Fishermen in Adada Community, Odual Kingdom, Rivers State in Nigeria, caught, killed a Manatee Sea Cow with a spear and began buttering the animal for community consumption.
Manatee, otherwise known as the sea cow, is a marine mammal, considered to be among the world’s endangered species which are not to be killed.
A Twitter user, by name Julius Diamond (@juliusdiamondd), posted on the social media site a video and photos of the manatee / sea cow when it was caught and while it was butchered and cut in pieces.
He wrote;
Community jolliment: Fisherman kills Sea Cow with Spear in Adada Community, Odual Kingdom, Rivers State.
All households in the community usually get a share of the meat.
Congratulations sir.
Watch video below.
Community jolliment: Fisherman kills Sea Cow with Spear in Adada Community, Odual Kingdom, Rivers State.
All households in the community usually get a share of the meat.
Congratulations sir. pic.twitter.com/6s8HKm5Eov
— Julius Diamond (@juliusdiamondd) July 11, 2020
In January 2018, some villagers in Sapele in Delta State, South-south of Nigeria.reportedly caught the sea cow (manatee) and cut it to pieces for community consumption. That year, Edem Eniang, a biodiversity conservationist in Nigeria, described the killing of the manatee as a big loss and a shame to Nigeria.
Mr. Eniang, who is a senior lecturer and a specialist in Wildlife Resources Management at the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, said he was aware of the incident and that he has notified other interested experts around the world.
“It is not only in Sapele; in Lagos State alone, three manatees have been killed since December, last year, to this January,” he told PREMIUM TIMES on Monday.
“There is also a story of a stranded whale in Ondo State. A young whale got stranded by a seashore. While it was still alive, Nigerians only found it necessary to stand on top of it to take selfies and posted it online.
“They started butchering the whale when it was still breathing.
“And the most painful components, aside from the killing of the manatee and the whale, if you read people’s commentary online, you will find out, very sadly, that 70 per cent or more of the Nigerian population are stark illiterate as far as conservation is concerned,” Mr. Eniang said.
Mr. Eniang appealed to the Nigerian media to help enlighten the people on the importance of conservation.
Nigeria is mentioned among the countries where the hunting of manatee is reported to be worst in Africa.
