6.6m fishers distressed by coronavirus pandemic - FishNet Alliance

The FishNet Alliance has called for help for the 6.5 million fishers that are in distress, due to the coronavirus pandemic, in Lagos State, and other coastal communities across the 850-kilometre Atlantic coastline of the country.

The Alliance made the call at a meeting in Makoko, where fishers expressed how their businesses have been affected under lockdown measures. According to the fishers, the lockdown have deprived them of access to fishing grounds and daily income to take care of their families.

They also added that, where they are not impacted by oil spills, they are limited by security cordons built around industrial facilities.

"The fact that COVID-19 pandemic is a serious threat to global health is beyond question. What is often ignored is the fact that the pandemic is a serious socio-economic crisis in Nigeria and many other countries.

“The pandemic has ripped off the cover from healthcare delivery systems that had hitherto been hidden since citizens that could afford the bills could easily jet out of the country to nurse their headaches, while the poor died on the doorsteps of health centres that are ill-equipped to deliver needed services.

“With lockdown and other restrictions, the impact has been disproportionately felt by the poor, women and social classes with no support systems.

“One of such exposed and under-supported social group is that of artisanal fishers, fish processors and marketers.

“Routinely ignored in the scheme of things, the lockdown measures has thrown 6.5 million strong fishers into abject stress,” said FishNet Alliance,

Akintimehin Adewole, leader of the Alliance in Lagos State also stated that, “there are high activities of sand mining (dredging) going on in the area and this has severely impacted on the livelihoods of the community people.”

He called on the Federal Government to support the fishers and roll out policies that protect the aquatic environment, clean-up already polluted areas and guarantee the rights of the people to a decent livelihood as fishers.