Nigeria loses about 60 million dollars annually through illegal fishing in its territorial waters. The nation import over 200 million dollars worth of seafood products annually to supplement local production, while 90 per cent of fish consumed is imported.

Professor of Zoology, Chioma Nzeh of the department of Zoology, University of Ilorin who disclosed this at the One hundred and Twenty-eight Inaugural lecture of the institution called on Federal Government to increase surveillance towards reducing illegal fishing and provide security on the water way in order to prevent pirate attacks on fishing boats.

While advising the government to reduce the size of foreign fleet on Nigeria water, the professor urged government to intensify aquaculture, strengthen youth in fish farming and assist private fish farm as a means of sustaining food security.

"The potential of aquaculture is yet to be fully tapped and inadequate infrastructural development particularly in the area of water supply has affected aquaculture.

"A combination of traditional approaches such as catch quota, community management coupled with fishing closure and more selective fishing gear, will help to rebuild some fisheries that have dwindled", she said.

Speaking on climate change and pollution which has increased flooding and destroyed the ecosystem, Professor Nzeh advised government to authorise industries with high concentrations of conventional pollutants to install a pre-treatment system in order to remove the toxic from the component.

"Pollution is contributing to the destruction of the ecosystem and the result is dwelling fish stocks. Water is typically referred to as pollution when it is impaired by anthropologic contaminants and either does not support a human use", the professor said.