Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research Annual Report, 1996.

The first phase of a coastal fisheries survey initiated in 1991, with the assistance of the World Bank, was completed in March 1996. The survey found that several inherent parameters are critical to all the main fisheries and these factors severally affect fishing operations. These critical factors include currents as they moderate fish movements and behaviour, lunar cycle, seasonal disruptions, inappropriate improvisation, coastal perturbations, scarcity of fuel wood, menace by trawlers, piracy and increasing costs. Appropriate policies and strategies to redress these critical factors and other disincentives should contribute to evitalising and sustaining small-scale coastal and marine fisheries in Nigeria. The relocation of the institute’s fish farm to a new 20ha site at Ijoyi/Badore recorded remarkable progress in terms of basic infrastructure developed during the year. These included completion of laboratory and office blocks, seven concrete tanks and six earthen ponds, and a borehole among others. The Fish Technology programme investigated the use of chemical and non-chemical insecticides for reducing post-harvest losses in coastal fisheries. Actellic 50 and vegetable oil were tested and found to be effective against attack by moulds and insects when compared against controls. Research also indicated the potency of ginger and garlic for protection of fish cakes produced from minced under-utilized fish species especially in terms of total microbial load. The Marine Geology/Geophysics programme had to be limited to shoreline processes constrained by research vessel non sea-worthiness. Beach profiling and collection of littoral observation data along the Bar-beach in Lagos continued for the first half of the year. This was discontinued as a result of beach sand nourishment initiated by the Federal Ministry of Works and housing. However, data collection proceeded monthly for monitoring the effectiveness of the T-Type groin constructed at the beach front to protect the Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology. Within the year, our International linkage under the TOGA/World Ocean Climate Experiment route AX14-Lagos-Brazil using a Voluntary observing ship (VOS) Clipper SAO LOUIS made regular transects across the South Atlantic and transmitted valuable meteorological and oceanographic data sets. The Physical and Chemical Oceanography programme in collaboration with the Statistics and Economics division initiated a data collection system for the establishment of a national fisheries and oceanographic data bank for information management. The data centre will act as a depository for national marine fisheries and oceanographic information indispensable for scientific research, industrial and technological development, planning and decision-making in marine science. It is also hoped that this could serve as the nucleus of a National Ocean Data Service. Library services improved remarkably during the year with subscription to seventy three (73) international journal titles/periodicals financed by the National Agricultural Research Project (NARP). Capacity building also included the acquisition of a computer and accessories to facilitate bibliographical search and periodic accession listings. The Technical support services, within limits of available funding, maintained and operated the physical assets of the Institute. The completion of an additional shallow borehole in August further ensured water supply to the laboratories and office blocks. It is expected that rehabilitation of transportation and communication facilities during the year will translate into increased overall productivity. DIRECTOR

NIOMR