones, record testimonies, maintain fisher logbooks and engage officials through town halls.

Essien further encouraged residents to use local radio, social media, WhatsApp, petitions and other platforms to communicate their experiences.

Government promises collaboration

Cross River Commissioner for Environment Bassey Mensah, represented by ministry official MaryDoris Opue, described coastal communities in Calabar South, Bakassi and Akpabuyo as increasingly exposed to environmental and climate pressures.

The commissioner welcomed the community rights defenders project and said the state considered environmental justice and community stewardship important.

He also pledged collaboration between the ministry and community monitors. According to him, the government would work with residents to report environmental violations, mangrove destruction and illegal activities.

For Esuk Atu, however, the challenge remains immediate. Every lost mangrove, polluted creek and declining catch threatens not only the fishing economy but also the food and income of families that depend on the water.

The emerging community-monitoring effort therefore places the fishers at the centre of the environmental debate. Its larger test will be whether documentation, advocacy and government collaboration can translate into cleaner waterways, restored ecosystems and more secure livelihoods.