Food security and poverty alleviation under the National Special Programme for Food Security: a preliminary socio-economic assessment of Yamama Lake, Kebbi state, Nigeria

The World Food Summit in its meeting in Rome in 1999 estimated that 790 million people in the developing world do not have enough food to eat. This is more than the total populations of North America and Europe combined. Nigeria is one of the developing countries affected by hunger, deprivation and abject poverty by its citizenry inspite of its enormous natural and human resources. To reduce poverty and increase food supplies to the masses the Federal Government of Nigeria embarked on a programmed-tagged National Special Programme for Food Security (NSPFS) in the year 2002. The programme's broad objectives are to attain food security in the broadest sense and alleviate rural poverty in Nigeria. One of the areas of the programme's intervention is in the aquaculture and inland fisheries development because Nigeria imported 681mt of fish in 2003 with a total cost of about N50 million. The paper assesses the socio-economic conditions of one of the selected water bodies (Yamama Lake) with a view to introducing community-based fisheries management plan for the rational exploitation and management of the fishery and other aquatic resources of the water body thereby increasing fish supply and improving the living standard of the fisherfolk in the area. Data were collected using Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) tools and questionnaire administration

Some statistical aspects of the long-term gill net monitoring programme for pike Esox lucius in Windermere (English Lake District)

For more than 55 years, data have been collected on the population of pike Esox lucius in Windermere, first by the Freshwater Biological Association (FBA) and, since 1989, by the Institute of Freshwater Ecology (IFE) of the NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. The aim of this article is to explore some methodological and statistical issues associated with the precision of pike gill net catches and catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) data, further to those examined by Bagenal (1972) and especially in the light of the current deployment within the Windermere long-term sampling programme. Specifically, consideration is given to the precision of catch estimates from gill netting, including the effects of sampling different locations, the effectiveness of sampling for distinguishing between years, and the effects of changing fishing effort.

The Freshwater Biological Association and the International Biological Programme (1961-1976)

The involvement of the FBA in the primary productivity program is reviewed.

Joint research project on the aquatic ecotoxicity of organo-aluminium: Chemical reactions. First interim report

The overall goal of the joint research project is to relate the chemical reactions involved in the formation of organo-aluminium complexes under acid conditions to their toxic effects on the physiology of aquatic organisms. Finally, this research is intended to predict toxic effects arising from acidity and aluminium under varying environmental conditions. This interim report examines the chemical modelling of ion-binding by humic substances where a computer model has been developed and is being tested using field data, and conditions required for the precipitation of aluminium in surface waters.

Comparison of systems of biological indication approved during the course of the joint Anglo-Soviet investigations held under the auspices of the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR

In accordance with the plan for joint Anglo-Soviet scientific and technical collaboration on environmental problems, the comparative evaluation of systems of hydrobiological analysis of the surface water quality started in 1977 at the Regional Laboratory of the Severn-Trent Water Authority in Nottingham were continued in the spring of 1978. The investigations were carried out under the auspices of the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR. Hydrobiological and hydrochemical samples were collected by Soviet and British specialists from the Kiev reservoir and the rivers Dnieper, Sozh, Desna and Snov. The samples were processed on the expedition ships and in the Laboratory for the Hydrobiology of Small Water Bodies of the Institute of Hydrobiology of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR. The possible approved methods to be adopted were evaluated from the samples using the phytoperiphyton, phytoplankton, zooplankton and zoobenthos against a background of hydrochemical characteristics. The study concludes that weather conditions complicated the work on testing the systems of biological indication of water quality and made it inadvisable to use those methods of comparison which were used when similar work was carried out in Nottingham.

Nouveau programme de traitement des statistiques de pêche des sardiniers du port d'Abidjan

The author reports on a simplified computer programme which allows the computation of only those fishery statistical data which are directly useful, particularly for the problem related with studies on sardine stocks.

NRA North west salmonid microtagging programme 1987-1994

The microtagging programme began in 1987 using hatchery reared salmon originating from the rivers Caldew and Hodder and subsequently included the Lune (1988) and Ribble (1989). Microtagging of sea trout began in 1991 for the Lune and in 1993 for the Hodder. The report explores the NRA North west salmonid microtagging programme looking at methods, results and recommendations. The report provides salmon microtagging data and returns from 1987 to 1994.

