Physical Assets Ownership of Fisherfolk in Fishing Communities of Kainji Lake Nigeria: Implications for Climate Change

Abstract

A probe was carried out to ascertain fisherfolk ownership of physicalassets for fisheries activities in fishing communities’ vis-à-vis implicationof climate change around Kainji Lake. Interview schedule was employedto generate primary data from 165 respondents in eleven fishingcommunities on western side of the lake and analysed with descriptiveand inferential statistics. Information on personal characteristics revealedthat most of the respondents were advanced in age, small scale artisanfisherfolk with many years of experience, self employed and married withchildren but had poor education. Physical assets owned fall into threecategories of fishing asset (33.3%), fish processing asset (41.7%) andaccessories (25%). Conspicuous assets owned were fishing net, woodencanoe, hook & line, fish drying net, improved banda and modified drumsmoking kiln. Physical assets that use wood and fuelwood whichimpinged on climate change were fishing canoe, improved banda andmodified drum smoking kiln. Correlates of improved banda and modifieddrum kiln were marital status and number of wives. It implies that maritalfamily’s ownership of fish smoking processing assets contributed toclimate change problems through deforestation thereby causingdesertification, soil erosion, destruction of ecosystem and weathervariations with serious consequences on water bodies, fisheries, andlivelihood in fishery around the lake. Worrisome is zero ownership of solartent dryer which uses renewable energy of the sun and friendly to climatechange adaptation. In view of prevailing evidence, adaptation to climatechange is subject to modification of solar net drier to meet fish smokingneeds. In alternative is exploration of biomass energy sources that issustainable like rice husk for fish smoking as a mitigation strategy.