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Abstract

This study was carried out to ascertain the influence of fishing gear used by fisherfolks on the yield of fish in River Benue, Nigeria.The study was conducted in three fishing villages that are also landing sites.They are within Adamawa State axis with the Benue River passing through them.The selected villages are Boranji (Site 1), Damare (Site 2) and Hayin gada (Site 3).The study was conducted bi-monthly for three months from the month of July to September 2021.In the conduct of this study, both primary and secondary methods of data collection were used.A total of One Hundredand Forty (140) respondents were sampled with structured interview and questionnaire.The study showed that the fishing gears employed and operated in the study sites are used to capture different species of fish.Most prominent of the gearsu is the gill net and Malian trap.The study also revealed that Sixteen (16) fish species from seven (7) families were caught by the six artisanal fishing gears in all the sites.The study revealed the obvious neglect of the artisanal fisherfolks with regards to provision of infrastructural facilities despite the enormous contribution they give to the domestic fish output.