FUNAI Journal of Science and Technology 3 (1), 2017, 111 ATLAS OF FISHERIES, FISH CRAFT AND FISHING GEARS OF SOME SELECTED WATER BODIES IN NORTHERN NIGERIA 1 Ibrahim, B. U. and 2 Ogueji, E. O. 1 Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State, Nigeria 2 Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Federal University Ndufu Alike Ikwo, Nigeria (Received 24 January 2017; Revised 20 June 2017; Accepted:24 June, 2017) Abstract Survey of fishing gears, fishing crafts and fishes of Kontagora Reservoir, Bakolori Reservoir and River Yauri were carried out between January, 2016 and December, 2016 in Northern region of Nigeria. Catch and frame assessment survey was used for this study. Gillnet, cast net, hook and line were commonly used fishing gears. Giwa and clap nets were peculiar to River Yauri, Malian trap (gura) to Kontagora Reservoir and River Yauri, and, Gill net, Cast net, Hook and Line and basket were recorded in Bakolori reservoir. Apart from plank canoe used in the three water bodies, motorized canoe, gourd and ferry were also used in River Yauri. Traditional fishing gears and crafts are still in use in these water bodies. Twentysix fish species belonging to thirteen families were recorded overall with highest diversity from River Yauri (13) followed by Bakolori Reservoir (10) and the lowest from Kontagora (8). Similarly, River Yauri recorded the highest family (11) followed by Bakolori (9), while the least was Kontagora Reservoir (8). Further studies to ascertain the presence of other fisheries, fishing gears and crafts within and outside the water bodies in Northern Nigeria is recommended. Key words: Fishing gears, Fishing crafts, fish, River, Reservoir, Nigeria 1. Introduction Nigeria is blessed with over 14 million of hectares of reservoirs, lake, ponds and major rivers capable of producing over 980,000 metric tons of fish annually (FDF, 2007). Surveys have shown that fish demand exceeds supply, with low domestic production, Correspondence: Email: ibrahimsayuti@yahoo.com Website: www.fjst.org
considering the increasing human population. The annual fish demand in Nigeria has been estimated to be over 1.3 million metric tons and the total domestic production is just about 450,000 metric tons per annum (Tsadu et al. 2006). Artisanal fisheries sector made up the most important sector that account for the major fish supply in the developing world. According to FAO (1991) out of 1.9 million people engaged in fishing, about 98% belongs to the artisanal sector. However, this sector is characterized with low technology, lack of modern equipment and low fund resulting in labour intensiveness with little or no opportunities to expand. Fish is the cheapest source of animal protein to human, therefore there is need to protect and manage the fishery. In order to do this effectively, detail knowledge of the artisanal fisheries is of great importance. Due to the varied habits and habitats of the fish species peculiar to water bodies, assorted array of fishing gears are equally employed to catch them. According to Abdul (2005) the various type of fishing gear and the way they are used on water depend on fishermen s financial status, water depth, shoreline patterns, targeted fish species and seasons of the year. In Nigeria, fishermen folks engaged in smallscale fisheries using gears and crafts that are made up of both natural and synthetic fibers. To effectively use gear in any water body with success the fishermen needs a kind of mobility to enable him/her reach both near and distant fishing grounds. Water bodies in Nigeria stretch from the northern part to the southern part of the country, which is exploited mostly by artisanal fishermen. However, there is little documented information on the various fishing implements used and different fish species found in Kontagora Reservoir, Bakolori Reservoir and River Yauri in Northen Nigeria. This study tends to determine the various fishing gears, crafts and fishes of these water bodies. This would go a long way in management of these water bodies sustainably. 2. Materials and Method 2.2.1. Study area The study area comprised of the three basins of water bodies located at the north central and north western zones. These are Kontagora Reservoir, Bakolori Reservoirs and River Yauri. The Kontagora Reservoir is located at Latitude 30 0 20' and 70 0 40' East; Longitude 8 0 and11 0 3' North. It is found in Niger State, Nigeria and was officially commissioned in 1991. It has a total storage capacity of 17.7million cubic metres, a surface area of 143 square kilometers, height of 20 meters and crest length is 1000 meters. FUNAI Journal of Science and Technology, 3(1), 2017 Page 2
