Professional Review of Artisanal Fishing Practices and Their Sustainability in the Lake Chad Basin, Borno State

This study provides a professional review of artisanal fishing practices and their ecological sustainability in the Nigerian portion of the Lake Chad Basin, Borno State, located in Nigeria's North East geopolitical zone. The Lake Chad fishery has experienced dramatic declines due to shrinking water surface area and intensified fishing pressure, yet systematic analysis of fishing practice impacts in the Nigerian basin is limited. Using a professional fisheries assessment design, data were collected over four months through structured interviews with 150 artisanal fishing households at five landing sites, catch monitoring at three sites using a catch assessment survey protocol, and ecological surveys of fish diversity at four water body remnants. Fishing gear types used, daily effort, species composition, and fish length distributions were recorded. Biological reference points were estimated for the five most commercially important species. Results indicated widespread use of mosquito and beach seine nets in shallow nearshore areas, which collectively captured juvenile fish below minimum size-at-maturity for all five target species. The catch was dominated by juveniles, confirming growth overfishing. Catch per unit effort had declined by an estimated 50 to 65 percent over 10 years based on long-term fisher recall data. The study develops a fisheries co-management framework specifically adapted to the insecurity-affected Lake Chad context, emphasising community self-governance, gear restriction, and seasonal closures with livelihood transition support for affected fishing households. Keywords: artisanal fishing, sustainability, Lake Chad, Borno State, fisheries management.