Assessment of Fisheries Resource Status and Community-Based Management Options for Oguta Lake, Imo State, South East Nigeria

This study assesses the current status of fisheries resources in Oguta Lake, Imo State, located in Nigeria's South East geopolitical zone, and evaluates options for community-based fisheries co-management. Oguta Lake supports artisanal fisheries that are important for household food security and income, yet declining catch trends suggest unsustainable exploitation that requires structured management intervention. Using a mixed-methods design, biological data were collected through monthly sampling over eight months at four stations, covering species composition, length-frequency distributions, and catch per unit effort. Socioeconomic surveys were administered to 80 fishing households regarding fishing effort, gear type, income, and perceptions of resource change. Qualitative key informant interviews explored the history of previous management attempts and community governance capacity. Stock assessment analyses using length-frequency-based methods (ELEFAN I) revealed that three of the five most commercially important species showed exploitation rates exceeding sustainable levels. Catch per unit effort had declined by an estimated 35 percent over five years based on fisher recall data. Existing informal fishing rules were inadequately enforced. The study proposes a co-management framework specifying seasonal fishing closures, minimum mesh size regulations, and a fishing effort licensing system to be administered jointly by fishing cooperatives and Imo State Ministry of Agriculture. Recommendations are designed to align with existing community governance structures and the requirements of the USAID-supported Sustainable Fisheries Management Project. Keywords: fisheries assessment, co-management, Oguta Lake, Imo State, artisanal fishing.