Survey of the present and fast disappearing fish species along two rivers in the Niger Delta

Fisheries resources are on the decline in Nigeria due to over exploitation and inadequate management of her coastal waters. For sustainability of these resources, an adequate knowledge of species composition, diversity and relative abundance of her water bodies must be understood and vigorously pursued. A survey was conducted to determine fish species diversity in Brass and Nun River, Niger Delta, Nigeria and the socioeconomic studies carried out to determine the status of endanger or level of disappearance of fish species study area. The survey identified 53 species from 18 families caught from Brass and Nun stations respectively. The fish diversity from typically freshwater fishes such as Tilapia and Clarias to brackish species such as Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus and Penaeus species. The most abundant family within catch were the Scianidae, Cichlidae and Clariidae. A checklist of economically important fast disappearing fish species along the two water bodies was generated. Oil spillage, discharges from industries (industrialization) and the domestic wastes from boundaries settlements (urbanization) and farming activities along the tributaries were among the factors identified to have contributed to low species diversity and fast disappearance of certain species. Data generated from this study would serve as baseline information for fisheries resource management.