Fishery management plans and the development of artisanal fisheries in Nigeria: a review

Management of natural resources all over the world is of paramount importance to their sustainability in developing countries like Nigeria, there is less emphasis on proper management especially of fishery and other aquatic resources due to lack of sensitization and enlightenment of the rural dwellers who are closer to such natural resources. The main thrust of this review is to examine the management plans for Nigerian freshwater bodies (rivers and lakes) and the impact of such plans on the artisanal fisheries development in Nigeria. From the on-shelf information gathered there is scarcity of information on the management of Nigerian freshwater body's information available indicates that there is the traditional fisheries management and the government legal approach in form of fisheries Laws and Regulations. However, these management techniques are poorly carried out since there is a poor follow-up. Appreciable impact of fisheries management introduced on Kanji Lake by the Nigerian-German Kanji Lake Fisheries Promotion Project (NGKLFPP) between 1993 and 2001 proves worthwhile as this introduced some management measures such as implementation of fisheries Laws and Regulations, the ban of obnoxious fishing methods, introduction of fishing license, constitution of a management unit and appointment of liaison fishermen. Within the operative years of the project a lot of success was achieved and it is recommended that the approach in Kainji should be replicated in other freshwater bodies in Nigeria to alleviate poverty in the rural poor fishing communities

Mersey & Weaver Fisheries Advisory Committee 20th June, 1979.

This is the report from the Mersey and Weaver Fisheries Advisory Committee meeting, which was held on the 20th June 1979. The report contains sections on the minutes of the last meeting along with the minutes of the meeting of the Regional Fisheries Advisory Committee, role and constitution of Local Advisory Committees, Leeds/Liverpool transfer of minewater from Bickershaw Colliery, income from sale of rod and line licences 1978, fishing offences and prosecutions for 1978/1979. The report by the area fisheries officer looks at river conditions and fishing, Hollingsworth and Great Sankey hatcheries, stocking by angling associations and authorities, pollution incidents and fish mortalities. The Fisheries Advisory Committee was part of the Regional Water Authorities, in this case the North West Water Authority. This preceded the Environment Agency which came into existence in 1996.