Research Paper an Update on the Fish and Fisheries of Lake Oguta, Nigeria
Academia Journal of Environmetal Science 5(1): 013-021, January 2017 DOI: 10.15413/ajes.2017.0229 ISSN: ISSN 2315-778X ©2017 Academia Publishing Research Paper An update on the fish and fisheries of Lake Oguta, Nigeria Accepted 18th January, 2017 ABSTRACT The paper attempts to review the current trends in fisheries activities in Lake Oguta, Nigeria with the aim to finding a lasting solution to the declining fisheries of the Lake. Lake oguta is the largest standing freshwater body in South-Eastern Nigeria and is of immense importance to thousands of people in Oguta Local Government, Nigeria. The lake supports about 2, 403 full-time and 154 part-time fishers. About 80% of the fishers in the Lake obtain their protein from the Lake. Virtually, all the households in the Lake participates in fisheries activities from time to time. The fishers employ cast nets, gill nets, fish traps, seines, hooks and line etc most of which are locally made but increasingly, much of the gears are made locally using modern materials like nylon twine or rope in the case of gill nets. Recently, the fishers and fisheries of the Lake are faced with some challenges which include overfishing, pollution, eutrophication, aquatic weeds, decline in fish biodiversity, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, ineffective monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) and poverty, lack of alternative livelihoods and inadequate social legislation as well as, some destructive fishing methods. The free access to the resources of the lake has caused the resources to be biologically and Sanda MK, Kwaji BP, Ajijola KO, economically overfished.
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