AQUACULTURE RENAISSANCE IN AKWA IBOM STATE: A VERITABLE TOOL OF SUSTAINING THE LOCAL ECONOMY

AQUACULTURE RENAISSANCE IN AKWA IBOM STATE: A VERITABLE TOOL OF SUSTAINING THE LOCAL ECONOMY

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Background of the Study

Aquaculture has, in fact, matured into a worldwide resilient and essential industry over the course of the past three decades, recording the most significant and most fast growth among the food-producing industries. According to Berkes and Farvar (2013), the world's human population was over 7 billion in 2012, and it is projected to reach 9 billion by the year 2050. As a direct consequence of these factors, there will be an increasing demand for more food to support the growing population. It is well knowledge that the natural fish populations found in marine environments are unable to meet the rising increase for proteins. This is due to the fact that their biomasses have continued to decrease, and in 2011, 61.3% were fully exhausted and could no longer be collected at a level that was biologically viable [2]. The expansion of the aquaculture industry for all farmed species, ranging from freshwater prawns (Macrobranchium rosenbergerii) in the global South to Atlantic salmon (Salmo sun) in Norway, has therefore been the dominant strategy for the past few decades [3]. In the years 2010–2012, aquaculture was responsible for 41% of the total supply of food fish around the globe. Additionally, it is the world market for animal food production that is expanding at the quickest rate. In addition, it is anticipated that the industry will provide more than fifty percent of fish destined for human consumption by the year 2015, and fifty-three percent by the year 2022. (Biswes 1989). As a result of this, it has the potential to make a significant contribution to the food supply around the globe [4]. Notably, aquaculture has the potential to supply significant quantities of fish and other aquatic food for human consumption, offering substantial employment opportunities and decreasing poverty, frequently in geographically isolated regions. The development of aquaculture in the majority of countries across the world began more than 50 years ago with the belief that it would help bridge the gap between fish demand and supply. It has been pointed out that aquaculture can be a catalyst for food security, the reduction of hunger, and the alleviation of poverty through economic growth and employment generation. This is especially important at this time of serious declined in fish production from capture fisheries as a result of exploitation strategies and land use practices that are antithetical to the principles of sustainable development. This is coupled with the state of insecurity in some parts of the world, such as the Lake Chad Basin Areas of Nigeria, where there has been a

The production of fish in Nigeria is not only significant because it provides a source of high-quality protein, but it also has the potential to be leveraged in order to effect institutional change. These improvements have the potential to provide access to production assets and resources, which can serve to empower the poor and directly boost their livelihood. According to Ugwumba and Ugwumba (2003), there has been a significant increase in the demand for fish in the nation, which has resulted in the supply falling well short of the demand. Fish supply in Nigeria is around 600,000 metric tons, but demand is estimated to be 2.6 million metric tons; this makes Nigeria one of the greatest importers of frozen fish in the world, as she imports over 2 million metric tons yearly to fulfill the demand for fish (FMANR,2008). Fish production through aquaculture is viewed as the only method to solve this problem because wild fish harvest is decreasing on a daily basis as a result of stock depletion, whilst the population is growing. Additionally, the demand that there be a solution to the problem of overfishing of wild fish supplies is an intrinsic requirement for aquaculture. The question of the people's capacity to provide for themselves in terms of food continues to be of the utmost significance. To put it another way, in order to discover solutions to our issues, we need to figure out how to get more out of the resources that already exist in our surroundings. Hunger and malnutrition continue to be one of the most debilitating challenges affecting the majority of the poor in the Niger Delta area and the country as a whole. An increase in the production of fish through aquaculture will help address these issues, which will help combat hunger and malnutrition (Adebayo, 2014). It's possible that the aquaculture industry may need to adopt certain new practices in order to reach its full potential in terms of its contribution to human development, food security, and improved livelihood conditions. These may differ from country to country, and the difficulty is to develop countries that are practical and attainable in light of the existing social, economic, environmental, and political realities.

​​​​​​​Statement of the Problem

The development of aquaculture in rural communities in the majority of African countries has been very slow for a number of reasons, including a lack of feeds and expensive seeds (fingerlings), inadequate access to credit, environmental degradation, conflict with other sectors, poor experience of previous attempts to develop aquaculture, inadequate and inappropriate research on the aspects of aquaculture, and a lack of economic viability studies ( Azeza, 2017).

