Investment prospects in inshore trawling in Nigeria

Commercial trawling for finfish in Nigeria's inshore water is a recent activity. Intensive industrial trawling started when the Federal Government distributed trawlers to viable fishermen cooperatives during the Third National Development Plan Period (1975-80). Hitherto, industrial fisheries development in the country focused on the assessment of the potential fish stock on Nigeria's continental shelf and measures to increase artisanal production. As a result of increasing demand for fish and shortage of foreign exchange to import fish, measures to increase fish supply leaned towards industrial exploitation of the fisheries potentials of Nigeria's continental shelf. Based on this background, this paper examines the investment prospects of trawling for fish in inshore waters. The fisheries potentials of the inshore zone of Nigeria are identified. Catch efficiency and profitability of inshore trawling are estimated. Measures that can safeguard the longterm interest of the trawling industry are recommende

Protein and amino acid requirements of warm-water fishes: a tool to efficient and low-cost fish feed production in Nigeria

Numerous investigations have utilized various semi-purified and purified diets to estimate the protein and amino acid requirements of several temperate fishes. The vast literature on the protein and amino acid requirements of fishes has continued to omit that of the tropical warm water species. The net effect is that fish feed formulation in Nigeria have relied on the requirement for temperate species. This paper attempts to review the state of knowledge on the protein amino acid requirements of fishes with emphasis on the warm water species, the methods of protein and amino acid requirement determinations and the influence of various factors on nutritional requirement studies. Finally evidence are presented with specific examples on how requirements of warm water fishes are different from the temperate species and used this to justify why fish feed formulation in Nigeria are far from being efficien

OCCUPATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS, TECHNOLOGY USE AND OUTPUT DETERMINANTS AMONG FISHERFOLKS IN OGUN WATERSIDE AREA, OGUN STATE

This study examines the occupational characteristics and technology options of capture fisheries in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area of Ogun State. Data were collected from respondents selected randomly from four fishing communities in the local government using questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. Most of the respondents are male, aged above 30 and had minimal education. Lagoon fishing is the most common and there was an inverse relationship between fishing water distance and frequency of fisher folk plying the route. Non-motorized fishing technologies were used by most of the respondents. The significant variables in the regression analyses are fixed production costs and high sea fishing. Recommendations centered on the need to improve on husbandry practices in the fishing sector in the study area and policy assistance in equipment procurement.Fishing technology, Fishing income, Technology use, Agribusiness,

Water parameters in Ilaje Local Government Area Ondo State

Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State is blessed with many rivers, lagoons, tributaries lakes and a very long coastline, of about 180km making the State as a coastal state with the longest coastline in Nigeria. The people are predominantly fishermen. The fish produced from this area could be further boosted through farming of fish especially in cages along the available creeks at not much cost to the inhabitants. This study shows that the waters of the area were found optimal for fish production. This further buttressed by the fact that the area has been an active zone of fish production for ages. This historical perspective is been considered as the baseline in the study for perpetuating the culture of fish and other aquaculture species in the are

A review of essential checklists for fish cage culture

Nigeria has potentials for high production of fish from her water bodies. Fishing is the predominant means of fish supply that needs to be increased by fish fanning in different enclosures. Cage aquaculture is possible in several existing water bodies. The essential inputs for a successful fish cage farming therefore need to be considered. This would be an added wealth creation for job seekers/farmers hitherto involved in traditional fishing

Milk Yield and Composition of Red Sokoto Goats Fed Varying Levels of Baobab (Adansonia digitata) Fruit Meal Supplement in the Diet

