Assessing the major problems accounted(the fishing

methods used by local people residing along Zambezi

floodplains) by migratory juvenile fish species of the
Zambezi floodplain.
By

Sikulo Romeo( 201702471)

Ecological Methods( Research proposal)

06/05/2019
Outline
• Introduction and background
• Problem statement
• Objectives
• Importance of the study
• Methodology
• Reference List
Introduction and Background
• The Zambezi flooded areas includes an important source of food i.e.
migratory fish species which move periodically in large schools from
one place to another.
• Dingle, (1980) defines migration as the act of moving from one spatial
unit to another.
• In this study we followed Gauthreaux's, (1980) definition who
considers migration as a specialized behaviour evolved to allow the
displacement of individuals in space.
• Many environmental factors are stimuli for fish migrations, but
flooding cycles is one of the most important Junk et al. (1989).
Cont…
• At the onset of flooding there is therefore a significant movement of
fish between dry season refuges and the floodplain, which is now
available for growth and reproduction.
• When the flood reduces all fish move to their dry season residences,
which may be the main river channel or permanent water-bodies on
the floodplain. Local fishermen know this and employ fishing
methods such as a Mosquito Netting (MN).
• MN is viewed by policy makers in Namibia and elsewhere as a
particularly destructive fishing method, contributing to the general
decline in the area’s fish stocks.
Problem statement

• In spite the economic importance of fish to the Zambezi people little

is know about the problems accounted (e.g. use of mosquito nets)
and little on the migratory juvenile fish in the Zambezi River
floodplains is not documented.
Objectives
Main objective
To investigate the problems accounted(Fishing gears of different types) by
migratory juvenile fish stock within the marginal zones of the Zambezi
floodplain.
Specific objectives
1. Determine species composition of fishing gears (mosquito netting) on
the Zambezi floodplain,
2. Determine species abundance expressed as CPUE (Catch Per Unit Effort)
per haul,
3. Determine the mean sizes of commercially important fish species i.e.
Red breast tilapia, three spot tilapia, etc.
Research Questions
1. What are the major problems accounted by these migratory juvenile
fish.
2. What type of migration do they carry out, why do they migrate and
where do they go to.
3. What is the mean sizes of commercially important fish species on the
Zambezi.
Importance of the Study

• This study will try to look at some of the major problems accounted
by migratory juvenile fish in the Zambezi floodplains. The study aims
to educate local people residing along Zambezi floodplains on the
possible results or outcomes which would likely to arise if they keep
on using MN.
Methodology study area
Data collection

• Conduct a routine sampling During flooding season, of selected

mosquito net fishers. During each event the author will assess the
catch composition of each swept catch.
• All caught fish in each haul shall be identified to species level,
enumerated and measured boy length to body length to the nearest
millimetres.
• Only a subsample of 10 specimens per species shall be measured.
• Activities will be done from 8:00 am to 13:00 pm. Twice a week, From
March-July 2020,
Data Analysis

Index of relative importance (IRI) will be used to reflect the most important species
in Mosquito net catches by number, weight and frequency of occurrence from
different sampling localities. expressed as
• IRI = (%N + %W) X (%FO) where %N = Percentage contribution of each species by
number to the total catch per system; %W = Percentage contribution of each
species by weight to the total catch per system; and %F = Percentage frequency
of occurrence of each species in the total number of Mosquito net hauls.
Mosquito net CPUE is defined as the number of fish
caught per haul. Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) expressed as
• CPUE will be calculated as: CPUE = Ci/Ei, where Ci is the catch of species i (in
numbers) and Ei is the effort expended to obtain i.
Data will be tested for normrlity and homogeneity of variances using Levene’s test.
Reference List
• Dingle, D. H. (1980). Migration : The Biology of Life on the Move: The
Biology of Life on the Move. Sacramento: Department of Entomology
and Centre for Population Biology University of California.
• Gauthreaux, S. A. (1980). Animal Migration, Orientation, and
Navigation. New York: Academic Press.
• Junk, W., Bayley P, B., & Sparks, R. (1989). The flood pulse concept in
river floodplain systems. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic
Sciences Special Publication, 110-127.
• Smith, R. J. (1985). The Control of Fish Migration. New York: Springer.