Assessing the Impacts of Artisanal and Abandoned Fishing Gears on Water-Related Activities and Waterbirds in Hadejia Wetland National Park and Hadejia-Nguru Wetland, Jigawa State

Abstract

Wetlands are globally recognized as critical habitats for biodiversity, particularly waterbirds, yet artisanal and abandoned fishing gear increasingly threaten them through entanglement, injury, and mortality. This study assessed the impacts of these gears on waterbirds at ten locations in Hadejia-Nguru Wetlands and Hadejia Wetland National Park, Jigawa State, Nigeria, a seasonally flooded floodplain system characterized by flooding that generally occurs during the rainy season, with peak inundation around August to October, particularly August and September. Locations that retain water year-round and support continuous artisanal fishing were purposively selected. Each was visited twice monthly for eight months, covering wet and dry seasons to search active fishing grounds for live and dead entangled birds, record GPS coordinates of gear, identify species using Borrow and Demey, and interview fishermen with structured questionnaires on gear types and past entanglements. Gears encountered included gillnets, cast nets, traps, and longlines. A total of 146 entangled individuals were recorded (79 dead, 67 alive). Herons and egrets (Ardeidae) and kingfishers (Alcedinidae) together accounted for over half of entanglements in both seasons, reflecting vulnerability linked to foraging behavior and habitat use. Garbi recorded the most entangled birds (27), followed by Kwasabar (17), and Tukunzuru, Mabaram, and Malingirin (14 each). Bycatch mortality accounted for most deaths, and resident species showed higher encounter and mortality rates than Intra-African and Afro-Tropical migrants. Entanglement was higher in the wet season, when floodwaters expand feeding habitat and fish availability, attracting birds while intensifying fishing effort.