The milk yield and mineral composition of Red Sokoto goats fed varying levels of baobab (Adansonia digitata) fruit meal supplement was investigated over a period of 84 days. Twenty four (24) lactating Red Sokoto goats averaging 19.75 + 1.26 kg body weight were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments with six animals per replicate in a completely randomized design to determine the quantity and quality of milk produced. Treatment 1 was control with no baobab pulp and seed supplement, Treatments 2, 3 and 4 had 10%, 20% and 30% baobab pulp and seed inclusion respectively. The milk yield and mineral composition were significantly affected (P<0.05). Milk yield progressively increased for all treatments to week four where the peak was recorded for the yield with 20% baobab fruit inclusion levels having a clear significant value of 5043.50g, followed by 30%, 10% above the control with varying values of 4905.25g, 4835.60g and 3922.31g respectively. The milk yield recorded a decreased values of 3325.00g, 3189.69g, 3183.25g and 2523.50g for 20%, 10%, 30% and 0% inclusion levels at the end of 12th week. There were significant difference (P<0.05) in the values of Total solids, Fat and lactose. For milk composition; 30% inclusion level recorded the highest values for Total solids, fat and lactose at figures of 17.38%, 5.78%  and 6.64% respectively. The fat content of the milk in the study were at the increasing range of 3.0 %, 4.05%, 4.60% and 5.78% respectively for inclusion levels of 0% – 30% baobab fruit in the experimental diets. Milk produced by the experimental animals on 20% and 30% levels of inclusion recorded the overall best results in term of mineral composition.  The results of the study had shown that inclusion of baobab fruit at 20 % in the diet of Red Sokoto goats gave the highest milk yield  . Inclusion at 30% level also gave better results in term of mineral composition. Keywords: baobab pulp and seed, red sokoto goat, milk yield and mineral composition

Herbicidan control of water hyacinth at Ere, Ogun State: implications for fish production

A brief account is given of a pilot demonstration of the chemical control of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) at Ere (a channel) in Nigeria using the herbicide glyphosphate. Results suggest that there was an increase in the nutrient content of the channel after herbicide application. This implied an upsurge of available food for fish and other aquatic organisms within the channel after the herbicide application. The decaying water hyacinth mass which sinks into the medium is likely to boost nutrient content, promoting the growth of fish and other aquatic animals. It is concluded that herbicidal control of water hyacinth is possible, especially under specialists' management with the conservation of fish and other non-target aquatic organisms alongside improved fish productio

Contribution of haematological factors to the distributions and estimation of Eustrongyliides africanus larvae densities in Clarias gariepinus and Clarias anguillaris from Bida floodplain of Nigeria

The contributions of hematological factors to the distribution and estimations of Eustrongylides africanus larvae densities in Clarias gariepinus and C. anguillaris of Bida floodplain of Nigeria were documented for the first time. The hematological factors making the most important contributions to the distributions of E. africanus larvae infections in clarias species are mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and neutrophils count, in descending order of magnitude; having the manifestations for the months of January, March, September, and December of the year being closely related. Five haematological factors (neutrophils, lymphocytes and eosinophils counts; MCH and MCV) having positive or negative correlation coefficient (r) between 0.50 and 0.85 contributed to the estimated of E.africanus larvae densities in the wild population of Clarias specie

Global age-sex-specific mortality, life expectancy, and population estimates in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1950–2021, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

