The decline in fishermen catches of Lake kainji, which went down from 28,639.6t in 1970 to 6.048t in 1974 (Ita 1982) prompted the promulgation of fisheries edict banning beach seines and other obnoxious fishing gear by Kebbi and Niger State governments in 1997 as a measure to prevent depletion of fisheries resources in the lake. Radio as a medium of communication was adopted as the method to disseminate information in the fisheries edict to the fisherfolks in order to bring about positive changes. Radio Niger, Koro station, was involved in the broadcast. Fisherfolk listened to the broadcast 32 times a week. Frame survey data and radio impact assessment studies were used to assess the effect of the broadcast on the number of beach seines and other obnoxious fishing gears on the lake which were banned in the fisheries edicts. It was revealed that the number of beach decreased drastically from 582 in 1997 to 122 in 1999 and to only 17 in 200

Adegbiji, J.A.

Apeloko, F.O.

Ayanda, J.O.

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IPAPACT OF RADIO BROADCAST ON FISH PRODUCTION AND CONSERVATION IN KAINJO
LAKE BASIN e
By
Adegbiji J.A., Ayanda J.0, and F.O. Apeloko
National Institute for Freshwater Fisheries Research (NIFFR),
PMB 6006, New-Bussa, Niger State
ABSTRACT
The decline in fish catches of Lake Kainji, which went down from 28,639.6t in 1970 to 6,048t
1974 (lta 1982) prompted the promulgation of fisheries edict banning beach seines and other
obnoxious fishing gear by Kebbi and Niger state governments in 1997 as a measure to prevent
depletion of fisheries resources in the lake. Radio as a medium of communication was adopted
as the method to disseminate information in the fisheries edict to the fisherfolks in order to bring
about positive changes. Radio Niger, Koro station, was involved in the broadcast. Fisherfolk
listened to the broadcast 32 times a week. Frarne survey data and radio impact assessment
studies were used to assess the effect of the broadcast on the number of beach seines arid other
obnoxious fishing gears on the lake which were banned in the fisheries edicts. It was reveated
that the number of beach decreased drastically from 582 in 1997 to 122 in 1999 and to only 17 in
2001.
Introduction
The decline in fishermen catches of Lake Kainji in recent times from 28 ml in 1972 after
impoundment of the lake to about 6 mt in 1986 Ita (1982) drew attention of many fisheries experts
including both the Federal and State governments bordering the lake. The concern was that if the
rapid decline were not controlled on time, fishermen standard of living would further depreciate.
Ita (1986) had earlier recommended for the review cf fisheries law to prevent fisheries resources
in the lake from depletion. This development therefore led to the review of the existing fisheries
law by the government of Niger and Kebbi States and promulgation of fisheries edict in 1997.
In this edict, certain categories of fishing gears were banned. Some of these include
under mesh-sized nets, fish fencing (Saba) and beach seines net. Of all, beach-seining fishery
was considered most destructive among the fishing gears in use on the lake. On the other hand,
it contributed not less that 50% of the total catch landed on the lake annually. Though: beach
seine fishery brings in more money to the fishermen than other gears. The fishermen that use gill
nets do not catch as much as those that use beach seine and therefore do not make as much
money. This is because beach seine catches eggs, juvenile and prevent smaller fish to grow to
aciult or marketable size. If the use of beach seine were allowed to continue the fishery resources
of the lake in no time would deplete fast.
This scenario called for the enactment of fisheries edict in the two states that borders the
lake. An appropriate extension delivery system was therefore put in place to implement the edict
that banned the 'activities of beach seine fishermen on the lake Kainji, Use of Radio broadcast
was considered appropriate to create awareness about the ban and subsequent obedience to the
law. lbeun et al (1994) surveyed media of communication in the lake and found that Radio is
Paper presented al the Fisheries Society of Nigeria (FISON), ilorin, Kwara State, November, 2004.
