Lagos reveals 8-points sustainable fishing plan
By Uzor Odigbo
The Lagos State Government has unlocked an eight-point strategic plan aimed at building a sustainable fisheries value chain, strengthening food security and improving the livelihoods of coastal communities.
The strategy was contained in a presentation titled “Building a Sustainable Fisheries Value Chain for Food Security and Coastal Livelihoods in Lagos State”, delivered by the Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Ms. Ruth Abisola Olusanya, at the MARCON Conference.
Olusanya described Lagos as a major maritime fisheries hub, with an extensive network of marine, lagoon, riverine and estuarine waters supporting artisanal fishers and aquaculture operator
According to her, fisheries development in Lagos cannot be treated in isolation because fishermen, passenger boats, commercial vessels and security agencies operate within the same waterways.
She stressed the need to balance increased fisheries production with aquatic environmental protection and maritime safety.
The Commissioner identified the fisheries value chain as covering resource production, post-harvest handling and markets, beginning with aquatic ecosystem stewardship, responsible fishing and stock conservation, through artisanal fishing and modern aquaculture to landing, storage, transportation, branding and consumer delivery.
She said the strategy is designed to address two major objectives: improving food security through access to safe, nutritious and affordable fish, and strengthening coastal livelihoods by increasing the income-earning capacity of fishers and processors.
Olusanya noted that reducing post-harvest losses would increase the quantity of fish available for consumption without putting additional pressure on wild fish stocks.
She, however, identified infrastructure deficits, limited access to finance, waterway safety challenges and climate-related threats as major obstacles to the growth of the sector.
According to the presentation, several fishing communities face shortages of landing jetties, ice production facilities, cold storage, access roads and reliable electricity, while fishers also struggle to secure credit for boats, engines, safety equipment, feeds, fingerlings and processing equipment.
Waterway hazards, environmental pollution, flooding, aquatic weeds and inadequate real-time digital fisheries data were also identified as challenges.
The Commissioner said Lagos was therefore shifting its approach from simply distributing inputs to measuring the tangible economic impact created by government interventions.
The eight-point framework focuses on resource and production sustainability, post-harvest and market infrastructure, capital and digital systems, safety and livelihoods, among other strategic areas.
The framework proposes responsible fishing, fisheries monitoring, hatcheries and quality input supply, alongside investments in landing jetties, ice plants, modern smoking technologies and direct market linkages.
It also calls for public-private partnership investments, cooperative credit schemes and integrated digital fisher registries.
On post-harvest losses, Olusanya advocated the deployment of modern and environmentally friendly smoking and drying equipment, localized ice facilities and cold rooms near major landing sites, as well as improved hygienic handling, packaging and standardised cold transportation to urban markets.
She further stressed the importance of cooperatives, saying organised groups could help individual fishers overcome difficulties in accessing credit, negotiating prices, aggregating catches and sharing facilities.
The strategy also seeks to expand opportunities for women and young people by moving women beyond traditional fish processing into logistics and branding, while engaging youths in modern hatcheries, digital data services, equipment repair and feed technology.
The Commissioner called for stronger collaboration among government and regulatory agencies, maritime and security stakeholders, private investors and research institutions.
She said such collaboration would be necessary to provide public infrastructure and sanitary regulation, ensure safe navigational channels and search-and-rescue systems, attract private investment into cold chains and other fisheries services, and promote research and innovation.
The presentation also highlighted the role of the media and the Maritime Correspondents’ Organisation of Nigeria (MARCON) in promoting fisheries as a mainstream economic sector.Africans & Diaspora
It called on journalists to raise public awareness about fisheries value chains, resource conservation and international policy developments, while giving greater attention to the concerns of coastal communities, waterway safety and investment opportunities
