Economics of freshwater fish farming and livelihood sustainability among freshwater fish farmers in Bayelsa State, Nigeria
| dc.contributor.author | Wasini, Dobie Allen | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-04-08T11:07:16Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-04-08T11:07:16Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2016-06 | |
| dc.description | This thesis is for the award of Master of Science (MSc.} in Agricultural Economics | |
| dc.description.abstract | This study analyzed the economics of freshwater fish farming and livelihood sustainability among freshwater fish farmers in Bayelsa State. A multistage sampling technique was used to select fifteen fish farmers, from the list of registered freshwater fish farmers in each of the Local Government Areas selected. Structured questionnaire was used for data collection on the socio-economic characteristics of the fish farmers, their fish farming practices, costs and returns of fish farming as well as the factors that determined the output of the enterprise. Data on livelihood sustainability were also collected. Descriptive statistics, the net farm income model, indices and the multiple regression model were the analytical tools used. Findings from the study showed that 95% of the fish farmers were men. Most of them were married (91.66%), with a mean age of 54 years. The mean household size was 9 persons. Most of them are literates having spent an average of 12.8 years at formal school. All (100%) the fish farmers had other income sources. The mean years of experience was 6-10 years. Consumption and sale is the major reason the fish farmers went into fish farming. All of them (100%) practiced the semiintensive level of management. The major nature of enclosure in the study area is concrete and earthen ponds. Majority (91.67%) of the fish farmers practiced the monoculture system of stocking. The catfish species was the major fish species cultured in Bayelsa State. Generally most of the fish farmers operated fairly large scale enterprises. The average net farm income of the fish farmers was positive (N 887,725.39). The multiple regression analysis indicated that cost of fingerlings, cost of feeding, size of fish farm and level of education were the factors that significantly affected the net return of the fish farmers at the 5% level of significance. Freshwater fish farming was found to be sustainable on the average, given the sustainability scores (environmental, social, institutional and economic) generated from the study. The major challenges faced by the fish farmers were high cost of fish feeds (100%), no good patronage from customers (100%), no good fish markets (100%) and the unavailability of training/research centers (100%). It was found that freshwater fish farming was a profitable business; there is therefore need for the creation of awareness and orientation about the profitability of the fishery enterprise and its overall importance in food security, livelihood sustainability and economic development. | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Wasini, D. A. (2016). Economics of freshwater fish farming and livelihood sustainability among freshwater fish farmers in Bayelsa State, Nigeria [Unpublished Master's Thesis]. Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Nigeria | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://repository.futo.edu.ng/handle/20.500.14562/2606 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Federal University of Technology, Owerri | |
| dc.rights | Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International | en |
| dc.rights.uri | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ | |
| dc.subject | Fish farming | |
| dc.subject | costs and returns | |
| dc.subject | fish farming practices | |
| dc.subject | livelihood | |
| dc.subject | sustainability | |
| dc.subject | Bayelsa State | |
| dc.subject | Department of Agricultural Economics | |
| dc.title | Economics of freshwater fish farming and livelihood sustainability among freshwater fish farmers in Bayelsa State, Nigeria | |
| dc.type | Master’s Thesis |