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Abstract
The effectiveness and selectivity considerations of a fenced basket trap fishery in Abule Eledu creek were studied between October 2006 and March 2007. The basket trap was tedious to operate because of the fence and the fixing of the gear. The trap had preference for Macrobrachium spp and B. lebritonis. Sixteen fish species (including the shellfishes) belonging to 10 families were recorded in this study. Most fin fish caught were juveniles which probably indicated that the creek served as a nursery ground for these species. Species abundance estimate revealed that M. macrobrachion was numerically more abundant in the creek followed by M. vollenhovenii among the shell fishes while B. lebretonis was most abundant numerically among the fin fishes. The highest catch was reported for October (128). This could be related to the well being of the fish in relation to food availability and environmental favorability as a result of nutrients in flush from inland and the storm water in to the creek during the rainy season. The catch per unit effort (CPUE) was 499.67g (0.50kg) per trap. This was low for a good fishing operation since most “fish” caught had low economic value. The trap had low life span of three months without mending. They were attacked by Serpulid, Mercierella enigmatica because of the saline nature of the creek. In general, the basket trap catch was low in diversity, this is a good indicator of a stressed ecosystem and it is commonly agreed that the higher the fish diversity, the more stable the fish community.
Keywords: Basket trap, selectivity, Macrobrachium spp, Mercierella enigmatica.,