00:00Beneath a sprawling eight-lane expressway, men stand waist-deep in Lagos lagoon,
00:06scooping sand from the mokey water to fuel Africa's fastest-growing mega-city.
00:12Dredging has become a booming business as demand for sand essential for concrete
00:17and land reclamation rises with Lagos' rapid development.
00:22We have this an easy process. We have start sand from under the water,
00:27which they normally use for houses, filling of land.
00:33So like this one, this badge actually, this one is the transporter.
00:40So when we load it, this one will take it to the destination.
00:44But for fishing communities like Makoko, one of Lagos' oldest waterfront settlements, the cost is steep.
00:50Badges now operate close to stilted homes, wild reclaimed land and luxury developments ever closer.
00:58Local leader Bale Semade Emmanuel says livelihoods are disappearing.
01:03Authorities have pledged to crack down on illegal dredging but residents say enforcement remained inconsistent
01:09as Lagos faces rising flood risks from the loss of its natural lagoon buffers.
01:15You know, we're not passed. Dredgers have spoiled the entire waters.
01:29If we say we want to do any fishing now all over places where dredging activities happen, there's no fish there anymore.
01:35The fish flee at the loud sound of the engines.
01:40All of the areas where the fish usually breed have been completely overtaken by dredgers.
01:46Environmental researchers back those claims linking dredging to high water turbidity that disrupts fish reproduction and migration.
01:56Fishermen say shrinking catches are forcing them further offshore, increasing costs and danger.
02:05The fish flee at the sea.
02:06The fish flee at the sea.
02:07The fish flee at the sea.
02:08The fish flee at sea.
02:09The fish flee at sea.
02:10The fish flee at sea.
02:11The fish flee at sea.
02:12The fish flee at sea.
02:13The fish flee at sea.
02:14The fish flee at sea.
02:15The fish flee at sea.
02:16The fish flee at sea.
02:17The fish flee at sea.
02:18The fish flee at sea.
02:19The fish flee at sea.
02:20The fish flee at sea.
02:21The fish flee at sea.
02:22The fish flee at sea.
02:23The fish flee at sea.
02:24The fish flee at sea.
02:25The fish flee at sea.
02:26The fish flee at sea.
02:27The fish flee at sea.
02:28The fish flee at sea.
02:29The fish flee at sea.
02:30The fish flee at sea.
02:31The fish flee at sea.
Comments