Abdul, W.O.

Alegbeleye, W.O.

Omoniyi, I.T.

Udolisa, R.E.K.

English

Aquatic Commons

ECONOMC POTENTALS OF IKEN" BRUSH PARK ASHNG
PRACTiCE N WOPN LAGOON, OGUN STATE, NGERA
By
ABDUL, WO; OMONIYI, LT; UDOLISA, R*EeK
&
ALEGBELEYE, W.O
DEPARTMENT OF A QUA CULTUKE AND FISHERIES A/lANA GEMEN7'
UNIVERSITY OF A GRICUL TURE, ABEOKUTA
A study on economic potentials of tIkenu brush park fishing practice was carried out in Iwopin
IkLagoon. Ogun state, Nigeria. The practice offered a good catch 0.4802 tonne per fisherman per
fishing. Financial analysis at the end of the year of operation indicated that a total of N677,945.00 was
invested on the "Iken" out of which N180,500.00 and N497,445.00 were fixed and variable costs
respectively and N804,304,00 was realized as profit (without tax). The profitability analysis showed that
tTIken brush park fishing practice could generate a rate of return to investment of 44.9%, a rate of return on
fixed cost of 268.6%, a rate of return on variable cost of 161% and a rate of return on labour cost of 193%. It
was therefore recommended that efforts should be directed towards providing adequate fund to provide
adequate background information on how the fishery could be developed, protected and sustained since
economically it has been proven to be viable and in along way has helped to alleviate the widely
campaigned poverty among the Nigerian rural inhabitants.
INTRODUCTION
Statistics available have shown that fish demand by
the over 100 million people of Nigeria far outstrips
the supply. Therefore, an urgent need to increase
local fish production to meet the shortfall in the
demand is a priority. According to Solarin and
Udolisa (1993), Nigeria has over 700, 000ha of
creekes, lagoons and estuaries and new methods of
fishing are being examined to enhance fish
production. Brush parks which facilitated the
aggregation and capture of fish in Lagos and Lekki
Lagoons have been reported on by the Food and
Agriculture Organisation (1969). Reed (1967) had
earlier observed fish shelters used in riverine
freshwater environments of northern Nigeria. Also
welcome (1972) evaluated the brush park method of
fishing in coastal lagoon of Dahomey (Now Benin
Republic). The bush park fishing method creates an
artificial habitat and is practised mostly by coastal
fishermen of West African sub- region who had
126
migrated eastwards of Nigeria. Among the brush
park fishing devices is "iken1.
"Iken' is described as a local term given to an
aggregation of plants with adventitious roots kept
floating and allowed to grow on water surface. It is
a traditional fishing practice common in Iwopin
Lagoon in Ogun state. It is akin to "acadja" which
is popular in Lagos and Lekki Lagoons of Lagos
state. It attracts, aggregates and regenerates
palagic, resident and migration fishes
(Alegbeleye et a!., 2000; Sureh, 2000). Solarin
(1992) had earlier remarked that the brush park
devices on Nigerian waters are strategic options
for enhancing viable fishing system as well for
increasing fish production. It has also been shown
to increase productivity of coastal lagoons and
inland waters through migration, reproduction and
growth of fish inside the brush park (Hem and Avit,
ABSTRACT
1996). Fish yields in a brush park vary from 0.01 -
3.8 kg! m2/yr (ICLARM- GTZ, 1991; Welcomme
and Kapetsky, 1981). Brush parks also offer a
number of economic advantages, inter alias, in the
management of small scale fisheries in coast1
lagoons, unfortunately, there is scanty information
in its' potential. Hence, this study which was
focussed on the economic potentials of "Iken"
brush park fishing practice a being practised in
Iwopin Lagoon in Ogun State.
MATERIALAND METHODS
Frame survey
A frame survey of "Iken" fishing practice was
carried-out between January 2002 and August
2002 in Iwopin Lagoon, Ogun water side Local
Government Area of Ogun State. This period
coincided with the time of construction and
harvesting. The catches from "Iken" were
randomly assessed covering 300 of the potential
