Climate Change Implications For The Aquaculture Industry In Rivers State, Niger Delta, Nigeria
Wokocha C C
Department of Crop and Soil Science Faculty of Agriculture, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Jamabo N A
Department of Fisheries, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Keywords: Aquaculture, Economic Activity, Climate Change, Niger Delta
Abstract
Rivers State is a coastal community in the Niger Delta Area of Nigeria encompassed by a network of tributaries, inland and the Atlantic Ocean at its Southern tip. The communities of the Rivers State are largely dependent on the coastal wetlands for aquaculture and fisheries activities, which are their main economic activity. Several other economic activities especially oil prospecting and exploration activities by numerous companies, land fills, and reclamation, and human activities such as deforestation of the mangroves of the wetlands among others responsible for global climate change are high in this State. Of recent, certain climate change activities have been observed. Thus a review was carried out to determine the likely implications of climate change on the aquaculture industry, and subsequently the livelihood of the fish farmers, and recommendation/suggestion have been made to this effect. This review is aimed at understanding and creating awareness as regards the climate change implications for the aquaculture industry for all stakeholders in the Rivers State and proffering a solution to this anomaly.