ABSTRACT

In Niger delta, fish is the major source of animal protein, the marine ecosystem is a vital part of the daily activities of the indigenes of the Niger delta as they rely on it for the provision of fish, however since the discovery of oil in Niger delta in 1958, a negative impact has been witnessed on oil producing communities. This study evaluated the effect of oil spillage on artisanal fish farming in Warri North Local Government Area, Delta State, Nigeria. 

The study specifically described the socio-economic characteristics of fish farmers in the study area, estimate and compare the catch of fish and the net income in the oil spill and non-oil spill area, investigate the causes and assess the strategies for mitigating the effect of oil spillage in the study area

A two sampling procedure which involved a simple random sampling of 20 communities from the 35 communities in the L.G.A, 10 of which was sampled from oil spill affected area while 10 was from non-affected area, the second stage  involved a simple random sampling of five (5) respondent each from the selected communities to whom questionnaire was administered. 

The result of the descriptive statistics showed that the incidence of oil spillage in Niger Delta region has an adverse effect on the aquatic ecosystem and the livelihood of the farmers who depend on this ecosystem for sustenance. Oil spill affects the revenue generated from artisanal fish farming in the affected areas (N322,750) while fish farming in the non-spill area is profitable (N900,000). It was concluded that pipeline vandalization (3.96%) and improper drilling activities (3.96%) are the leading causes of oil spill in the study area.