AKSU Journal of Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development

HOUSEHOLD POVERTY STATUS OF ARTISANAL CONTRACT FISHERMEN IN SOUTH - SOUTH, NIGERIA: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Author:  Kesit K. Nkeme, Namso N. Frank and Ubokudom E. Okon

Abstract
This study compared the household poverty status of artisanal contract and non-contract fishermen in the South-South region of Nigeria using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select a total of 371 fishers (191 and 180). The result shows that out-board engines were the most common and treasured asset owned by households, followed by washer nets, canoe and land. Equally, there were differences in the mean value of fish caught by both contract (38.143kg) and non-contract (24.50kg) fishers. Though, all of the fishers used canoes, but almost half (48.2%) contract fishers powered their canoes with outboard engines as against 20.8% of the non- contract fishers. This is indicative of improved economic welfare among the households and the fisher’s household estimated poverty line was N28, 561/= for contract and N12, 257/= for non-contract fishers based on 2018 prices. The poverty gap which is the estimated expenditure shortfall of the poor households was 49.13% and 38.14% of the respective poverty line and that the 23.72% and 29.32% of the contract and non- contract fishermen household were severely poor respectively. On the coping strategies, the study found out that the preferred coping strategies of contract fishers are artisanal-fishing-based whereas that of non-contract fishers are not. The study recommended mobbing of investible resources through conscious and consistent education on the need to join cooperative societies instead of going into contract which most may be impoverishing. Equally, creating an easy and enabling environment for the operation of trade by government is recommended.