Re-Assessing Strategies for Effective Monitoring and Control of Marine Plastic Pollution in West African: The Roles of Public Institutions and Coastal Conservative Societies
Abstract
The menace of marine plastic and micro plastic pollution over the years, remain a problem that has affected the productivity of the ocean/blue economy sub-sector, and the sustainable development of the West African maritime sector. In Nigeria for example which dominates maritime affairs in West Africa, marine debris and plastic pollution is identified to have negatively impacted maritime transport and port operations, River/inland water navigation, fisheries and aquaculture development, public health, marine biodiversity development and the coastal environment. Though several programmes have over the years been implemented at both public and private sector levels, aimed at combating the menace of marine plastic and micro plastic pollution, the trend in the pollution of the coastal environment and the adjacent seas with plastic and micro plastic materials seem to have even increased in line with increasing trends in population growth in Nigeria’s coastal zones. This suggests the failure of previous programmes of Government and the private sector in addressing these challenges, particularly the debris (marine plastic and micro plastic) monitoring and control strategies. Monitoring strategies in the context of the study entails the strategies deployed in the collection, quantification, recording, and reporting of information about trend, nature and features of marine plastic and micro plastic in a given coastal zone, that is of importance to the control of it. The control of marine plastic and micro plastic pollution entails the processes of removal, reduction, combating, elimination and sustainable management of marine plastic pollution in the seas and coastal environment in order to achieve plastics micro plastics free seas and oceans. Data is central to the implementation of plastic and micro plastics free coastal zones. The implementation of monitoring programmes is thus aimed at generating and providing data required for implementing control. The aim of the study therefore is to re-assess the monitoring and control strategies implemented in combating the plastic and micro plastic pollution in Nigeria’s marine ecosystem over the years, with a view to providing empirical evidences for strengthening the monitoring and control strategies, to make it effective for sustainable debris control operations in Nigeria. The result of the study will provide understanding of the roles of the public (Government) and the private marine conservation societies in ensuring plastics free seas and oceans in West Africa. Recommendations were proffered on the basis of the findings of the study.
Keywords: marine-plastics, pollution, monitoring-and-control, effective-strategies, West-Africa
Department of Maritime Technology and Logistics
School of Logistics and Innovation Technology (SLIT)
Federal University of Technology, P.M.B. 1526, Owerri, lmo State, Nigeria.
POSITIONS: Senior Lecturer, Department of Maritime Technology & Logistics, School of Logistics and Innovation Technology, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria.
PROFILE
Dr. Theophilus Chinonyerem Nwokedi was born in Imo State, South-East Nigeria. He holds a First Degree in Transport Management & Technology from the prestigious Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria, where he graduated with Second Class Honours, Upper Division in 2005. He also holds a Master of Science (M.Sc.) Degree and a Doctor of Philosophy Degree (PhD) in Maritime Management & Technology, from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria.
Over the years, he has garnered wide range of experience in the, maritime, ports, shipping, and logistics, marine environment pollution control, and maritime security governance sub-sectors of the ocean/blue economy, having worked with several maritime, shipping and logistics organizations. Following his love for human capital development, he has over the years been involved in the teaching, human capita development and professional training of young people in several institutions of higher learning. Among the places he has lectured include, Nautical Institute for Technology, Global Maritime Academy, Nigeria, The Certified Institute of Shipping (CIS), Atlantic Maritime Academy, Nigeria (AMAN), Lagos Aviation and Maritime Business School (LAMBS), Chartered Institute of Transport Administration (CIOTA), Nigeria etc.
Currently, He works as an academic staff, researcher and ocean expert in the Department of Maritime Technology & Logistics, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria. He is also a practicing maritime, ports, shipping and Logistics Consultant with the Tblanca Global Maritime Logistics Consults and Ocean Research Center (ORC), both in Port-Harcourt, Nigeria. He has consulted widely in the area of marine debris, plastics and micro plastics monitoring and control in Nigeria and featured prominently in the NIMASA funded Marine Debris Combat programmes in Nigerian Coastal Zones.
Dr Nwokedi has published widely in the areas of maritime and ocean studies, shipping and logistics, in reputable peer reviewed journals including many Scopus, web of science and Google scholar indexed
journals and is on the board of Reviewers of several Scopus indexed journals in the area of maritime, transport and shipping. He lives with his family in Port-Harcourt, Nigeria.
RESEARCH INTERESTS:
Marine Environmental Protection and Environmental Sustainability
Maritime Safety management, Loss Control, Sustainable Ports and Marine Transportation.
Maritime Education, Human capital Training and development.
Marine Surveying/Offshore Inspection and Safety Benchmarking.
Marine Insurance and underwriting.
Maritime Defense and Security.