179
generally accOted as the medium of communication among the target group. Adegbiji (1990)
also confirmed that Radio is a popular mediurn of passing information on aquaculture
develoOment ii . the basin. However, introducing .change through fisheries edict, which bans
beach seining that, fetches more money to fishermen calls for a thoughtful and skilful way of
implementation. Radio as medium of communication provides a better media choice of passing
information in the edicts to fishermen. Due to these characteristics accorded to radio, it was
chosen as one of the Media adopted to pass information concerning the ban of beach seines to
the fisherfolks of Kainji Lake.
This paper therefore gives an account of radio broadcast that was used to reduce the
number of beach seine nets from 700 in 1997 to 17 in 2001, which can be attributed as having
played a significant role towards preventing the lake from degradation.
Method og y
Participatory. method of broadcasting was adopted. Fisherfolks and opinion leaders
around the basin were involved in the preparing the messages for radio programmes right from
the planning stage up to airing stage. Direct broadcast was applied using Hausa language that is
understood by the target group within the lake basin.
Impact assessment study was conducted to monitor the impact of the broadcast on the
number of beach seine and other bad fishing methods in use on the lake after the banning
messages were repeatedly aired to the target group. Also, data from frame survey was used to
determine the yield per year to obtain yield and listening impact.
its and Discussion
Figure 1 shows the frame surveys carried out between 1995 1998 indicated that beach
seine of all the gear surveyed yielded highest and netted the highest return to the users. The
percentage distribution by gear type within the period of survey is shown in the histogram in fig 1.
Beach seine yielded 15t (46%) of the total in 1995, 29t (53%) in 1996, dropped to 11t (39%) in
1997 and yielded 9t (33%) in 1998, Nil (0%) in both 1999 and 2000. This drop was due to the
effect of radio broadcast.
Table 1 shows the summary of topic for which message to air were prepared, number of
messages, number of broadcast of each message that and humber of minute (time) utilized in the
broadcast. The radio broadcast to explain the edicts that ban beach seining and other obnoxious
fishing method also started in December 1995. Between 1995 December and 1996 messages
broadcast were few due to logistics involved in the preparation of messages, editing, interpreting
into Hausa language and procuring air time. However, by 1996 the machinery for these logistics
were already in place and therefore there was tremendous increase in the number of messages,
broadcast and air time. Table 1 shows detail of these. Out of the six different topics on which
mesSages were prepared and aired, fisheries edicts and regulations had 35.5% followed by
fisheries data collection (frame and catch assessment survey) with 27.3%, Water hyacinth control
had 19.5% while others (reports, meetings etc.), alternative income generating activities had
8.9%, 7.7% and 1.7% respectively.
Figure 2 shows the trend of use of beach seining before and after the enactment of edicts
and the radio broadcast to implement. Between 1993 and 1995 when the broadcast started, the
number of users increased from 550 to 810. From 1995 when the broadcast began in earnest,
the number of users started to decline to zero. level in 2000. However, because frequency of
broadcast reduced in 2000 due to low funding, no messages were aired. Another frame survey in
2001 showed that 'there was an increase in the number of users from zero in 2000 to 17 in 2001.
This implies that series of broadcast between 1995 and 1998 positively impact on the beach
seine users hence the drop from 810 in 1995 to zero both in 1999 and 2000.
180
An impact assessment study was carried out in which a question, "Which message(s) on
the following topics has impact on your fishing activities?" was asked. Table 2 shows detail of
responses from the target group. Messages on Beach seine and other obnoxious fishing
methods had 72.5% while topics like water hyacinth control, fisheries data collection, others
