Nigeria: Fishers Decry Declining Catches, Polluted Waters, Disappearing Mangroves in Cross River

What the report says

Fishers in Esuk Atu, a coastal community in Calabar, Cross River State, are reporting lower catches, dirtier water, fading mangroves and more flooding, saying the changes are making fishing harder and more costly. The concerns were raised on Friday during a community rights defenders workshop organized by Peace Point Development Foundation (PPDF) with the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF). The session is part of PPDF’s second phase of a project to build local environmental defenders in the Niger Delta.

According to Premium Times, participants described several pressures on their livelihoods, including pollution linked to vessels, mining activity, plastic waste, erosion, insecurity and damage to fishing gear. A fisher and a fish seller said the decline in supply is becoming visible in everyday life, while mangroves — which help support fish breeding — are being cut for firewood and cleared for other uses. The article also notes that scientific studies in the area have already pointed to pollution and human activity as environmental stressors.

The training focused on helping fishers, youths and community leaders document environmental harm, use mobile phones and testimonies to record incidents, and press for accountability. Organizers said communities should be included in decisions about pollution response and compensation, and that restoration should protect livelihoods, not only provide payments. The report places the Esuk Atu event within broader debates in the Niger Delta about oil, mining, pollution and the need for stronger community participation in environmental decision-making.