Organic waste reclamation, recycling and re-use in integrated fish farming in the Niger Delta

The purpose of this paper is to create awareness on the significance of integrated fish farming in organic waste reclamation, recycling and re-use. Example of integrated fish farming practiced at a micro-level in the Niger Delta of Nigeria is crop-snailry-poultry (Chicken) – livestock (pig) – cum-fish production. In this system, fish production remains the most important activity. The organic wastes reclaimed, recycled and re-used in this system are: plant matter, chicken and pig excrements; snail, oyster and periwinkle shells, ox blood and bone, fish wastes, palm kernel cake, groundnut cake, pond silt and aquatic fern, Azolla pinnata. Other reclaimable, recyclable and re-usable materials are also discussed in this paper. Integrating organic waste reclamation, recycling and re-use in integrated fish farming with treatment, incineration, landfill and composting will help to drastically reduce waste in both rural and urban areas. Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management Vol. 10 (3) 2006: 47-5

Organic waste reclamation, recycling and re-use in integrated fish farming in the Niger Delta

The purpose of this paper is to create awareness on the significance of integrated fish farming in organic waste reclamation, recycling and re-use. Example of integrated fish farming practiced at a micro-level in the Niger Delta of Nigeria is crop-snailry-poultry (Chicken) - livestock (pig) - cum-fish production. In this system, fish production remains the most important activity. The organic wastes reclaimed, recycled and re-used in this system are: plant matter, chicken and pig excrements; snail, oyster and periwinkle shells, ox blood and bone, fish wastes, palm kernel cake, groundnut cake, pond silt and aquatic fern, Azolla pinnata . Other reclaimable, recyclable and re-usable materials are also discussed in this paper. Integrating organic waste reclamation, recycling and re-use in integrated fish farming with treatment, incineration, landfill and composting will help to drastically reduce waste in both rural and urban areas

Status and seasonal dynamics in the fecundity of Bostrychus africanus (Pisces: Eleotridae) in an Estuarine Swamp of South-Eastern Nigeria

Fecundity status and seasonality of the sleeper fish, Bostrychus africanus in the estuarine mangrove swamp of Qua Iboe River, Nigeria, was investigated between January and December, 2004. Average absolute fecundity was 16, 098 eggs (range 3 800 – 38 850 eggs), for sleepers with size range 8.5 cm – 15.7 cm TL and weighing 8.661 – 53.679 g TW. Fecundity increased with lengths (total, standard and ovary) and weights (total, somatic, ovary and egg) but decreased only with increasing individual egg weight. The coefficients of determination between egg production and independent variables revealed that total length (r2=82.4%) was the most stable morphometric tool explaining the variation in fecundity of B. africanus. The seasonal regimes showed that mean egg production was 17 724 eggs (range 3 800 – 31 850 eggs) for eleotrid of size range 8.5 cm – 12.9 cm TL and weighing 8.907 – 29.667 g TW in the dry season; and 14 608 eggs (range 6 400 – 38 850 eggs) for fish with size range 8.6 cm – 15.7 cm TL weighing 8.661 – 53.679 g TW during the rains. The seasonality in the coefficients of variation for each fecundity index and reproductive investment indicated that, egg production varied more widely with 9 correlates in the dry season than 3 during the wet months; a pointer to a heightened egg production by B. africanus in the latter vis-à-vis the former season.Keywords: Sleeper, B. africanus; Eleotridae; fecundity dynamics; Qua Iboe River estuary, Nigeria