Fig. 1. Showing map of Kontagora Reservoir, Niger State, Nigeria (Source: Google Earth Map, 2016) Bakolori Reservoir is situated at Longitude 12 0 30'4''N and Latitude 6 0 11'0''E. It is found in Sokoto State, and was completed in 1978. It has a capacity of 450 million cubic meters, with a reservoir covering 8,000 hectares extending 19 km (12 mi) upstream (Fig. 2). River Yauri is located at longitude 10 0 44 56 N and latitude 4 0 46 40 E. It is found in Kebbi State within the wetland and floodplain of the Niger/Sokoto River Basin (Fig. 3). FUNAI Journal of Science and Technology, 3(1), 2017 Page 3
Fig. 2. Showing Map of Bakolori Reservoir, Sokoto State, Nigeria (Source: Google Earth Map, 2016) Fig.3. Map of River Yauri, Kebbi State, Nigeria (Source: Google Earth Map, 2016) FUNAI Journal of Science and Technology, 3(1), 2017 Page 4
2.2.2. Method of data collection Frame and Catch Assessment Survey was used to collect data. These are standardized survey methods, which include stratification and classification. Stratification refers to areas that were covered, which include choosing the landing sites of the water bodies for data collection. This was done to cover the whole stretch of the water bodies as high fishing activities around these areas were also considered. Landing sites were visited on monthly basis for a period of Twelve months (January, 2016 December, 2016) for data collection. The landing sites were Tunga Hajiya and Tunga Kawo on Kontagora Reservoir, Kpata Kinlaro, Sogone, Geubulunbuko and GidanYarafara on Bakolori Reservoir, Yelwa, Bakin Ruwa, Kangiwa and Zamare on River Yauri. Classification method was used to ascertain or identify the kind of crafts and gears found at each of these water bodies. This followed the methods of FAO (2002). The various fishing gears and crafts of each of these water bodies were categorized according to types. The different types of fish species found at each water body were identified and classified to families with the aid of a fish manual (Idodo Umeh 2003). Photographs of gears, crafts and fish species were taken and assembled to form the fisheries atlas of these water bodies. 3. Results and Discussion Inland fishery of Nigeria can be characterized as artisanal with multispecies and multigears activities. Fishermen that are involved in artisanal fisheries in Nigeria make use of gears and crafts made from both natural and synthetic materials. Nigerian fishermen use about twenty seven (27) different types of fishing gears (Udolisa et al. 1994). The commonly used gears in Kontagora Reservoir, Bakolori Reservoir and River Yauri were gillnet, cast net, hook and line (Table 1 and Plate 1). Other gears include trap (gura), clap net and giwa net. Ibrahim et al. (2009) reported the use of gillnet, cast net, hook and line and Malian trap as the common fishing gears in Kontagora Reservoir. The use of Malian trap (gura) was also reported in River Benue (Obande et al. 2010). NIFFR (2002) reported the gear commonly employed by the fishermen in Nigeria to have included gill nets, lift nets, cast nets, beach seine nets, long lines and traps. These are similar to the ones reported in this study with the exception of clap net. These gears were also reported in Kainji Lake (du Feu et al. 1997) and Lake Alau (Bankole et al. 2003) all in northern Nigeria. Reports have shown that gillnet is the most important gear used by fishermen followed by long lines and cast nets (Emmanuel, 2010).The dominance of gill net FUNAI Journal of Science and Technology, 3(1), 2017 Page 5
can be traced back to the mid 70's as reported by Seisay (1998). This is also supported by the findings of this study. River Yauri was the only water body where giwa net is used. This is a specialized net specifically for catching Lates niloticus known as "Giwan ruwa" in Hausa, which is common in the river and command high market value. Basket used in Kontagora Reservoir and River Yauri could be meant for fish collection and not necessarily catching of fish. Fish species diversity and the nature of water body might have necessitated the use of the different fishing equipment. Fishing crafts used in these water bodies are shown in Table 2 and Plate 2. Plank canoe was the common fishing craft in these water bodies, which is propelled with the use of paddle. Plank and motorized canoes are locally built wood using planks. Greater number of fishermen use plank canoe and this validate NIFFR (2002) survey of craft used in Kainji Lake. This shows that there was little or no diversity of craft use in the region. The ferry recorded in River Yauri is purposely for conveying people and goods from one location to another. In previous studies, Ambrose et al. (2001) identified three types of fishing craft in Nigerian