Diversification of aquaculture for empowerment to fisheries through institution village linkage programme (IVLP) in Kerala, India

Technology Assessment and Refinement through the Institution Village Linkage Programme (IVLP) is the latest participatory extension model successfully undertaken by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in India. The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute has been implementing IVLP since 2001 to assess and refine the technologies of the coastal agro ecosystems at Elamkunnapuzha village (Vypeen Island) in the Ernakulam District of Kerala. A series of need based location specific technology intervention plans have been introduced to overcome the social and biological constraints on farming practices in fisheries, livestock and agriculture, and implemented with the active participation of the stakeholders. The inferences drawn from IVLP ultimately form a package suitable for enhanced production in the costal agro ecosystem for replication to other areas with similar characteristics. This paper gives a brief account of the treatment packages applied in fisheries through various technological interventions and discusses the consequent yield and benefits obtained. The ‘integrated whole village development’ through the involvement of multi institutional teams and a participatory approach was accorded prime importance in the IVLP of Elamkunnapuzha, with a greater emphasis on marginal and small farmers and specifically focusing on women for poverty alleviation and equity under the coastal agro ec

The Programme for Integrated Development of Artisanal Fisheries in West Africa

The Programme for Integrated Development of Artisanal Fisheries in West Africa (IDAF) was initiated in 1983 to help some 20 coastal states from Mauritiana to Angola which wished to develop and manage their artisanal fisheries through participatory and integrated approaches. IDAF was initially financed by Denmark and Norway. The second phase of the programme which started in January 1989 and its third phase, July 1984 are entirely financed by Denmark through the Danish International Development Assistance (DANIDA). IDAF objectives and activities to meet its goals are briefly discussed together with its beneficiaries and accomplishments.

Stillwaters monitoring programme summary results 2000

This is the Stillwaters monitoring programme summary results 2000 from the Environment Agency. In May 1997, a Stillwaters meeting was held to discuss the way forward in stillwaters monitoring. It decided upon the establishment of a three year rolling programme, in which three stillwaters would be monitored three times a year, every third year. During 2000, stillwaters monitored for the fourth year of the Stillwaters Monitoring Programme were Hatch Mere, Marbury Big Mere, Comber Mere, Tabley Mere, Tatton Mere and Melchett Mere. Algal, zooplankton and water chemical samples were taken on all meres. Surveys of Tabley Mere and Comber Mere continued on from last year when water quality concerns were highlighted. Continuous monitoring in Oak Mere, including water level data continued in 2000. Fish surveys were carried out in Tatton Mere and Comber Mere. Tabley Mere survey was abandoned due to the awkward bathymetry of the mere. No invertebrate samples were taken in 2000 due to lack of resources.

Stillwaters monitoring programme. Summary results 2001 and 2002

This is the Stillwaters monitoring programme. Summary results 2001 and 2002 from the Environment Agency North West. Until January 2001 the South Area Stillwaters Sampling Programme consisted of a rolling programme where five to six stillwaters were sampled three times a year (spring, summer and autumn). However, this method was not yielding the water quality information required for long term monitoring. Local weather conditions influence short-term water quality events, e.g. algal blooms, nutrient consumption, stratification, super-saturation etc, so results from one day sampling could only be regarded as individual ‘spot’ samples. Therefore year-on-year comparisons could not be made. It was decided that long-term water quality monitoring of the stillwaters would benefit more from sampling nutrient abundance over winter months. This would give an insight into the carry-over of nutrients available for algal growth the following year and so year-on-year productivity could be assessed. Survey results shown in this report were from: The Mere, Rostherne Mere, Melchett Mere, Tabley Mere, Tatton Mere, Hatchmere, Oak Mere, Black Lake, Chapel Mere, Bar Mere, Oss Mere, Marbury Big Mere, Comber Mere and Betley Mere.

Stillwaters monitoring programme.Summary results 2003 and 2004

This is the Stillwaters monitoring programme. Summary results 2003 and 2004 from the Environment Agency North West. This report is focuses in The Winter Monitoring of Stillwaters Programme, which began in January 2001 with the aim of gathering long term data on nutrient abundance over winter months. This allows assessment of nutrient ‘carry-over’ available for algal growth in the following year, plus year-on-year productivity. 14 stillwaters are monitored each year. The environmental issues associated with each Stillwater are summarised in the table below. Bank-side water samples are taken for nutrients (N, P and S) and chlorophyll. A YSI multi-parameter sonde measures temperature, pH, specific conductivity and dissolved oxygen (% saturation). Survey results shown in this report came from: Oak Mere and Bar mere.

Stillwaters monitoring programme. Summary results 2004 and 2005

This is the Stillwaters monitoring programme. Summary results 2004 and 2005 from the Environment Agency North West. This report focuses on the 5th year of winter monitoring analysis in 14 stillwaters in Cheshire. The 14 stillwaters analysed are: Comber Mere, Oss Mere, Marbury Big Mere, Chapel Mere, Bar Mere, Oak Mere, Hatch Mere, Black Lake, Betley Mere, Tabley Mere, Melchett Mere, Tatton Mere, Rostherne Mere and Mere mere. Nutrient availability in the stillwaters analysed is used to look into the productivity of the waterbody. Bank-side water samples were taken for nutrients (Nitrogen and Phosphorous) and chlorophyll. A YSI multi-parameter sonde measures temperature, pH, specific conductivity and dissolved oxygen (% saturation).