fishermen. The fishes were identified based on the
nomenclature of Olaosebikan and Raji (1998).
Each fish species was counted and weighed to the
nearest gramme. This was used to determine the
economic contribution of each species. Cost and
time of constructing "Iken" brush park, the size and
time it was kept in water before harvesting, average
number operated by individual fisherman (owner),
costs of iniput materials (such as canoes, nets,
maintenance) etc cost labour, marketing channel(s)
preservation methods and eventual revenue made
per fisherman per total number of "Iken" operated
per annum.
Economic and profitability analyses
The economic and profitability analyses as
drescribed by Ayinde and Aromolaran (1998) and
Otubusin (2001) were adopted. Net income of
fisherman practising "Ike.n" fishing was calculated
for the first year. This analysis was used in the
profitability analysis to calculate return to
management, capital and family labour, return to
127
investment, return on fixed cost or gross margin,
rate of return on fixed cost, rate of return on
variable cost and rate of return on labour cost.
Return to Management, Capital and Family
labour (RMCF):
RMCF = TVP - TFC - TVC Less cost of
capital bbrrowed and cost of family labour.
Rate of Return to Investment (RRI):
RRI (RMCF/TC) x 100
Return on Fixed Cost (RFC) or Gross Margin
(GM):
RFC=TVP-TVC
Rate of Return on Fixed Cost (RRFC):
RRFC=(RFC/TFC)x 100
Rate of Return on Variable Cost (RRVC):
RRVC = ((TVP - TFC)/TVC) x 100
Rate of Return to Labour Cost (RRLC)
RRLC TVP - All costs except labour
cost! total labour cost (man/day)) x 100
Where,
TVP - Total value of product
TFC - Total Fixed Cost
TVC - Total Variable Cost
TC - Total Cost
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The catches from "Iken" fishermen were
assessed. The fishers achieved a mean harvest of
480.216kg/ha (0.48 tonne) of fish per fisherman
per fishing. An average of five "Jken" per
individual fisherman was noted thereby making a
production of 2401.08kg (2.40 1 tonnes) per
individual fisherman in 6 months. This value was
estimated to give a fish production of 4802.16kg
(4.8O2tonne) per fisherman per annum. Fish
caught (Table 1) were always sold in water to fish
mongers from Epe, Lagos state or to fishermen's
relation who might had sponsored them for
fishing. All fishes were caught alive and sold
either singly, in basket, and in fifteens. In some
cases if they were not sold the day they were
caught, the fishes were usually held alive in cages
or traps and then submerged in water. Costs of
constructing "Iken" depending on the size and
fisherman's relationship with the labour employed
are shown on Table 2. It ranged between Ni 5,000 -
N33,00.00. The lager the size of "Iken" bush park
the higher the construction cost. But during harvest
the fisherman and labour employed shared the
money (revenue) made in the fish sold in ratio 2:1
Table 2. Cost of Constructing New "Iken"
Size ("efon") Cost (N" 090)
15—20 15—19
20—25 19-20
25—30 20—22
30—35 22—25
35—40 25—33
.1 "efini" equals 782m2. N119.55 equals US $1
("Efon" is a local dimension of "Iken" brush park)
Table 3 shows that at the end of one year of
operation, a total of N677,945.00 was invested on
five "Iken" brush parks out of which N180,500.00
and N 497,445.00 were fixed and variable costs
respectively. individual fisherman spent
N 132,000.00 on fish fnee, N5,000.00 on rentage
of some net, N327,445.00 on labour, N28,Q00.00
on canoe rentage and N5000.00 on brush park
maintenance. On fixed cost he spentN75,000.00 on
fishing crafts, N90,000 .00 on "iken" installation
128
N4,000.00 each on nylon net and synthetic rope. An
economic analysis indicated a fisherman net
income of N304,384.80. Profitability analysis
shows that return to management, capital and
family labour (RMCF) and Return on Fixed Cost
(RFC) were N304,389.80 and N484,889.80
respectively. Whilst, rate of returns on investment
(RRI),fixed cost (RRFC), variable cost (RRVC)
and labour cost (RRLC) were 44.9%, 268.6%,