The Physical and Chemical Hydrology of a Niger Deltan tidal creek, Nigeria

The physical and chemical conditions of the Buguma Creek, Niger Delta, Nigeria were investigated between November, 2004 and October, 2006. Five stations, made up of two (4 and 5) from the main channel and three (1,2 and 3) from the associated interconnecting creeks were sampled. From the salinity record of 0-21%0, the creek ranges from limnetic/oligohaline to polyhaline condition. Of the twenty-five physical and chemical parameters determined, only water temperature, transparency, water level and total suspended solids were significantly different (P< 0.05) among the stations. The a posteriori DMR test showed that stations 1 and 2 which were still fairly well covered by mangrove had water temperature significantly lower (P< 0.05) than those of stations 3 to 5. Stations 2 and 4 had higher transparency than station 1. Station 4 had significantly higher water levels than stations 1 and 2 which were significantly different, while station 1 had significantly higher water level than stations 3 and 5 which were not significantly different. Stations 2 to 5 which were not significantly different from each other had significantly different total suspended solids than station 1. Most of the parameters were observed to exhibit temporal variations, due to high influx of run-off in the wet months, high incursion of seawater, and evaporation during the dry months. The generally low biochemical oxygen demand (0 – 4.50 mg/l), chemical oxygen demand (2.05 – 46.8 mg/l), and extremely low total hydrocarbon content (THC) (0.01 mg/l) indicate that the water was not polluted

Short CommunicationAssessment of the acute toxicity of textile effluent against Clibanarius Africanus (Decapoda: Paguridae) and Poecilia Reticulata (Teleostei: Poecilidae)

Static assessment of the acute toxicity of textile effluent against hermit crab Clibanarius afrianus and fish Poecilia reticulata was conducted in the laboratory. The effluent was found to be differentially toxic to the test species, the computed 96h LC50 values being 333.311 ml/l and 70.711 ml/l for C. africanus and P. reticulata, respectively. It was more toxic against P. reticulata than C. africanus. Computed toxicity factor/ratio based on the 96h LC50 values indicated that P. reticulata was 4.7 times more sensitive than C. africanus when tested against the textile effluent. The physical and chemical characteristics of the textile effluent were much higher than the prescribed effluent limitation standards for the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development). The BOD and COD were 6 and 3 times, respectively, higher than the respective values of 20 mg/l and 80 mg/l, prescribed as limitation standards.Keywords/phrases: Acute toxicity, Clibanarius africanus, Poecilia reticulata, Textile effluentEthiop. J. Biol. Sci., 8(1): 79-84, 200

The relative toxicity of pesticides, Cypermetrin and Diazol against Clibanarius africanus (Decapoda – Paguridae) and Poecilia reticulata (Teleosti – Poeciliidae)

The evaluation of the toxicity of the two pesticide products, cypermetrin and diazol against hermit crab Clibanarius africanus and fish Poecilia reticulata was conducted in the laboratory. The test pesticides were found to be differentially toxic to the test organisms. Cypermetrin was found to be more toxic than diazol, the 96h LC50 for cypermetrin against C. africanus being in the very low &mu;g/l range, but in the low mg/l range against P. reticulata. Diazol was moderately toxic to both species, being in the mg/l range, but it was more toxic against C. africanus than P. reticulata. The 96h LC50 values indicated that C. africanus was 394.3 and 3.8 times more sensitive than P. reticulata against cypermetrin and diazol respectively

The gastrointestinal helminth parasites of some scianid species (Croakers) in a Niger Delta mangrove creek, Nigeria

Sciaenid fishes (croakers), Argyrosomus regius, Pseudotolithus (Fonticulus) elongatus and Pseudotolithus (Pseudotolithus) senegalensis were isolated from fish samples collected monthly from November 2004 to June 2006 at flood tide in Buguma creek, Niger Delta, Nigeria. The fish samples were caught by the use of hooks and lines and cast nets. A total of seven hundred and eighty nine specimens comprising A. regius (12), P. (Fonticulus) elongatus (753) and P. (Pseudotolithus) senegalensis (24) were examined for gastrointestinal helminth parasites. All helminth parasites observed were nematodes. No infection was recorded in A. regius. P. (Pseudotolithus) senegalensis had the highest prevalence (41.7%), followed by P. (Fonticulus) elongatus (23.4%). A total of 57 helminth parasites were recorded, of which 54 were found in P. (Fonticulus) elongtus, and 20 in P. (Pseudololithus) senegalensis. Goezia sigalasi (Ascarididae) and Pseudanisakis sp. (Heterocheilidae) had the highest prevalence in both species of sciaenid fishes infected.Key words: Gastrointestinal helminth parasites, croakers, Sciaenidae, mangrove creek, Nigeria