ABSTRACT:A frame survey of fishing communities was carried out, employing the complete census technique, to assess the artisanal fisheries characteristics of the fresh water reaches of lower nun river for a period of two year, Eleven Community lie along the stretch of the study area. The total number of 4718 fishers with 1645 canoe units employing various fishing gear resulted to a fishers density of 3 fishers per canoe unit. A total of 29 fin fish families were recorded. Seasonally occurring fresh water crustacean. Attaya gaboneensis and palacemon paucidens were present. Etheria elliptica, an oyster was also present. A specie of fresh water clam, Galacea Paradoxa from the family Donacidae was present. Trichechus senegelensis (Manattee) was occasionally captured by local hunter during the flood period. Hippopotamus amphibious (Hippopotamus) was reported from isolated places but they were rare. A specie of Otta, Lutra macullicolis was present. Three species of crocodiles, Crococdylus niloticus Crocodylus cataphractus (Alligator) and Osteolaemus tetraspsis were also present. The Nile monitor, Veramus niloticus and the aquatic snake, Anoscopus sp. And three species of water turtle, Kimxy erosa, Pelumedusa sp and Peliosus sp were also present. The commonest fishing method employed was local fishponds (50.8%) and the least was gill nets (1.6%). Drift net caught the highest fish (8.01kg) per gear, while local fishponds was the least 0.25 kg. The annual catch per canoe was recorded for local fishponds (167. 84kg), while the lowest was assorted traps (14.7kg). Drift not recorded the highest annual for local fishponds. The mean biomass of 25.04 of fish catch of 20.2kg per fisher and the lowest value (4.53kg) was recorded per boat, total catch of 37903. 6kg, annual producing estimate of 434.81 tonnes, standing struck of 2.27 km -2 and of twenty two million, seven hundred and forty two thousand one hundred and sixty naira (N22742160) was estimated. The reduced annual income per fisher in the study was four thousand, eight hundred and twenty naira, thirty kobo. There is therefore the, urgent need for effective management of the Nun river fisheries, to improve on the living standard of the people. @JASEM

Problem statement: Elechi Creek of the Upper Bonny Estuary in the Niger Delta contributes to the Rivers State Fish resources. It is a sink receiving organic anthropogenic wastes from Diobu, Eagle Island and waterfront dwellers of Diobu areas. Fishing, car washing, bathing, swimming and other human activities are constantly going on within and around this creek. Based on these activities, there is urgent need to study the phytoplankton community that supports its fisheries. Approach: The study investigated the phytoplankton composition, diversity, abundance and distribution as well as surface water physico-chemical parameters. Phytoplankton and surface water samples were collected bi-monthly from October 2007-March 2008 at high tide from five stations according to APHA methods. These were analyzed for temperature, transparency, dissolved oxygen, salinity, alkalinity, chloride and nutrients. Phytoplankton was identified microscopically. Species diversity was calculated using standard indices. Results: A total of 169 species of phytoplankton, based on cell counts, was dominated by diatoms, 33255 counts mL^-1 (36%) and blue-green algae, 32909 counts mL^-1 (35.7%) were identified. The abundance of phytoplankton decreased downstream of this creek (1>2>3>4) except in station 5 with the highest phytoplankton abundance (23938 counts mL^-1). There was slight fluctuation in the measured physico-chemical parameters. The results of this study indicated the characteristic species and distribution of phytoplankton in Elechi Creek during the dry months. Conclusion/Recommendation: The high level of phosphate above the permissive limit showed that this creek is hypereutrophic and organic polluted. The high nutrients status favors the high abundance of phytoplankton. The municipal effluents (especially raw human and animal faces) discharges must be discontinued. Detergents with low concentration of phosphate are recommended for manufacturing and use. Municipal wastes must be treated and/or recycled before discharge into this natural aquatic body. Therefore, a continuous environmental surveillance of this creek is advocated to keep its biological integrity

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The effect of water pollution in Koluama Area in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria to determine its effects on fish species composition, histology, shrimp fishery and fishing gear type. A total of twenty (20) species belonging to eleven (11) families were recorded. Strongylura senegalensis, Lagocephalus laevigatus, Tarpon atlantica, Pristis pristis, Galeoides decadatylus and Butis koilomatodon were rare. Ephippion guttifer, Chaetodipterus goreensis, Sardinella maderensis, Sardinella aurita, Liza falcipinnis, Mugil bananensis, Pentanemus quinquarius, Polydactylus quadrafilis and Trichuris lepturis were common. Ethmalosa fimbriata, Liza grandisquamis, Sphyraena guachancho, Mugil curema, Sphyraena guachancho and Dormitator pleurops were abundant. None was dominant. The highest number of fish species ( 16) were recorded in fish town and none was recorded in Kuloma 1 and one (1) was recorded for Kulauma 11. Foroupa, Ekeni, Ejetu and Ikebiri fishing port 1 and 2 recorded 8, 7, 3 and 5 fish species respectively. Artisanal fishing is based on traditional methods of fishing using essentially canoe and different fishing nets which depend on the season and target fish species. Canoes may be motorized or hand-paddled. Common gear types include shrimp traps, drift gill nets, set gill nets, cast nets, seine nets, hook and lines. Lift nets may be use by women folk who target small shrimp species in the creeks and creek lets. Other fishing methods include hand-picking for periwinkles, oysters and other shellfish by women folk and children. Prominent among the fishing devices are edek, a type of fish fence used in the creeks; alot, a large trap used on sand and mud-banks in the estuaries; and otunwa, a barbed spear. Fishers using these devices either operated from their home villages, exploiting the nearby waters, or staged long distance fishing expeditions, during which they lived in distant camps or house-boats. The heavy metals concentration level values are: Cd (0.013 a ±0.001), Cr (2.04 b ±0.01), Cu (2.16 b ±0.10), Pb (2.20 b ±0.16) and Zn (1.03 ab ±0.03) for Lagocephalus laevigatus; Cd (0.01 a ±0.001), Cr (1.60 b ±0.44), Cu (1.25 ab ±0.08), Pb (1.10 ab ±0.15) and Zn (0.50 b ±0.04) for Tarpon atlantica and Cd (0.02 ab ±0.003), Cr (2.35 ab ±0.40), Cu (2.60 a ±0.08), Pb (2.30 a ±0.45) and Zn (1.11 a ±0.17) for Pristis pristis. The presence of heavy metals in the fish samples examined is an evidence of environmental degradation.

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