Artisanal Fishing in Coastal Communities: Socioeconomic Profiling and Fishing Practices in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area (SILGA), Bayelsa State

This study was conducted in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area (SILGA) of Bayelsa State, Nigeria to assess the socioeconomic characteristics of artisanal fisherfolks. It was a cross-sectional survey adopted to gather primary data from 132 randomly selected respondents with a structured questionnaire from the study area. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze demographic and operational data, while seasonal variations in catch volume were also assessed. The results of the socioeconomic characteristics of the fisherfolks indicated that most of them were between the ages of 41 and 50, then those in the 31to 40 age range. There was an equal distribution of males and females, 79.5% of them were married with most respondents reporting a household size of 6-10 members (51.5%). 81.1% had a form of formal education while 18.9% had none whatsoever. The religion mostly practiced was Christianity (94.7%), 71.2% took fishing as their full- time profession, and 31.8% had 11-20 years of experience. Most of the fisherfolks owned their own craft (62.5%) which was mostly a canoe with a paddle (97.5%) and made use of the passive methods of fishing (75%). Catch volumes peaked between October and December (40.8%), while July to September represented periods of lowest catch (46.7%). This study therefore highlights the urgent need for spending money on fishing infrastructure and access to credit facilities. The study also outlined some recommendations beneficial to the artisanal fishing community in this area.