A professor of Hydrobiology has predicted that fishes and other marine animals may face extinction by 2048 if the current trend overfishing in both fresh and ocean waters are not checked.

Quoting research reports on fisheries in 2006, Prof. Chioma Nzeh, who is the first professor in the Department of Zoology, University of Ilorin, drooped this hint while presenting the 128th Inaugural Lecture of the University of Ilorin titled: “Dwindling Fish Stocks: Aquaculture And Sustainable Food Security,” at the weekend.

Narrating the effect of this on West Africa in general and Nigeria in particular, the fishery research expert said environmental pollution had even made the case in Nigeria worse than it can be imagined.

The case of Nigeria’s unprotected aquatic and ecosystem in particular, had heighten negative impacts on food security in the country and has become a serious setback on the economy.

For instance, Nzeh said Nigeria had lost $60 million to illegal fishing on its territorial waters while importing $200 million worth of fish yearly as at 2011.

The West African has also lost $1billion worth of fish to vessels fishing without proper equipment or licence.

She called on the Federal Government to reduce the size of foreign fleet on Nigerian waters to check loss of the nation’s fish stock that has worsen the country’s food security.

Nzeh enjoined the government to increase surveillance in the nation’s exclusive economic zone, EEZ, to reduce illegal fishing and provide security in the country’s waterways to prevent pirates’ attacks on trawlers.