Nigeria Could Feed Nine Billion People Through Goods From Marine Ecosystem, Says Clearing Agents
By Sulaimon Salau
The goods and service produced from marine ecosystems could make greater contribution to reducing poverty, building resilient communities, fostering strong economies, and feeding over nine billion people by 2025, according to clearing agents.
The National President, National Council of Managing Director of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Mr. Lucky Amiwero, in a letter to the presidency tagged “Nigerian Blue Economy For Sustainable Economic Growth And Institutional Governance” urged the public and the private sector to plan, manage and effectively govern the use of marine space and resources, applying inclusive methods and the ecosystem approach.
He that additional growth of the blue economy is possible in a number of areas, especially: fisheries, Mari culture, aquaculture, coastal tourism, marine biotechnology, and ocean energy, some of these sector will require little encouragement and additional governance, while others need more better planning to achieve their full potential.
Amiwero also called on the public and private sector to develop and apply standards, guidelines, and best practice that support sustainable blue economy.
He stressed the need to set out clear, consistent goals and target for a sustainable blue economy, urging them to recognized that the maritime and land-based economics are interlinked and that many of the threats facing marine environment originate from the land.
The NCMDLCA chief also called for an improved governance to grow a blue economy, this is essential for sustainable use of oceans, sea and maritime resources, for biodiversity conservation, for improved human well-being, and for ecosystem resilience, traditional knowledge and practices can also provide cultural appropriate approaches for supporting improved governance.
He stated that the blue economy recognizes the critical need for sustainable use of ocean and freshwater resources through an integrated and coherent policy across the ocean and freshwater- related sector and harmonized across multiple levels of Governance sub-national, national, regional and international, in a coordinated manner.
He listed the sectors of blue economy to include: Marine Biotechnology, Bio prospecting, Renewable energy source, Fishing, Seabed Mining, Port and Marine Transport and Related Service, Shipbuilding and ship repair, Mari culture and Seawater pond.
Others are: Offshore wind power (tidal and wave), Coastal, marine and maritime tourism (Blue tourism), Marine recreation, Carbon sequestration/Blue carbon, Coastal protection and development, Waste Disposal/Assimilation of nutrients and waste, Desalination (Freshwater generation), Aquaculture, Ocean conservation and Offshore oil and gas/demand of alternative energy sources.
