Report , Working Group on Artisanal Fisheries Statistics for the Western
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FAO LIBRARY AN: 347073-077 PROGRAMME FOR INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT OF ARTISANAL FISHERIES IN WEST AFRICA - IDAF IDAF PROGRARAM, Technical Report N° 49 November 1993 Report of the Working Group in Ardis dial Fisheries Statistics for the Weste ii Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria ,odC on Cotonou, Benin 3-7 May1993 c; 4 Mauritania Senegal Cape Verde The Gambia Guinea Bissau Guinea Sierra Leone Liberia Côte d'Ivoire Equatorial Guinea Ghana Gabon Togo Sao Tome and Principe Benin Congo Nigeria Zaire Cameroon Angola DANIDA DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION OF DENMARK FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Technical Report N° 49 November 1993 Report of the Working Group in Ardisal Fisheries S'afisties for the Weste i Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria ,odC on Cotonou, Be n 3-7 May1993 FISHERY COMMITTEE FOR THE EASTERN CENTRAL ATLANTIC PROGRAMME FOR THE INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT OF ARTISANAL FISHERIES FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Cotonou, November 1993 The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organisation or the financing agency concerning the legal status of any country or territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitations of its frontiers or boundaries. For bibliographic purposes this document should be cited.as follows: Anon., - Report of the Working Group on Artisanal Fisheries Statistics for the Western Gulf 1993 of Guinea, Nigeria and Cameroon, Cotonou, Benin 3-7 May 1993. Cotonou, Programme for the Integrated Development of Artisanal Fisheries in West Africa, 126 p., IDAF/WP149. IDAF Project FAO P.O.Box 1369 Cotonou, Republic of Benin Telex: 5291 FOODAGRI Fax: (229) 33.05.19 Tel: (229) 33.09.25 Table of contents Opening of the meeting 1 Adoption of the agenda General discussion on statistical surveys with specific reference to fishing effort and associated basic data Definition, level of detail and purpose in measuring fishing effort 2 Current status of national fishery statistical surveys 3 Methodological and operational aspects of fishery statistical surveys 4 Fishing effort as a source of variability in catch/effort assessment surveys... 5 Statistical scenarios 5 Part A: complete coverage of fishing effort from all landing sites 5 Part B: partial coverage of fishing effort from all landing sites 5 Part C: sampling fishing effort and landings in space and time 6 Computer and implementation aspects 6 Conclusions and recommendations 7 Annex 1 List of participants 9 Annex 2 Agenda 10 Annex 3 List of documents presented to the Working Group 11 Annex 4 Pêche artisanale maritime en Côte divoire par J. Konan et R. Dedo 12 Annex 5 Artisanal fisheries in Cameroon by L. Nkumbe 27 Annex 6 Artisanal fisheries in Nigeria by M.O. Okpanefe 30 Annex 7 Methodologies used in .the collection, analysis and dissemination of artisanal fisheries statistics in the Western Gulf of Guinea (Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Togo) by K.A. Koranteng 34 Annex 8 Methodological and operational aspects in catch/effort assessment surveys by C. Stamatopoulos 74 L Ope ng of theIL eeting Following a recommendation of the Twelfth session of CECAF (Accra, Ghana April- May 1992) a special Working Group on Artisanal Fisheries Statistics for the Western Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria and Cameroon was held in Cotonou, Benin, jointly by the FAO Fishery Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic (CECAF) and the programme for the Integrated Development of Artisanal Fisheries (IDAF) from 3 to 7 May 1993. Experts from Benin, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria and FAO participated (Annex 1). In his introductory remarks, Dr. B.P. Satia, Coordinator of IDAF welcomed the participants and stressed the need for the Working Group to suggest ways and means of improving the data collection systems in the subregion to enhance the development of the sub-sector. Adoption of the agenda The Agenda for the meeting which appears as Annex 2 was adopted. Documents presented to the Working Group are listed in Annex 3. Ms Amélie Gbaguidi-Aziable (Benin) and M.O. Okpanefe (Nigeria) were unanimously chosen as chairpersons. Mr. C. Stamatopoulos of FAO was the resource person for the Working Group. Mr. K.A. Koranteng (Ghana) and Ms. H. Stokholm (IDAF Programme) were chosen as raporteurs assisted by Mr M. Ansa-Emmim (FAO). General discussion or. statisticaul sureys with specific iiefenrnce to fishing effort and associated basic data The Working Group noted that expertise in methodology and operation of fisheries surveys existed in several African countries due to technical assistance programmes (CECAF and national projects) and intensive training received locally and abroad. A major problem facing all fisheries statistical programmes, established with external funding, is the sustainability of data collection after a project has ended. This problem he noted, is particularly acute