coastal water as dugout, halfdugout and plank canoes. Ago and Tafida (2005) also identified dugout type and gourd/calabash craft at the lower basin of Kainji Lake. Obande et al. (2010) also reported plank canoe and gourd/calabash as craft used by fishermen in River Benue. In the present survey, plank canoes and gourd/calabash were also found in the region. Craft can be operated by paddle or controlled with outboard engine. The attachment of outboard engine to craft has been reported in inland water bodies of Nigeria. The nonusage of motorized canoe in Kontagora and Bakolori Reservoirs could be due to their low cost compared to the motorized ones. This is also supported by the findings of NIFFR (2002) that reported that majority of the craft used in inland water of Nigeria were generally nonmotorized, due to high cost of outboard engine. Ago and Tafida (2005) also reported that the problem of not using motorized craft was due to high price of outboard engines. The water bodies in this study revealed a total of twentysix (26) species of fish on the overall (Table 3). River Yauri recorded the highest diversity of thirteen (13) species, which was followed by Bakolori with ten (10) species, while the least was Kontagora Reservoir with eight (8) species. Similarly, River Yauri recorded the highest fish families (11) with the least from Kontagora Reservoir (5). This observation could be due the diverse FUNAI Journal of Science and Technology, 3(1), 2017 Page 6
fishing gears and craft in use, coupled with the large number of fishers operating in the river and the size of the river. Combination of gears could help in catching more fish species because some gears are prone to catch particular fish species. For instance, on Lake Kainji, gillnets and cast nets are used to target fish species such as Synodontis species, Citharinus species, Tilapias, Marcusenius senegalensis, Alestes species, Hydrocynus species while traps tend to catch Citharinus, Labeo species and Heterotis niloticus. Hooks and line tend to catch fish such as Bagrus bayad, Lates niloticus and Clarias gariepinus, Malapterurus electricus and Clarotes laticeps. This is similar with the observation at River Yauri, which is also a tributary of River Niger. Also gear types according to Dalzell (1996) select fish to catch based on size and species. This support the findings of this work because fishermen at the river use specialized gear known as "Giwa net" to target only Lates niloticus. Table 3: Fish Species of Kontagora Reservoir, Bakolori Reservoir and River Yauri (January, 2016 December, 2016) Family/Species Kontagora Reservoir Bakolori Reservoir River Yauri Claroteidae Auchenoglanis occidentalis 360 Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus 466 Clarotes laticeps 242 Latidae Lates niloticus 653 Clariidae Clarias gariepinus 722 152 852 Clarias anguillaris 252 Cichlidae Tilapia zillii 642 Oreochromis niloticus 122 432 Hemichromis fasciatus 723 Sarotherodon galilaeus 123 Mochokidae Synodontis clarias 168 Synodontis membranaceus Synodontis eupterus 125 Bagridae Bagrus bayad 112 348 Mormyridae Mormyrus rume 152 456 Mormyrops deliciosus 246 Hyperopisus bebe 226 Marcusenius senegalensis 242 FUNAI Journal of Science and Technology, 3(1), 2017 Page 7
Schilbeidae Schilbe mystus 123 234 Citharinidae Citharinus citharus 345 Malapteruridae Malapterurus electricus 165 Distichodontidae Distichodus rostratus 342 Cyprinidae Labeo senegalensis Alestes dentex Barbus calipterus 346 212 Polypteridae Polypterus senegalus 86 126 246 Plate 1: Fishing gears of Kontagora Reservoir, Bakolori Reservoir and River Yauri FUNAI Journal of Science and Technology, 3(1), 2017 Page 8
Plate 2: Fishing crafts of Kontagora Reservoir, Bakolori Reservoir and River Yauri 4. Conclusion and Recommendation The present study revealed arrays of fishing gears and crafts and fish species in three water bodies in Northern Nigeria. Traditional fishing gears and crafts are still in use. Gillnets, cast nest and hook and line as fishing gears, and plank canoe as fishing crafts respectively were commonly used. While giwa and clap nets were only recorded in River Yauri, trap (Gura) was recorded in both Kontagora Reservoir and River Yauri. High cost of outboard engine contributed to low or nonusage in the Reservoir. River Yauri recorded the highest number of fish species, and fish families with most diverse fishing gears. It is thus recommended that more work need to be done which may not only reveal more fishing gears, crafts and fish species within the water bodies but in other water bodies in the northern and other parts of the country. FUNAI Journal of Science and Technology, 3(1), 2017 Page 9
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