| dc.description.abstract | Fisheries and aquaculture play an important role in western African sub-region countries.
Even if its contribution to GDP is not so important compare to agriculture, decrease in
productivity affect communities living along water bodies. In the view to better understand
how, this study proposes to assess the socio-economic and climate change effects on fishing
yields and fishing farming at the level of lake Toho in the Mono river basin. Rainfall and
temperature data were collected and analysed with Excel. Thus, simple random sampling
method was used to select 95 fishermen in Athiémé, Lokossa and Houéyogbé villages
around this lake. Many packages from R were used and Chi-2 homogeneity test was
performed to analyse changes in fishermen profile and fishing yields variations.
The results show an unstable rainfall pattern particularly associated with an upward trend
over the target period (1985-2015) and an upward trend in observed temperatures. This
increase is conducive to productivity because during high water periods, fish take advantage
of high water to reproduce, and the depth of the lakes does not favour fishing. The same is
true for temperature. In fact, most fish reproduce well at temperatures between 27°C and
28°C. As fish reproduction is not systematically synonymous with increased productivity,
we are witnessing a drop in productivity linked to the disappearance of certain species, due
to the non-discharge of the Mono River into the lake since the construction of the dam, the
drop in catch quantities linked to the reduction in the size of the fish and the fishing
techniques and gear that are not conducive to the sustainability of fishery resources.
Furthermore, the study showed through surveys conducted among fishermen that they
perceive the decline in fishery resources and the manifestations of climate change and
propose measures to cope with this decline and then to satisfy the needs of their families,
which vary according to their membership of a socio-ethnic group, their age category, their
level of education and the number of years spent fishing on the lake. Among the measures
proposed are fish farming, changes in fishing techniques and gear, and the practice of rituals.
Fish farming is one of the measures that the study deems effective and sustainable for the
management and improvement of the lake's resources and the socio-economic situation of
the communities living there. | en_US |
