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The paper highlights the strategies, activities, achievements and constraints of the project
including experiences and lessons learnt in the course of the project.
Socio-economic, fish species and their methods of exploitation.
Several socio-economic surveys were carried out before and immediately on the
commencement of the project (Alamu and Mdaihli, 1993; Okomoda et al, 1995; Ibeun and
Mdaihli, 1994). One of the surveys (Alamu and Mdaihli, 1993) revealed that 72% of the
fishermen were in the age bracket of between 21- 50 years. About 79% of the ethnic
composition is Hausa from Kebbi and Sokoto States. These are migrants but professional
fishermen who inherited fishing from their ancestors. About 98% of them are Moslems. The
literacy level is very low (less than 2%). The main source of income is fishing with about
95% of them on full-time basis.
Farming, that is a seasonal occupation on the other hand, is practiced on subsistence basis.
Hausa language which is the language spoken by the majority of the people is the medium of
communication. Local traditional administration is well established. There is an existing
hierarchy, as any contact with the community has to be routed through the council of elders.
The village Head serves as the highest symbol of authority in each community. Other
traditional titleholders who the village has to consult on matters affecting the general welfare
of the people are under his jurisdiction. Matters that cannot be settled by this council are
referred to the District Head and finally to the Emir for final decision.
As a result of the Islamic injunction of purdah, married women within child bearing age
bracket are not allowed to carry out any economic activity outside their fenced compounds
and are therefore dependent on their husbands for sustenance.
STOCK ENHANCEMENT AND PROPERTY RIGHTS
Stock enhancement
The first three years of the project captioned ‘’orientation phase’’ was devoted to conducting
surveys to reveal the dynamics of the fisheries and assist in evolving a management plan for
the Lake area. The surveys included the frame (total number of fishermen and women,
number of fishing villages, fishing gear and crafts etc.), catch assessment and socio-economic.
According to du Feu and Abayomi (1997), the trend indicated a decline in the number of
gillnets and longlines whilst the driftnet and especially the beach seine fishery were
expanding. du Feu and Abiodun (1998) further indicated that very small mesh sizes of the
various fishing gears were in use.
The mean mesh size for gillnet was put at 2.8’’, drift net 1.8’’, beach seines 0.12’’ and cast
nets 1.8’’. An assessment of the level of destruction of the fishing gears singled out the beach
seine as the first to be banned on the Lake. According to du Feu (1997), between September
and December, the by- catches of beach seine reached up to 60% of its total catch, thereby
endangering the recruitment of fish species such as Citharinus citharus, Synodontis
membranaceous, Alestes sp and Lates niloticus. Because of this revelation, extension work
started to concentrate its messages on the destructive impact of beach seining in 1996 after the
number of beach seines had increased by 30% from 618 (1995) to 810 (1996). The extension
work plus the inclusion of the ban into the fisheries law of both Kebbi and Niger States 1997
Fisheries Edicts resulted in a drop of beach seine numbers to 582 in 1997 and 487 in 1998.
Because of the controversy surrounding the removal/ ban of beach seines by the project and
conflict between beach seiners and non-beach seiners (which comprised about 17% of all
fishermen/ entrepreneurs), series of meetings were held with the major stakeholders (fish
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