The Potentials of Aquaculture Development in Fishing Communities of Anambra State.
ABSTRACT
This study examines the potentials for aquaculture development in Anaku community, Ayamelum of Anambra State, Nigeria. A structured interview schedule (questionnaire) was used to collect relevant information from the respondents.
Analytical tools used include descriptive statistics (frequency table, bar chart and percentage), chi square and ANOVA using SPSS Version 20.
Results obtained from the study show that there is a significant relationship (P0.05) between the socio economic characteristics of the respondents and aquacultural activities have, 82.5% males engaged in fish farming while 17.5% are females engaging in fish processing and trading.
77.5% were traditional worshippers while the active working age is between 24-40. 58.75% of the respondents practised fishing as their only source of income. 50% of the respondents used their local fishing gear such as net, hook and line. 100% of the respondents used natural water bodies for fishing. 85.0% of the respondents buyers came from outside the locality.
However, the challenges include- Lack of access to credit, lack of access to materials, high cost of materials, and no formal training, insufficient gears, tedious nature of fishing, lack of fisheries extension services, and governmental support, lack of cold room and standard market.
Data on physicochemical properties, heavy metal and biological parameters were analysed to determine the suitability of the water for aquaculture development.
The study showed that temperature ranged between 27.33±0.577oC, turbidity between 49.80±5.702cm, nitrate between 1.06.00±0.529mg/l, ammonia between 0.53±0.033mg/l. pH ranges between 6.77±0.057, DO between 99.33±0.57mg/l, lead between o.123±0.015ppm, cadmium between 0.133±0.003ppm, mercury between 0.861±0.101ppm and zinc between 0.518±0.026ppm and iron between 7.436±0.588ppm.
The study revealed that the physico-chemical parameters fell within tolerable limit except nitrate while the heavy metals were above the tolerable limit except zinc.
There were abundance of phytoplankton and zooplankton. Recommendations made in this study include that, people should be trained on the danger of dumping refuse inside the river.
Activities should be geared towards reducing or avoiding pollution of the river by the enforcement of environmental laws. Integrated farming can be adopted since they farm rice, and other agro-products.
INTRODUCTION
Aquaculture continues to grow rapidly every day, and then became bigger and bigger industry every year. So understanding the basic part behind aquatic production facilities is of increasing importance for all those working in this industry.
Aquaculture requires knowledge and skills of the many general aspects of production such as spawning, production of feeds etc (Anderson, 2004).
Fisheries constitute an important sector in Nigerian agriculture, providing valuable food and employment to millions and also serving as a source of livelihoods mainly for women in coastal communities, in view of the ever-increasing importance of fish as a source of high quality animal protein in Nigeria (Nwuba et al., 2009).
Coastal fisheries are important and contributed at least 40 percent of fish production from all sources in Nigeria between 1995 and 2008 (FAO, 2010).
According to the Fisheries Society of Nigeria, small scale fisheries provide more than 82 percent of the domestic fish supply, giving livelihoods to one million fishermen and up to 5.8 million fisher folks in the secondary sector comprising processing, preservation, marketing and distribution.
Considering Nigeria‘s enormous water resources, human capital and other natural endowments, the Federal Department of Fisheries (FDF) estimated fish production of over 1.7mmt comprising 201,300mt from inshore (brackish and coastal fisheries), 33,900mt (offshore fisheries), 288,200 (inland fisheries) and 1180215mt (aquaculture).
Nigeria is blessed with numerous water bodies ranging from the marine (Atlantic Ocean), through the brackish waters (deltaic rivers and estuaries) to inland freshwaters (rivers, streams and lakes).
Despite these available resources, recent trends have shown decline in the Nigerian capture fisheries and this calls for development of aquaculture especially in fishing communities as they possess the potentials.
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