Africa’s Fishers Band Together to Grow Sustainable Fishing
- Yasmin Prabhudas
- 4 days ago
- 7 min read
‘FishNet Alliance’ Tackles Environmental Challenges
World hunger and malnutrition could be defeated with an abundant supply of protein-rich fish, which means there should be an explosion in fish farming around the globe.
But in Africa, there are many hurdles to filling nets—and bellies—with fish from the sea or farms. Instead of giving up, aquaculture alliances are arising to support and grow “sustain-able” fishing projects.
“What we do is to try to add our voices,” said Stephen Oduware, coordinator of FishNet Alliance, one of the organizations standing against environmental and industrial obstacles to producing more fish.
More Fish Dinners Needed
Fish and other aquatic animals contain a high level of nutrients, such as protein, minerals, vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids, which can help meet people’s dietary needs.
Some 3.2 billion people around the world received 20% of their per capita protein from aquatic animal food in 2021, according to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
Global seafood consumption increased from 9 kg (20 lbs) per capita in 1961 to 20.2 kg (44.5 lbs) in 2022, according to the UN FAO’s FAOSTAT data. Aquaculture production already reached 130.9 million tons in 2022, and an additional 36 million tons would be needed to maintain 20.7 kg (45.6 lbs) per capita for an estimated 9.7 billion people by 2050, according to FAO’s report.
Some 3.2 billion people around the world received 20% of their per capita protein from aquatic animal food in 2021, according to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
Between 713 million and 757 million people—one out of 11 people in the world and one out of every five in Africa—suffered from hunger in 2023 according to the UN World Food Programme’s 2024 report. Meanwhile, 281.6 million people from 59 food-crisis countries/territories experienced high acute food insecurity (starvation), as indicated in a separate 2024 report by the Food Security Information Network.
Environmental Concerns of Fish Farming
In a 2024 article by Chinese researchers, comparisons of environmental impact factors (such as carbon dioxide emissions, eutrophication, and land use) for various protein sources from multiple studies are provided. One study, for example, stated that beef production results in 47–65kg (about 103–143 lbs.) of CO2 emissions equivalent, while aquaculture and capture fisheries generate 5.6 kg (12 lbs.) and 3.6 kg (8 lbs.) of CO2 emissions equivalent, respectively.
But fish farming can also be resource-intensive—more than 70% of greenhouse gas emissions come from feed production for farmed aquaculture species, according to a 2021 study. Capture fisheries also contribute to climate change although the extent varies depending on species, the study says.
ActionAid, a UK-based charity that works for impoverished women and girls, outlines how fishing can also cause environmental degradation: the use of trawlers can lead to overfishing; certain fishing methods can increase the numbers of by-catches, like turtles and seabirds; and pesticides and antibiotics can contaminate the water.
Oil spills affect some regions of the world too. They can destroy the livelihoods of coastal and inland fishers and also harm the ocean ecosystem.
Meeting the Challenges
FishNet Alliance, with offices in Nigeria and South Africa, is addressing these issues. The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) and the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance created the organization in 2017. It now has more than 12,000 members, including individuals and fishers’ associations from across Africa, including Cameroon, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, and Uganda. The predominantly artisanal fishers catch fish ranging from barracuda and mullet to sailfish and shrimps.
“There was a need to create a rally point for fishers along the coast of Africa,” explains Oduware. “We carry out decentralized actions so that members in a certain country say XYZ activities are taking place on our coast, destroying our environment.”
FishNet Alliance’s Guiding Principles
The alliance has established a set of principles, including a commitment to activities that work with the natural cycles of the marine system, building the capacity of fishers to improve the sustainability of the marine environment, and advocating against the use of chemicals and explosives in fishing.
“Sustainability” has become a cliché, notes Oduware. “Even the agents of destruction use the word ‘sustainability.’ But in our own context, we try to promote ‘sustain-ability.’ That is ‘sustain’ hyphen ‘ability,’” he explains. “It’s about going back to the Earth, going back to nature. It’s about going back to the ocean to see that the ocean has limits, and therefore we must fish within the ecosystem’s limits. That means we must not use chemicals to fish because it will not only destroy the surface water, but it will also affect the coming community of fish.”