In spite of the fact that Nigeria is blessed with a great number of big rivers, lakes created by humans, and creeks, as well as around 200 nautical miles of marine water that fall inside its Exclusive Economic Zone (Bada and Rahji, 2010). The performance of the fishing sub-sector, on the other hand, is still far below what was expected due to an insufficient supply of fish from domestic sources. The issue is that the overall domestic demand for fish is far higher than the entire domestic production of fish. According to Nnodim (2014), the production of fish produced domestically in Nigeria is around 800,000 metric tons, but yearly demand is approximately 2.7 million metric tons, creating a gap of approximately 1.9 million metric tons. This is made clear by the fact that Nigeria continues to supplement its domestic fish production with fish that is imported into the country. According to another research by Fapohunda (2015), Nigeria spends over N125 billion each year on the importation of fish. In light of Nigeria's enormous potential as an aquaculture producer, the existing scenario, in which the country is dependent on imports, is seen as both unfavorable and sub-optimal for the economy of Nigeria. The persistent importation of fish portends a grave danger for Nigeria in terms of foreign exchange earnings and its drain on the country's foreign reserves. It also portends a loss of employment opportunities for Nigerians, particularly for people living in rural areas, which will exacerbate the country's already high level of poverty.

Recent years have seen the publication of a number of studies on the relationship between indigenous fish farming and the profitability of the fishing industry (Abbas 2015, Zanna, Tijjani, and Musa 2020), Inexplicably, aquaculture in the Niger Delta area, specifically with regard to Akwa Ibom State, has received very little attention, if any at all, despite the fact that it is a viable instrument for maintaining the local economy. In order to fill this void, the researcher plans to investigate the resurrection of aquaculture in the state of Akwa Ibom, which is an effective means of keeping the local economy afloat.

Objective of the Study

The broad objectives of this study if focused on aquaculture renaissance in Akwa Ibom state: a veritable tool of sustaining the local economy. Other specific objectives includes:

1. To examine the previous state of  aquaculture sector in Akwaibom State.
2. To determine the economic importance of aquaculture in Akwaibom State.
3. To ascertain factors influencing the intensity of fish farming in Akwaibom State.
4.  To investigate  ways to develop the  aquaculture sector in Nigeria.

Research Questions

The research is guided by the following  questions in line with the objectives

1. What is  the  state of  aquaculture sector in Akwaibom State?
2. What is the economic importance of aquaculture in Akwaibom State?
3. What are the  factors influencing the intensity of fish farming in Akwaibom State?
4. In what  ways can  aquaculture  be encouraged in Akwaibom state?​​​​​​​

Research Hypothesis

HO: Aquaculture is not veritable tool for sustaining the local economy in Akwaibom state.

H1: Aquaculture is a veritable tool for sustaining the local economy  in Akwaibom state.

​​​​​​​Significance of the Study

 The outcome of this study will educate the stakeholders in agriculture sector and the general public on the state of the indigenous fisheries sector in Nigeria with emphasis on ways to develop it and ensure the effective management of the sector.This research will be a contribution to the body of literature in the area of Aquaculture as a veritable tool for sustaining the local economy, thereby constituting the empirical literature for future research in the subject area

​​​​​​​Scope of the Study

The scope of this study borders on Aquaculture renaissance  is a veritable tool for sustaining the local economy. The study will further discuss the state of the indigenous fisheries sector in Nigeria, economic importance of aquaculture and factors influencing the intensity of fish farming. The is however delimited fishing communities like Ibaka and Oron  in Akwa ibom State.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Limitation of the Study

Like in every human endeavour, the researchers encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. The significant constraint was the scanty literature on the subject Aquaculture  discourse is vast thus the researcher incurred more financial expenses and much time was required in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited choice of sample size covering only EFCC officials in Federal Capital Territory, fishing communities Akwa ibom State. Thus findings of this study cannot be used for generalization for  other  states within Nigeria. Additionally, the researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work will impede maximum devotion to the research. Howbeit, despite the constraint  encountered during the  research, all factors were downplayed in other to give the best and make the research successful.

1.9. Definition Of Terms

Aquaculture

Aquaculture is the rearing of aquatic products under controlled environment. The rearing of fish has become important because fish is a cheap and major source of animal protein consumption for Nigerians, especially natives living in coastal communities.

1.10 Organization of the Study

The study is categorized into five chapters. The first chapter presents the background of the study, statement of the problem, objective of the study, research questions and hypothesis, the significance of the study, scope/limitations of the study, and definition of terms. The chapter two covers the  review of literature with emphasis on conceptual framework, theoretical framework, and empirical review. Likewise, the chapter three which is the research methodology, specifically covers the research design, population of the study,  sample size determination,  sample size, abnd selection technique and procedure, research instrument and administration, method of data collection, method of data analysis, validity and reliability of the study, and ethical consideration. The second to last chapter being the chapter four presents the data presentation and analysis, while the last chapter(chapter five) contains the summary, conclusion and recommendation.

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