in African countries where some governments have had difficulties to continue with such programmes. In the life of the projects sufficient funding was made available to supply all needs and to pay salaries and unless the recipient government in continuing to provide regular funds to meet these needs, the system immediately broke down when the project functionally ceased. In some cases the projects established systems that were too complex to maintain when external funding ceased, or when foreign experts were withdrawn. Another cause was that sometimes inadequate training was given to national experts to be able to continue the programme. Often, provisions were not made for a smooth IDAF Technical Report N° 49 transition and running of the programme. For example national experts were often not sufficiently involved in the management of the project and programmes. Experiences gained in this area in Nigeria and Benin were presented. In Nigeria,a statistical and economic data collection system was put in place about 10 years ago through an externally funded project. Good results were obtained but after the end of the project, the system collapsed mainly because of lack of funds to retain field staff or to maintain vehicles and equipment. Consequently the institution that took over the programme was forced to drastically reduce the operation. In the case of Benin, the Working Group noted that staff was not the problem but that of lack of materials and funds to continue data collection after the operational phase of the proj ects. In the discussion that followed, it became evident that several governments do not give fisheries statistics the priority it deserves and therefore do not see the need to finance fisheries data collection from national budgets. Some participants were of the opinion that before a project ended, recommendations could be made on minimum levels at which data collection systems could be operated and still be able to produce statistically valuable results when the project functionally come toan end. Furthermore, in many countries Fisheries is only a Department or Division within the Ministry of Agriculture and sometimes does not receive the attention that it deserves. Participants felt that the creation of possibly imperfect but robust self-sustaining systems would offer more advantages than the introduction of complex systems that could not be sustained. The Working Group finally stressed the necessity for governments to endeavour to support data collection programmes. It noted the efforts made in the past and difficulties faced by governments in the subregion in implementing structural adjustment programmes, but underscored the need to accord priority to statistical data collection. In view of these difficulties the Working Group recommended that all future fisheries development projects or programmes should have as part of its immediate objectives the improvement of fishery information systems. 40 Defition, level if detail 0id psi se in tIeastuing fishing effort The Working Group was informed of basic estimation process by means of which total catch is estimated. The process involves determining the Catch Per Unit of Effort (CPUE) (from sample data) and then multiplying it by the effort (obtained through a census). A clear distinction was made between the weighted CPUE, a magnitude resulting from dividing total sampled catch by total sample effort and mean catch rate, which is the arithmetic mean of individual CPUEs associated with fishing units. Several numerical examples were presented and discussion focused on: measuring fishing effort in standard units by gear type, variability in CPUE and effort and, application of the approach of weighted averages in other cases such as prices and unit values of fish production. 2 IDAF Technical Report N° 49 5. Cwnnt status of national fishery statistical sweys Mr K.A. Koranteng presented the results of his mission which was aimed at examining the systems for statistical data collection on artisanal fisheries in the four countries of the Western Gulf of Guinea, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Togo. The report is given in Annex 4. After the presentation, the Working Group commended Mr Koranteng for the work undertaken. National reports for Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Benin and Nigeria were also presented. The participant from Benin complemented the information already in Mr Koranteng's report. She noted that since 1991, the total landings have reduced. For example it was only 6,800 mt in 1991 as against the previous average landings of 8,000-9,000 mt. This was partly due to the fact that the fishermen had abandoned fishing and using their canoes for non fishery activities which they find to be more profitable business than fishing. On catch assessment at the port of Cotonou, she noted that the sampling system recommended by CECAF is used except that canoes for examination are not selected in accordance with any pre-determined order. Recorders are instructed to sample five canoes per fishing gear with 50% of the sample to be taken from canoes with high catches and the other 50% from those with low catches.