Background: Estimates of demographic metrics are crucial to assess levels and trends of population health outcomes. The profound impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on populations worldwide has underscored the need for timely estimates to understand this unprecedented event within the context of long-term population health trends. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 provides new demographic estimates for 204 countries and territories and 811 additional subnational locations from 1950 to 2021, with a particular emphasis on changes in mortality and life expectancy that occurred during the 2020–21 COVID-19 pandemic period. Methods: 22 223 data sources from vital registration, sample registration, surveys, censuses, and other sources were used to estimate mortality, with a subset of these sources used exclusively to estimate excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2026 data sources were used for population estimation. Additional sources were used to estimate migration; the effects of the HIV epidemic; and demographic discontinuities due to conflicts, famines, natural disasters, and pandemics, which are used as inputs for estimating mortality and population. Spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression (ST-GPR) was used to generate under-5 mortality rates, which synthesised 30 763 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 1365 surveys and censuses, and 80 other sources. ST-GPR was also used to estimate adult mortality (between ages 15 and 59 years) based on information from 31 642 location-years of vital registration and sample registration data, 355 surveys and censuses, and 24 other sources. Estimates of child and adult mortality rates were then used to generate life tables with a relational model life table system. For countries with large HIV epidemics, life tables were adjusted using independent estimates of HIV-specific mortality generated via an epidemiological analysis of HIV prevalence surveys, antenatal clinic serosurveillance, and other data sources. Excess mortality due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 was determined by subtracting observed all-cause mortality (adjusted for late registration and mortality anomalies) from the mortality expected in the absence of the pandemic. Expected mortality was calculated based on historical trends using an ensemble of models. In location-years where all-cause mortality data were unavailable, we estimated excess mortality rates using a regression model with covariates pertaining to the pandemic. Population size was computed using a Bayesian hierarchical cohort component model. Life expectancy was calculated using age-specific mortality rates and standard demographic methods. Uncertainty intervals (UIs) were calculated for every metric using the 25th and 975th ordered values from a 1000-draw posterior distribution. Findings: Global all-cause mortality followed two distinct patterns over the study period: age-standardised mortality rates declined between 1950 and 2019 (a 62·8% [95% UI 60·5–65·1] decline), and increased during the COVID-19 pandemic period (2020–21; 5·1% [0·9–9·6] increase). In contrast with the overall reverse in mortality trends during the pandemic period, child mortality continued to decline, with 4·66 million (3·98–5·50) global deaths in children younger than 5 years in 2021 compared with 5·21 million (4·50–6·01) in 2019. An estimated 131 million (126–137) people died globally from all causes in 2020 and 2021 combined, of which 15·9 million (14·7–17·2) were due to the COVID-19 pandemic (measured by excess mortality, which includes deaths directly due to SARS-CoV-2 infection and those indirectly due to other social, economic, or behavioural changes associated with the pandemic). Excess mortality rates exceeded 150 deaths per 100 000 population during at least one year of the pandemic in 80 countries and territories, whereas 20 nations had a negative excess mortality rate in 2020 or 2021, indicating that all-cause mortality in these countries was lower during the pandemic than expected based on historical trends. Between 1950 and 2021, global life expectancy at birth increased by 22·7 years (20·8–24·8), from 49·0 years (46·7–51·3) to 71·7 years (70·9–72·5). Global life expectancy at birth declined by 1·6 years (1·0–2·2) between 2019 and 2021, reversing historical trends. An increase in life expectancy was only observed in 32 (15·7%) of 204 countries and territories between 2019 and 2021. The global population reached 7·89 billion (7·67–8·13) people in 2021, by which time 56 of 204 countries and territories had peaked and subsequently populations have declined. The largest proportion of population growth between 2020 and 2021 was in sub-Saharan Africa (39·5% [28·4–52·7]) and south Asia (26·3% [9·0–44·7]). From 2000 to 2021, the ratio of the population aged 65 years and older to the population aged younger than 15 years increased in 188 (92·2%) of 204 nations. Interpretation: Global adult mortality rates markedly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, reversing past decreasing trends, while child mortality rates continued to decline, albeit more slowly than in earlier years. Although COVID-19 had a substantial impact on many demographic indicators during the first 2 years of the pandemic, overall global health progress over the 72 years evaluated has been profound, with considerable improvements in mortality and life expectancy. Additionally, we observed a deceleration of global population growth since 2017, despite steady or increasing growth in lower-income countries, combined with a continued global shift of population age structures towards older ages. These demographic changes will likely present future challenges to health systems, economies, and societies. The comprehensive demographic estimates reported here will enable researchers, policy makers, health practitioners, and other key stakeholders to better understand and address the profound changes that have occurred in the global health landscape following the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, and longer-term trends beyond the pandemic. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries