Impact of fisheries cooperatives of fishing communities in Cross River State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study evaluated the impact of fisheries cooperatives on fishing communities in Cross River State. Data obtained from 120 respondents were randomly selected from the study area. Descriptive statistics and Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression analyses were the tools of data analyses. The results showed positive impact of co-operatives on the selected variables. F-values for the functions were positive and significant at 1% level indicating a significant linear relationship between variable (impact of co operatives) and the selected variables used for fish produced in Cross River State. Cobb-Douglass production function was the lead equation compared to linear and semi-log production functions as it had the highest R² value of 0.77 and met other econometric criteria. Dubin Watson (DW) was 2 and within the specified range of 0 to 2 which implied auto-correlation. The results also showed that fisheries cooperatives had positive impact on income and improved living standard of the respondents. It is recommended that government should organize training workshops for the executive members of fisheries cooperatives to improve management of cooperative fund and human resources. Furthermore, non-members of fisheries cooperatives who did not benefit from cooperatives subsidies and incentives were encouraged to join cooperatives.

Keywords: Effect, co-operative societies, higher revenue, living condition, Cross River State

Journal of Aquatic Sciences 28 (1): 93-103 (2013)