The effects of oil pollution on the marine environment in the Gulf of Guinea—the Bonga Oil Field example
Open accessAbstract
Fish makes a significant contribution to the food security of millions of people in the Gulf of Guinea, accounting for up to 80 per cent of the animal protein, and sometimes the only source of animal protein consumed in coastal communities across the region, including those in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria. However, this contribution is increasingly undermined by unsustainable practices that are harmful to the marine environment such as pollution, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and by climate change. This paper focuses on the role that pollution from oil spillages plays in damaging the marine environment, thereby exacerbating food insecurity in the region. Using the Bonga Oil Field spillage example, the paper exposes, from a policy perspective, the manner in which the shortcomings of existing environmental regulations and their implementation in Nigeria weaken efforts for a sustainable marine environment and, by extension, threaten the food security of coastal communities.
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Ali's submission is true for many communities in the Niger Delta where there are limited opportunities for subsistence outside fishing and farming, which is why the option of illegal activity is almost always the only alternative.
“Ali's submission is true for many communities in the Niger Delta where there are limited opportunities for subsistence outside fishing and farming, which is why the option of illegal activity is almost always the only alternative (Houeland, 2015;Odusote, 2016;Okafor-Yarwood, 2018).”
From The Cyclical Nature of Maritime Security Threats: Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing as a Threat to Human and National Security in the Gulf of Guinea (2020) · cites this paper as Okafor-Yarwood, 2018
Section 2 (page not provided) describes limited employment opportunities in the Niger Delta and says former farmers and fishermen joined militant groups after losing their livelihoods. But it also describes trading as an alternative livelihood, so it does not support the claim that illegal activity is almost always the only alternative. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn a region with limited support from the government, fishmongers take specific advantage of the cash inducements of oil and other workers in the oil economy by turning to sex work.
“In a region with limited support from the government, the fishmongers take specific advantage of the cash inducements of oil and other workers in the oil economy by turning to sex work, (Anugwom and Anugwom, 2009;Okafor-Yarwood, 2018).”
From The Cyclical Nature of Maritime Security Threats: Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing as a Threat to Human and National Security in the Gulf of Guinea (2020) · cites this paper as Okafor-Yarwood, 2018
Section 2 says some women in Niger Delta communities engage in prostitution to take advantage of cash inducements from oil workers and others in the oil economy. It does not specifically identify those women as fishmongers, and it describes limited employment opportunities rather than limited government support as the context for this choice. No page number is supplied in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe Nigerian example is a suitable case study for understanding the situation in the Gulf of Guinea because the mangroves of the Niger Delta serve as breeding grounds for fisheries species in the Gulf of Guinea.
“The Nigerian example makes for a suitable case study for understanding the situation in the Gulf of Guinea, because the mangroves of the Niger Delta serves as breeding grounds for fisheries species in the Gulf of Guinea (Okafor-Yarwood, 2018).”
From The Cyclical Nature of Maritime Security Threats: Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing as a Threat to Human and National Security in the Gulf of Guinea (2020) · cites this paper as Okafor-Yarwood, 2018
In Bonny, Niger Delta, an estimated 70 per cent of the population directly or indirectly derive their livelihood from the fisheries sector.
“There is nowhere that the preceding claims are more valid than in the Niger Delta, Bonny in particular, where an estimated 70 per cent of the population directly or indirectly derive their livelihood from the fisheries sector (Okafor-Yarwood, 2018).”
From The Cyclical Nature of Maritime Security Threats: Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing as a Threat to Human and National Security in the Gulf of Guinea (2020) · cites this paper as Okafor-Yarwood, 2018
For fisherfolk in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria, IUU fishing robs them of the limited resources available, having for so long endured the depleting effects of pollution by multinational oil companies in the region.
“For fisherfolk in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria, IUU fishing robs them of the limited resources available, having for so long endured the depleting effects of pollution by multinational oil companies in the region (Okafor-Yarwood, 2018).”
From The Cyclical Nature of Maritime Security Threats: Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing as a Threat to Human and National Security in the Gulf of Guinea (2020) · cites this paper as Okafor-Yarwood, 2018
Crude oil derived from the Niger Delta accounts for 95 per cent of Nigeria's foreign exchange earnings, and 80 percent of the total revenue accruable to the Federal account.
“Crude oil derived from the Niger Delta accounts for 95 per cent of Nigeria's foreign exchange earnings, and 80 percent of the total revenue accruable to the Federal account.”
From The Cyclical Nature of Maritime Security Threats: Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing as a Threat to Human and National Security in the Gulf of Guinea (2020) · cites this paper as Okafor-Yarwood, 2018
The GDP contribution from crude oil in 2017 was 8.68 per cent and 9.61 per cent in the first quarter of 2018, generating the bulk of the government's revenue.
“The GDP contribution from crude oil in 2017 was 8.68 per cent and 9.61 per cent in the first quarter of 2018, generating the bulk of the government's revenue (Okafor-Yarwood, 2018).”
From The Cyclical Nature of Maritime Security Threats: Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing as a Threat to Human and National Security in the Gulf of Guinea (2020) · cites this paper as Okafor-Yarwood, 2018
Pipeline vandalisation resulting in oil spillages pollutes the marine environment, which acts as an additional stressor to depleting fish stocks, thereby undermining Nigeria's ability to ensure the sustainable exploitation of its fisheries resources.
“Further, pipeline vandalisation which results in oil spillages pollutes the marine environment which acts as an additional stressor to depleting fish stocks, thereby undermining the ability of Nigeria to ensure the sustainable exploitation of its fisheries resources (Okafor-Yarwood, 2018).”
From The Cyclical Nature of Maritime Security Threats: Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing as a Threat to Human and National Security in the Gulf of Guinea (2020) · cites this paper as Okafor-Yarwood, 2018
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Okafor-Yarwood, I. (2020) · African Security · doi:10.1080/19392206.2020.1724432 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
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- Authors
- Okafor-Yarwood, I.
- Affiliations
- King's College London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Okafor-Yarwood, Ifesinachi
- Venue
- Transnational Legal Theory
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2018-10-02
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 3-4
- Pages
- 254-271
- ISSN
- 2041-4005 (ISSN-L)
- 2041-4013
- OpenAlex
- W2906052548
- Cited by
- 44
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 1
- FWCI
- 1.31
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Locations
- Transnational Legal Theory (publishedVersion)
- St Andrews Research Repository (St Andrews Research Repository) (submittedVersion)
- Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Oil Spill Detection and Mitigation
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law › International Maritime Law Issues
- Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Oil, Gas, and Environmental Issues
- Keywords
- oil pollution, oil spills, Gulf of Guinea, marine environment, food security, fisheries, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, environmental regulation, environmental policy, Niger Delta, coastal communities, climate change
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