The Climate Change Challenge and the Ornamental Fish Stocks of the Upper New Calabar River, Niger Delta Area of Nigeria

Abstract

As the world braces up for the continuous threats of Climate change related floods, a review of the possible influence of the global challenges of Climate change related floods on  the  composition, diversity and abundance of Ornamental fish fauna of the Upper New Calabar River , a tributary of the Niger Delta Basin (Ibim and Gogo, 2013) was undertaken. This work was aimed at creating urgent awareness towards the status of the Ornamental fish stocks of the New Calabar River, the possible effect of floods on these fishes, and the need to protect and conserve them.  A review of a fifteen –week study on the composition, diversity and abundance of Ornamental fish fauna of the Upper New Calabar River (Ibim and Gogo, 2013), revealed a total catch of 30,055 fishes, having a composition of forty one (41) ornamental fish species belonging to thirty five (35) genera and twenty five (25) families. However, species abundance/score varied amongst the families with a few species high (Hemichromis fasciatus – 20.16%- dominant), but most being very low (Gnathonemus petersii (2.82%  and Aethiomastacembelus nigromarginatus (0.07%) rare). Also, the species diversity was low among all the families except the Cichlids that had nine species.  Also, a review on the effect of global Climate change related floods on fish populations, revealed  a variety of threat situations including,  habitat salinity and ionic content distortion, habitat destruction, introduction of new species, migration of endemic species, fish seed loss, death and even extinction .From this it could be inferred that any such natural disaster in the Upper New Calabar River will have terrible consequences. A review of recommendations were made to stakeholders on how best to mitigate/adapt to the threats of Climate change related floods, to reduce the possible deleterious effects of the impending floods on the already declining ornamental fish stocks of the Upper New Calabar River of the Niger Delta Area of Nigeria.

Keywords: Climate change related floods, Upper New Calabar River, Niger Delta Area, Nigeria, Ornamental fish Stock.