Within the past three decades, the supply of fish in the Nigerian markets is steadily on the decline. This is largely due to the low catch levels of the traditional fishing techniques and other related factors. This study investigates factors that are responsible for the low catch in artisanal fisheries. A total of 222 sets of questionnaire from 120 operators of the manual propulsion fisheries (MPF) and 102 fishermen operating the motorized fisheries (MF) were analyzed. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, probit model, stochastic catch frontier measures. The weekly average catch for the MPF operators was 26.1kg, which represents only 41.0% of the 64.1kg the MF operators caught. The fishermen's level of education, fishing distance, fish catch level, available credit facilities, number of contact with extension agents and gender determined the use or otherwise of the motorized fisheries technology. The mean economic (EE), technical (TE) and allocative efficiency (AE) indexes for the artisanal fisherfolks (MPF) are 0.5425, 0.6450 and 0.6317 respectively and 0.6000, 0.7971 and 0.7049 respectively for the MF. However; the technical efficiency of the MF operators can be improved through a better fishing education and timely provision of credit facilities to acquire the needed fishing equipment and materials.

Within the past three decades, the supply of fish in the Nigerian markets is steadily on the decline. This is largely due to the low catch levels of the traditional fishing techniques and other related factors. This study investigates factors that are responsible for the low catch in artisanal fisheries. A total of 222 sets of questionnaire from 120 operators of the manual propulsion fisheries (MPF) and 102 fishermen operating the motorized fisheries (MF) were analyzed. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, probit model, stochastic catch frontier measures. The weekly average catch for the MPF operators was 26.1kg, which represents only 41.0% of the 64.1kg the MF operators caught. The fishermen's level of education, fishing distance, fish catch level, available credit facilities, number of contact with extension agents and gender determined the use or otherwise of the motorized fisheries technology. The mean economic (EE), technical (TE) and allocative efficiency (AE) indexes for the artisanal fisherfolks (MPF) are 0.5425, 0.6450 and 0.6317 respectively and 0.6000, 0.7971 and 0.7049 respectively for the MF. However; the technical efficiency of the MF operators can be improved through a better fishing education and timely provision of credit facilities to acquire the needed fishing equipment and materials.