Checklist and Assessment of Efficiency of Some Traditional Gears and Crafts Used on River Benue

Abstract

The study was carried out in 2006 from January to October. This covered the dry season and the rainy seasons of the year. The work was carried out along the Lower River Benue. The data were collected monthly using questionnaires and taking photographs of the crafts and the gears by visiting the fishing areas of Abinse, Wadata, Agatu and Kastina Ala. More than half of the one hundred and fifty species of fish native to Nigerian waters were caught in commercial quantities using these gears. A few types of selected gears seem to be distributed according to tribal patterns. It is on this basis that one hears fishers saying “why should I use the Jukun, Tiv, or Hausa type of gear”. In most cases, fishermen will always choose the most efficient type of gear despite the tribal affiliations. The efficiency and use of the gears and crafts was also seasonally based. The commonest gears observed during the study were scoop net, doubled chamber cane trap, woven trap, and Malian trap. In addition, most of these gears were found to be more efficient on predatory fishes. It was also observed during the course of this study that the cost of making these gears is relatively low compared to the imported types. The commonest crafts observed during the study were spear, knife, machete, planked canoe, dugout canoe and calabash. The traditional gears and crafts were cheaper than the imported ones therefore easily affordable by the local fisher forks. The spears and machetes were used as accessory instruments while fishing. The gears were observed to be either passive or active gears.