Economics of Adoption of Environmental Sustainable Fishing Techniques in Coastal Mangrove Niger Delta, Nigeria

Abstract

Depletion of natural fish stock has some fishing techniques seriously fingered. The presumed low economic performance of artisanal fisheries using environmental sustainable fishing techniques (ESFT) has lead to this study on economic of adoption of ESFT in Mangrove Swamp Zone (MSZ) of Nigeria. Data were obtained from a two-stage sampling of 206 artisanal fishermen in two states of MSZ. Fishermen socioeconomic features, adoption level of ESFT, unit prices, species and quantity of catch as well as inputs were elicited using a well-structured questionnaire and analyzed using both descriptive and budgetary tools. The result shows that fishing activities are concentrated at the sea-shore of less than 5nm. There was no sustainable fishery practice as a low (26.1% and 24.1%) adoption level of ESFT for Bayelsa and River State respectively and low (2.6%) opportunity cost of destructive fishing practices were recorded. Nematopalaemon hastatis generated the highest returns of USD 345.77/fisherman (46.6%), hence the reason for the concentration of fleets around the sea-shore. Though artisanal fisheries is economically sustainable in MSZ with a more than unity benefit-cost ratio across all adopters’categories, species like shark Etamopterus penyl which are mostly found off-shore contributed more to returns of innovators than for other adopters. The study recommends a persuasive extension demonstartion and the use water poilce to enforce strict adherence to principles ESFT.

Keywords: Environmental, Sustaianble, Artisanal Fisheries, Fishing Techniques, Mangrove