Effects Of Climate Change On Fish Farming In Lagos State, Nigeria
Akinboye, O. A.
Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso
Tajudeen, S. O.
Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso
Keywords: Effects, Climate change, Climate resilient, Fish farming, Adaptation strategies, Sustainable fish farming
Abstract
This study investigates the multifaceted effect of climate change on fish farming in Lagos State, Nigeria focusing on the interplay between the socioeconomic characteristics of the fish farmers and the adaptation strategies adopted by the farmers to mitigate the effect of climate change. A multistage sampling technique was used in selecting 150 respondents for the study. Primary data was collected with the aid of a well-structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, percentage, mean and weighted mean score (WMS) were used to describe the socioeconomic characteristics of the respondents while Pearson product moment correlation (PPMC) was used to test the study hypothesis. The finding revealed that the most experienced climate change effects on fish farming were reduced dissolved oxygen level and water temperature changes, altered water quality and increased incidence of diseases and parasites while the level of effects of climate change on fish farming in the study area was high and the common adaptation strategies adopted by the farmers to mitigate the effect of climate change were the culturing of heat-tolerant fish breeds, implementation of climate-resilient fish farming practices and the use of advanced technologies for water quality control and environmental monitoring. A significant relationship exists between the fish farmers’ age, household size, years spent schooling and fish farming experience, and the level of effect of climate change on fish farming. The study concluded that climate change significantly undermines the sustainability and resilience of fish farming in the study area and it was recommended that investing in research and implementing biosecurity measures is crucial as climate change can exacerbate disease outbreaks.