ASSESSMENT OF LIVELIHOOD DIVERSIFICATION AND FISHERIES CONSERVATION STRATEGIES AMONG FISHERMEN IN COASTAL AREAS OF OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

In response to increasing anthropogenic activities that exacerbate environmental and economic pressures, livelihood diversification has become a crucial strategy for sustaining fisheries dependent households while ensuring the effective implementation of conservation policies for the sustainable development of coastal fishing communities.. This study assessed the association between household livelihood diversification and fisheries conservation policies among fishermen in coastal areas of Ogun State, Nigeria by adopting a multi-stage sampling procedure.  Sample size was 90 fishermen from six randomly selected fishing communities (Abureji, Agbalegiyo, Ilamo, Imosan, Iseku and Wharf) along the coastline in Ogun State, Nigeria. Data were collected using pre-validated interview schedule and subjected to descriptive and inferential analytical techniques.  Majority of the fishermen (98.9%) were married, in the age bracket of 41-60 years (71.1%) with  average age of 49 years, had household size of 6-15 persons (91.1%) with  average household size  of 9 persons. About 90.0% were from extended families, with either no formal education (43.3%) or only primary education (41.1%);  62.2% were non-members of social groups, and 93.3% had no other occupations.   There was generally low level of household livelihood diversification across the fishing communities. Gill nets were the most commonly used fishing gears across the fishing communities (80.0%),followed by seine nets (63.3%), traps (56.7%) and trawl nets (53.3%) while fish aggregating devices (35.6%), cast nets (37.8%) and hook and line (24.4%) were the least used fishing gears.  Coastal fishery was characterised by conflicts among water users (64.4%), absence of protected fishing areas (81.1%), and experience of water pollution (36.7%). Majority (71.1%) of the fishermen agreed with closed season policy as a coastal fisheries conservation strategy, followed by gear restriction (30.0%).  There were significant associations between level of household livelihood diversification and fishermen’s agreement with gear restriction (χ² = 15.545, df = 5), and closed season (χ² = 11.214, df = 4). The study concluded that coastal fisheries are in a poor state and that it could be improved through the introduction of gear restriction and closed season policies. The study recommended that youths in the coastal areas  could venture into fishing, and that government and non-governmental agencies  could organize sensitization programmes on fisheries conservation policies across the coastal areas in Ogun State.