161% and 193% respectively (Table 4).
Table 1. Fish production in "Iken" fishing practice per fisherman per six months
Family name Species name Mean number
of fishes
Weight of fish
(kg)/fishng/ha
% Price
(N)
l3agridae Chrysichthys
nigrodigitatas
71 49.803 10.37 12911.40
Cichlidae Sarotherodon
me/anotheron
161 161.087 33.55 19100.08
— Tiiapiainariae 69 50.980 10.62 5114.86
Tilayia zillil 59 3 1.724 6.61 3167.35
Gymnarchidae Gyinnarchus niloticus 9 31.667 6.50 16394.79
Hepsetidae
Mochokidae
Uepsetus odoe — 15 6.202 1.29 620.21
Synodont is spp 42 4.493
12.813
0.94 781.32
Mormyridae Morinyrops anguilkdus 11 2.67 2520.38
,, Mormyrusrurne 15 16.884 3.52 3432.53
Neptoteridae Papyrocranus after 10 2.050 0.43 205.03
Osteoglossidae Heterotis niloticus ii 41.264 8.59 16173.30
Polynemidae Polydaciylus quadri 1/is 26 71.249 14.84 17812.23
_________________ Total 498 480.216 100 98233.48
N119.55 = US$1
Table 3. Economic income analysis of "Iken" brush park fishing practice
ITEMS
A. INCOME
1, Sales of Fish Per Year
VALUE (N)
982,334.80
982,334.80
B. COSTS
1. Variable Cost Per Year
i. Fish fence 4 @ N33, 000.00 each
ii. Seine net (63.5mm) Rent 5 times
@ NI, 000.00 / day
iãL Labour (5 "Ikea")
iv. Maintenance
v. Rentage of 2 canoes N400/day
for 5 "Iken" for 7 days
132,000.00
5,000.00
327,445.00
5,000,00
28,000.00
2. Fixed Costs
497,445.00
L Fishing Crafts
ii. "Iken" installation (5)
HI "Veranda" net (nylon mesh)
iv. Synthetk rope (02cm)
v. Fish Traps—15 @N500.00 each
Total fixed costs
Total cost
Net Income (A— B)
75,000.00
90,000.00
4,000.00
4,000.00
7,500.00
180,500.00
677,945.00
304,389.80
N119.55 = US$1
Table 4. Profitability analysis
Profitability ratios Value
Return to Management Capital and
Family Labour (RMCF) N
304, 389.80
Rate of Return to Investrnent
Return on fixed Cost, RFC/Gross
Margin (GM) —
Rate of Return on Fixed Gross RRFC
44.9
484, 889.80
286.6
--_______________
Rate of Return on Variable Costs,
RRVC(%)
161%
Rate of Return on Labour Cost RRLC 193
The profitability indices show that 1ken brush
park fishing practice is a profitable business in the
study area. Every Ni invested in the business
generated 45 kobo as profit. According to Ayinde
and Arornoiaran (1998), calculated rate of return to
investment is acceptable only if the opportunity
cost of capital and family labour utilized in agric-
business is zero. Also since the current interest rate
129
on agricultural loan in the economy as at the time
of the study was 22.5%, !IkenH brush park
practice was a profitable enterprise. Also every
Ni cost incurred on fixed assets generated about
N2.69. If this is compared with the rate of return
on variable cost, it can be deduced that improving
profitability in uiken brush park fishing practice
in the study area will require that more effort be
put into increasing the efficiency of use of variable went back to the fisherman. According to
input items especially labour which was about Otubusin (2001), economic viability of any
48.3% of the total production cost. This can be fisheries business depends on the interplay of
further substantiated with the calculated rate of various complex factors. The fisherman should
return on labour cost 193.3%. That is, for every NI aim at cutting down production cost in order to
spent on hired labour about double the amount increase the return on investment.
CONCLUSION
This study has revealed that 'Iken brush park profitable and has helped in no small way to
fishing practice offered a good catch to the develop the fisheiy and has alleviated the widely-
fisherman in Iwopin Lagoon area. Meanwhile, campaigned poverty among the Nigerian rural
economic analysis shows that the practice is inhabitants,
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Economic potentials of Iken brush park fishing practice in Iwopin Lagoon, Ogun State, Nigeria

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Economic potentials of Iken brush park fishing practice in Iwopin Lagoon, Ogun State, Nigeria

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