Environmental Management of Artisanal Fisheries in the Bight of Benin Coastal Zone

This study examines the environmental management challenges and practices of artisanal fisheries in the Bight of Benin coastal zone, encompassing Lagos and Ogun States, South West Nigeria. Artisanal fisheries in this zone face compound pressures from overfishing, habitat degradation, climate change-driven sea level and storm surge changes, and water quality deterioration that collectively threaten both ecological sustainability and the livelihoods of the estimated 250,000 people who depend on fishing in this coastal zone. The study employs a professional environmental management assessment approach, combining a review of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture's National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency fisheries enforcement records with field assessments at twelve fishing landing sites across Lagos and Ogun, structured interviews with 60 fishing boat operators and 15 fisheries officers, and ecological rapid assessments of fish landing site conditions. Assessment criteria encompass gear selectivity compliance, fish landing site waste management, juvenile fish retention rates, fishing effort documentation, and habitat protection practices. Results reveal that non-selective gear types prohibited for juvenile protection are in common use at eight of twelve assessed landing sites, reflecting inadequate enforcement. Landing site solid and organic waste management is entirely absent at 10 sites, with waste deposited directly on beaches and into nearshore waters. Fisheries officer capacity is insufficient, with an average of one officer per 350 registered boats in the zone. Recommendations include a co-management framework formalising fishing community associations as primary compliance monitors with state backing and phased gear replacement support. Keywords: artisanal fisheries, coastal management, Bight of Benin, overfishing, co-management.