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PARTICIPATORY FISHERY MANAGEMENT METHODS AND APPROACH:
EXPERIENCES GAINED FROM THE INTERVENTION OF THE NIGERIAN-
GERMAN KAINJI LAKE FISHERIES PROMOTION PROJECT IN THE KAINJI
BASIN, NIGERIA.
S. O. Alamu 1 , S. I. Ovie 1 , P. Witthaut 2 and B. M. B. Ladu 1
1. National Institute for Freshwater Fisheries Research (NIFFR),
P. M. B. 6006, New Bussa, Niger State. Nigeria.
Nigerian-German Kainji Lake Fisheries Promotion Project (NG-
KLFPP)
P.O. Box 306, New Bussa, Niger State. Nigeria.
Introduction
Kainji Lake in Northern Nigeria, is second in size in West Africa to Lake Volta, and was
created in 1968 by damming the River Niger. Although the lake’s primary function is for
hydroelectric generation, an important small-scale fishery has developed that in 1999
supported some 9,502 fisherfolks using a wide range of gears including gill nets, cast nets,
beach seines, fishing traps and longlines.
The lake is 137 km long and 24 km at its widest point. The mean depth at high water is 11.9
m and the total surface area is 1,270km 2 .
After impoundment the Lake attracted a lot of scientific research that concentrated mainly on
dynamics of fish species rather than the development of the fishery. The few descriptions of
the river fishery prior to impoundment include those made by Banks et al., (1965) and Holden
(1967) whilst those of the Lake fishery are given by Jenness (1970) and Reed (1970).
Similar to Lakes Kariba, Kossou, Nasser/ Nubia and Volta a fishery-sampling programme
was established shortly after impoundment by the UNDP/ FAO project (Entz, 1984). The then
Kainji Lake Research Institute (KLRI) executed intermittent frame surveys (Bazigos, 1971;
Ekwemalor, 1975 and 1978) and a stratified boat-based catch and effort sampling (CAS)
(Bazigos, 1972; Ekwemalor, 1977).
Results indicated that following impoundment, yields in 1970 reached 28,639 t (Bazigos,
1972) after which they declined to 4,500 t in 1978 (Ekwemalor, 1978).
Regular monitoring of the fishery then ceased.
Presumed increases in fishing pressure and use of undersized gears led to further declines in
daily catches. This prompted the commencement of a nine-year technical cooperation project.
The Nigerian-German (GTZ) Kainji Lake Fisheries Promotion Project (KLFPP) in 1993. The
project’s purpose was the management of the Kainji Lake fisheries resources on a sustainable
basis. This was to be achieved through the implementation of a fisheries plan through
community participation.
KLFPP was executed by four implementing agencies: The Federal Department of Fisheries in
Abuja, National Institute for Freshwater Fisheries Research (NIFFR), in New Bussa and the
Fisheries Departments of the two riparian States, Niger and Kebbi. The German involvement
was to last for nine years, a period that was divided equally into an orientation,
implementation and a handover phase.
l’atelier international sur l’“amplification des ressources halieutiques a travers la gestion participative: Leçons et perspectives,du
12 au 14 Décembre 2002, Bobo-Dioulasso,,Burkina Faso