Plagiarism/Ethics Statement

Plagiarism and Publication Ethics Statement

The African Journal of Fisheries Science is committed to upholding the highest standards of publication ethics, research integrity, and scientific excellence. The journal provides a platform for the publication of high-quality research in fisheries science, aquaculture, aquatic ecology, marine and freshwater biology, fish health, fisheries management, aquatic biodiversity, and sustainable resource utilization. Authors, reviewers, editors, and editorial staff are expected to adhere to internationally recognized principles of ethical publishing that promote honesty, transparency, accountability, and responsible scientific communication.

Authors must ensure that all submitted manuscripts are original, scientifically rigorous, and have not been published previously or submitted simultaneously to another journal. All ideas, data, figures, tables, photographs, maps, and previously published materials must be appropriately acknowledged through accurate citation and referencing. The journal maintains a strict policy against plagiarism, self-plagiarism, duplicate publication, data fabrication, data falsification, inappropriate image manipulation, and any other form of research or publication misconduct. Manuscripts identified as violating these standards may be rejected during editorial assessment or, if already published, may be corrected, retracted, or otherwise addressed following a thorough investigation.

Authors are responsible for conducting their research in accordance with applicable institutional, national, and international ethical standards. Studies involving live aquatic animals must comply with recognized animal welfare guidelines and should minimize stress, pain, and unnecessary harm. Where required, ethical approval from the appropriate institutional committee and any necessary permits for field sampling, fish collection, or research involving protected species must be obtained before the study begins. Research involving local communities or human participants, such as surveys or interviews, should be conducted with informed consent and in accordance with applicable ethical and legal requirements.

The journal requires authors to disclose all sources of funding, financial support, and any actual or potential conflicts of interest that could influence the design, conduct, analysis, interpretation, or reporting of the research. Individual author contributions should be clearly described to promote transparency and accountability. Authors are encouraged to retain original research data and, where appropriate, make supporting datasets available to facilitate verification, reproducibility, and future scientific investigation.

Editors are responsible for ensuring a fair, impartial, confidential, and timely editorial process. Manuscripts are evaluated solely on the basis of scientific merit, originality, methodological quality, ethical compliance, and relevance to the journal's scope. Reviewers are expected to provide objective, constructive, and confidential evaluations while declaring any conflicts of interest that could affect their independent judgment.

If concerns regarding publication ethics arise before or after publication, the journal will investigate them promptly, fairly, and confidentially. Where appropriate, editorial actions—including corrections, expressions of concern, or article retractions—will be implemented to preserve the integrity, reliability, and transparency of the published scientific record.

The African Journal of Fisheries Science is dedicated to fostering ethical scientific publishing and supporting innovative, evidence-based research that advances sustainable fisheries, aquatic ecosystem conservation, responsible aquaculture, and food security for the benefit of communities in Africa and around the world.