Cooperative Aids to Members Livelihood among Fishing Communities in Anambra North Agricultural Zone of Anambra State, Nigeria

The study examined cooperative aids to members’ livelihood among fishing communities in Anambra North agricultural zone of Anambra State consisting of seven (7) LGAs. A notable problem that appears to be confronting fishery activities in the study area is that of developing appropriate and effective organization or institution like cooperatives to mobilize and induce members of the rural fishing community to a greater productive effort. Rural fishers who are characterized by low income, low resource utilization, small or outdated fishing gadgets and unprofessionalism, find it difficult to pool their resources together in order to raise their income and substantially improve their living conditions. The study examined socio-economic background of fisher-members of the farmers multipurpose cooperative societies; identified forms of aids fisher-members received from their cooperatives; determined the advancement in the livelihood status of fisher-members after joining farmers cooperatives; determined the reduction in the constraining factors to the fishing enterprises of members after joining cooperatives. Multi-stage sampling techniques were used to collect data from 300 respondents. Simple descriptive and inferential statistics were used in analyzing the data. OLS regression model was also used to test the hypotheses. Hypothesis one was significant at 5% level of probability while hypothesis two was rejected because the Z-cal was greater than the Z-tab. However, the study concluded that in evaluating the cooperative aids to members’ livelihood among fishing communities in the study area, there were improving fishing skills, preservation/roasting, net weaving techniques, net casting, and boat rehabilitation training. It was therefore, recommended that farmers should be encouraged to organize themselves into cooperative in order to improve their access to Government facilities among others