RISKS AND SAFETY ON THE USE OF AQUATIC RESOURCES

RISKS AND SAFETY ON THE USE OF AQUATIC RESOURCES

CHAPTER ONE

1.0    Introduction

        Biological diversity or biodiversity is a sum total of all the different species of animals, plants fungi and microbial organisms living on earth and the variety of habitats in which they live. According to the convention on biological diversity, biodiversity is the variability among living organisms from all sources, including terrestrial and marine aquatic diversity and resources.

Thus, one aspect of biodiversity is aquatic diversity or resources. Aquatic diversity is the variety of life and ecosystems that make up the freshwater tidal and marine region of the earth and their interactions, including lakes, ponds, streams groundwater and wetlands. Others are marine ecosystems, including oceans estuaries salt marshes, sea grass bed, mangrove forest as well as insects fish, birds mammal, phyton plankton, zooplankton and other aquatic plants.

Human beings have long depended on aquatic resources for food, medicines and materials as well as for recreation and commercial purposes such as fishing and tourism. Aquatic organism also rely greatly on great variety of aquatic habitats and resources for food, materials and breeding grounds. These uses have contributed to the declining level of aquatic resources and this threatened their existence in both freshwater and marine environment. As a result valuable aquatic resources are increasingly becoming susceptible to both natural and artificial environmental changes. (Tewari and Brisht, 2012).

This paper seeks to examine the significance importance of aquatic resources, the risk/threats and safety measures/conservation approaches that could be adopted. The key questions therefore are:

• What are aquatic resources?
• What are the uses of aquatic resources?
• What are risks involves in their utilization?
• What safety measures could be adopted?

1.1    Objectives of the Study

        The aim of this research is to examine the

• Issues on aquatic resources
• Evaluating the uses of aquatic resources
• The risks involved in the utilization of aquatic resources
• The safety measures on the use of aquatic resources.

1.2    Definition of Terms

• Risk: Risk is defined as a probability or threat of a damage injury, liability, loss or other negative occurrence to aquatic lives and resources that may be caused by external or internal vulnerabilities and that may be neutralized through preemptive actions.
• Safety: According to dictionary.com (2011): Safety is a state of being free from injury, dangerous or loss, or a device to prevent injury.
• Aquatic Resources: These refers to water and its multiple roles as a natural resources and in supporting all human, animal and plant life.