Dead fishes: Expert disagrees with NOSDRA on findings

The Centre for Environmental Preservation and Development (CEPAD) has disagreed with National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) on cause of dead fishes on Atlantic coastline.

Mr Furoebi Akene, Chairman, Board of Trustees of CEPAD on Monday, said that NOSDRA’s investigation carried out with oil multinationals excluding the impacted coastline communities was an abnormality.

He noted that excluding the people was a ploy to hoodwink Niger Delta people and hide the real cause of dead fishes littering the Atlantic coastline of the region.

NOSDRA, had on Thursday, May 14 announced that heavy metals from industrial and domestic wastes was behind the death of croaker fish specie in the Niger Delta coastline, and not hydrocarbon waste from oil firms.

Akene said the announcement by NOSDRA suggests that there is no transparency in the report released by the agency.

Akene wondered why government and stakeholders in the affected states where not carried along by NOSDRA in the purported investigation.

Akene further queried why NOSDRA would title their findings as "alleged" whereas the agency had earlier confirmed the collection of samples including dead fishes and water in the affected states.

He recalled that NOSDRA had also confirmed in April that it was carrying out analysis of which findings would be jointly considered by all stakeholders, to enable the appropriate solution as well as put more stringent regulations in future.

"The release by the Director-General of NOSDRA, Mr. Idris Olubola Musa dated 13th May 2020 captioned 'Alleged Mass Fish Kill Along The Coastline of Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States' suggests that there is no transparency in the so called report he is claiming to have been done by his Agency.

"From the opening word “Alleged” simply implies that his agency did not see the dead fishes along the coastline, then how come in the same statement say they took samples of dead fishes to the laboratory?

"Are the Government of the states whose citizens suffer the impacts that may result to likely epidemics not good enough to be stake holders to collaborate with in this investigation? The likelihood of some sinister motives is not ruled out.

"This position is at variance with his earlier position in the first press release issued last month. I will not hesitate to point out that this is exactly the pattern NOSDRA uses in perpetrating their conspiracies with their other conspirators; the oil multinationals.

"I wish to let everybody know that NOSDRA doesn’t have any laboratory so all their exploits are done by their hired consultants who shamelessly drop professionalism and dance to the dictates of the oil majors.

“I will implore him to make public the laboratory were the analyses took place.

“If he is serious to really get to the root of this matter, there are some Government Agencies that have well equipped laboratories including the Universities and other research institutes, so why not use the synergy of Government Agencies?" Akene said.

The environmentalist stated that NOSDRA by its investigation implies that the agencies responsible for the regulation of the nation’s waterways and fishing activities in the Atlantic are not doing their job.

Akene said NOSDRA was running away from the truth and pursuing shadows, as the agency had confirmed that it was a specific specie of fish that was being killed and wondered why the agency would prescribed a ban on illegal fishing as solution.

He emphasised that NOSDRA does not have any laboratory, hence, the so-called analysis was done by consultants, while describing the agency's suggestions and conclusions as laughable and unprofessional as they were mainly personal assumptions and not scientific.


"In paragraph 7a he is accusing accumulation of domestic and industrial waste produced from batteries, galvanised pipes, fertilisers, sewage sludge and plastics as possible causes. This is quite unprofessional and provocative.

"If these are the likely causes, why don’t they kill the same specie of fish in the inland waters because it is also available in the inland and coastal waters? This is playing to the gallery in the same pursuit of the conspiracy agenda.

“How can people whose business in fishing whether you tag them illegal or otherwise dump waste of that toxic nature to kill the same fish they are there to catch to make fortunes?

‘Even common sense can query this statement of the DG. This once again attest to the fact that he is mentally and intellectually not fit to hold such office.