(meetings, reports) and establishment Kainji Lake Fisheries Management and Conservation Unit
each had 12.5%, 7.5%, 5%, 2.5% ands less than 1% respectively.
With the reduction in the number of beach seiners and other users of obnoxious fishing
methods, fish stocks in the lake do grow to table size before harvest and sale thus providing
higher income to fishermen. Also, juvenile fish are conserved for generations yet unborn. Asking
the fishermen what lessons they learnt from the radio messages on all the topics broadcast, the
responses are as follows:
"We learnt that beach seining is a bad fishing method because it crops even egg of fish"
"Better yields are now obtained and more money realized"
"We were conscious of the need to accuse beach seiners"
"We are enlightened on the importance and benefits of licensing which we now use as
identification card".
The target audience acknowledges the fact; that programmes (topics) broadcast on radio
was the first source of information that confirmed to them that use of beach seine is bad and that
licensing is good social benefit.
Conclusion
The use of radio broadcast to sensitize and implement the fisheries edicts of Kebbi and
Niger states contributed tremendously to the success of the edicts in Kainji
lake basin. This helped in enforcing the ban that brought the number of users down from 810 in
1996 to zero in 2000. When broadcast stopped in 2000 due to lack of funding, the use of beach
seine started again as about 17 beach seine users recorded on the lake from the frame survey
carried out in 2001.
The impact assessment study carried also confirmed fishermen position of their
awareness and enlightenment about the use of beach seine. For now the enforcement of the ban
ensures conservation of fish stock in the lake and higher income from sale of better yield as
testified by the fishermen, improved standard of living and reduction in poverty level of the fishing
communities on the lake.
REFERENCE:
Adegbiji JA, Okomoda J.K, Bawa J. and H. Salzwedel (2000) Radio Broadcasting for Extension
in Kainji Lake Fisheries Promotion Project 1995-2000
Ita E.O. (1998) The current Status of Fish Stock and fisheries in Kainji lake, 1996. consultancy
report submitted to the Nigerian-German Kainji Lake Fisheries Promotion project.
T.A. du feu and J.A Abiodun (1999) Fisheries Statistics of Kainji Lake, Northern Nigeria, Noiv.
1994-Dec, 1998. Nigerian German Kainji Lake Fisheries Promotion Project. Technical
Report Series 13.
Fisheries Statistical Bulletin Kainji lake Fisheries, Nigeria (2001) Technical Report Series 22
181
Broadcast Topics
_ _
_
Table 1. Summary of Messages Produced and Broadcast 1995 2000
Table 2. Percentage Distribution of Broadcast Messages that Impact on
Fishermen Activities 1995 2000
Kainji Lake Fisheries Management and Conservation Unit
Fisheries Edicts and Regulations (including illegal fishing
methods)
Fisheries Data Collection and Results
Water Hyacinth Control Measures
Alternative Income Generating Activities
Others
Total
182
Frequency
O
29
2
5
3
1
40
Percentage (%)
<1'
72.5
5
12.5
7.5
2.5
100
S/NO Broadcast Topics No. ofMessages
0/0 No. of
Broadcast %
No. of
Time
(Minutes)
1 Kainji Lake Fisheries
Management and 4 2.6 13 1.8 255 1.7
Conservation Unit and
COmmunity Based
Fisheries Management
2 Fisheries Edicts and
Regulations (Includes 55 36.2 247' 34.3 5,150 35.5
Licensing, illegal fishing
methods etc)
3 Fisheries Data
Collection (Frame 36 23.7 184 25.5 3,958 27.3
Survey, Catch
assessment) and
results
4 Water hyacinth Control 22 14.5 110 15.3 2,8,35 19.5
5 Alternative Income 20 13.2 100 13.9 1,122 7.7
Generating activities
Others . 15 8 66 9.2 1,200 8.3
152 100 720 100 14,520 100
800
700
it 600
-5 500
(x)
.2 400
300
200
100
o
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
Years
Figure 2: Trend of Beach Seine opreation
I 83
25000
20000
o
15000
-0
.a)
10000
To
5000
o
184
njt
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
Years
Ag. 1: Annual fish yield by gear type from 1995 - 2001
Gillnet Castnet o Driftnet
Longline Beach Seine O Traps


Impact of radio broadcast on fish production and conservation in Kainji Lake basin

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