“It’s about going back to the Earth, going back to nature. It’s about going back to the ocean to see that the ocean has limits, and therefore we must fish within the ecosystem’s limits.”
He adds: “We must check the reproduction of fish from when the eggs are laid to when they become fries [young fish] to juveniles to adults. We must ensure that the right cycle is maintained.”
FishNet Alliance’s Campaigns
“Fish Not Oil”: Tracking Oil Spills in Nigeria
Fish Not Oil, a key alliance campaign, challenges the expansion of the oil industry through collaborating with Oil Watch. Nigeria’s National Oil Spill and Detection Agency (NOSDA) revealed that 822 oil spills were detected in 2020 and 2021, causing 28,000 barrels to pollute the environment (see video by HOMEF). This increased to 933 publicly available oil spills with just under 29,500 barrels spilled in 2024 alone based on most recent NOSDA data.
“We use the opportunity to train ourselves […] to be able to hold these guys [oil companies] accountable, even if we have to go the legal way,” Oduware comments. “So, we’ve been able to really shine the torchlight on the activities of multinational companies.”
Nigeria has a long history of environmental devastation caused by oil, notably in the Ogoni region in the Niger Delta, populated by 500,000 Ogoni people. In the 1990s, they fought against Shell Oil and demanded environmental protection for the people whose land and rivers had been polluted.
Protecting Fish through Reserved Areas
Today, the alliance has pledged to learn from people in the Ogoni region. There, the Kono community in Khana has established the Kono Wiinua Mangrove Reserved Area, a conservation initiative designed to protect fish species and preserve resources for the future. “Fishing is done periodically according to the details of their custom,” Oduware says. “So, it’s a kind of model that we use to preach to other communities on the need to have this kind of protected area.”
Warding off Sand-Filling Projects
FishNet Alliance is also helping the Makoko communities in Lagos to ward off the sand-filling of waterways to make way for new developments.
Over the past two years, more than 100 people have faced eviction from their homes in the Makoko Lagoon. Many make their living by fishing in this precious wetland area. Working with others, the organization is pressuring the authorities and constituting a legal team.
“The battle is not yet won, but we have made a lot of progress, and we are keeping our eyes open, our fingers crossed to ensure that the planned eviction of that people will not see the light of day,” Oduware says.
Fisher Exchanges
Other initiatives include fisher exchanges. For example, when fishers from Senegal revealed that oil and gas had been found close to where they were fishing, they contacted FishNet Alliance. A small group of six fishers was invited to visit the Niger Delta to see how local people were dealing with the impact of oil and gas production on their aquatic environment.
Giving Support to Meet Community Needs
In addition, the alliance responds to fishers’ needs. In Togo, for example, a society was set up to support fishers’ livelihoods. Fishing gear, including an outboard engine, was donated to communities in Doevi Kope and Kpeme.
Education
Part of the alliance’s work is to help fishers build their knowledge. It has a toolkit for oceans and human rights defenders, a policy paper on establishing fresh water and marine protected areas in Nigeria and a guide to aquatic ecosystem monitoring, reporting, organizing and advocacy.
Although members are not required to have certification, they are asked to stand by certain principles. They must fish within the ocean’s limits to preserve the ecosystem and respect natural cycles of life, the water cycle, and the carbon cycle.
Certification Options for Fish Products
Although members are not required to have certification, they are asked to stand by certain principles. They must fish within the ocean’s limits to preserve the ecosystem and respect natural cycles of life, the water cycle, and the carbon cycle.
“We are hoping that we get our fishers to the point where they'll be able to stand up for themselves while also doing the right thing and getting others to do the right things as well,” Oduware says.Certified fish products can reassure environmentally conscious consumers that the fish they are buying is sustainable. For example, Best Aquaculture Practices, offers end-to-end certification. Standards include those for hatcheries, which must conduct a risk assessment of potential human food safety risks.
The Aquaculture Stewardship Council provides producers in 121 countries with certification. Those it certifies must ensure labor practices are responsible, diseases managed well, and the ecosystem protected.
*Yasmin Prabhudas is a freelance journalist working mainly for non-profit organizations, labor unions, the education sector, and government agencies.
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