At the tenth Liaison Officers Meeting of the Programme for the Integrated Development of Artisanal Fisheries in West Africa (IDAF) in Lome, gender issues in artisanal fisheries in West Africa were featured, and useful recommendations on follow up activities were made. These activities include the collection of information on women's activities in artisanal fisheries. Although women's participation in fishing and fishing-related activities is widely recognized, women's work is often associated with family support only. Consequently, apart from their contribution in terms of family support, little is known about women's role in the wider economy, and their contribution in accumulating wealth. In order to subscribe to filling this gap in the artisanal fisheries subsector, the Programme for Integrated Development of Artisanal Fisheries in West Africa (IDAF) planned and implemented a study on costs, earnings, and expenditure structures of fisherwomen, fish processors and fish traders. This report gives the results of the study conducted in Ogheye, Delta State, Nigeria.
The objective of the study was two-fold. First, to develop and implement cheap and viable research methods to study costs, earnings, and expenditure structures of women involved in the artisanal fisheries sub-sector. Second, to collect information on the following issues: investment costs, operational costs and sources of funds, women's income; the profitability of women's activities; social obligations and the structure of expenses; marketing channels; and the role and structure of socio-professional organizations.
Ogheye has a population of 4,500, consisting of about 785 adult women. All these women are involved in fishing and fishing-related activities. In fact, it is their major source of income. Apart from fishing, processing and marketing of fish and fish products, women play an important role in buying and selling their husband's catch as well as the catch of other fishermen. Further, women are responsible for household activities, such as the preparation of food, cleaning the house, and child care. They also play an important role in maintaining social networks at family, neighbourhood, and community level.
Three combinations of fishing and fishing-related activities of women can be distinguished, (a) fishing-processing-marketing, (b) processing-marketing and (c) fishing-marketing. Within each of these categories different fishing methods and/or species can be distinguished. Apart from this, most women finance or invest in other people's activities by supplying inputs.
The total investment cost is highest for women involved in fishing, processing and marketing of demersal and pelagic species (N385,875). Second are women involved in smoking fish and crayfish and thus requiring a smoking unit. Women involved in fishing and marketing of periwinkle and crab bear the least investment cost (N3,500 and N4,000 respectively). Since these are sold fresh, no smoking unit is needed. The low investment cost of periwinkle processing and marketing (N3,500) can be explained by the fact that this activity does not require smoking. Processing in this respect refers to parboiling and extraction of the muscles from the shell.
Women involved in processing and marketing crayfish bear the highest variable cost (N230,553). Second is gillnet + hook and line fishing, processing and marketing (N 126,631). In the first case it is mainly the quantity of fish bought for smoking that results in the high figures, while in the case of gillnet + hook and line units the high figure is due to high expenses on fuel.
The variable costs are lowest for fishing and marketing, N40 for crab, while women involved in periwinkle fishing and marketing did not report any variable cost at all.
The monthly sales are highest for women involved in fishing, processing and marketing of fish (N276,657) and the processing and marketing of crayfish (N260,000). In both cases this can be explained by the high quantities processed and the relatively high selling price. Monthly sales are lowest for women involved in periwinkle processing and marketing (N10,667) and in periwinkle fishing and marketing (N12,200). This is mainly due to the very low selling price per kilo.
Profitability rates range from 4.5% for women involved in gillnet fishing, processing and marketing to 46.1% for women fishing and marketing crab. The relatively high rates in fishing and marketing periwinkle and crab must mainly be attributed to the low investment costs and thus low monthly depreciation costs. Looking at the other figures suggests that the higher the investment costs of the activity, the lower the profitability rate. It must be noted that these figures are based on production levels during the low season.
In the income women have at their disposal to continue their economic activities and to fulfil household responsibilities, the following elements can be distinguished: their own net revenues from fishing, processing and marketing; revenues from additional sources of income; revenues from financing and investment in other people's fishing activities (in kind); contributions from their husband (in cash and in kind), credit, and the cost of depreciation.
Women's expenses consist of household expenses, working capital to continue fishing and fishing-related activities; financing and investment in other people's fishing activities; and savings and contributions. Household expenses include food, education, pocket money, clothing, rent, drinks, gifts to relations and the repayment of loans, and constitute an average of N6,296 per month. Working capital refers to the variable costs of women's fishing and fishing-related activities. Financing and investment in other people's fishing activities takes place in the following ways: supply of fishing equipment and materials, family arrangements; moneylending; and provision of fuel. Returns are primarily in kind. Finally, women spend a considerable amount of money on savings and contributions of different kinds. Most savings are made with osusu groups or so called thrift collectors while contributions are made to societies, family ceremonies and church. These constitute an average of N2,290 per month.
