Fish assemblages in the Upper part of the Volta River, Burkina Faso: A link analysis towards fisheries management and conservation

Abstract

The insufficiency of information on fish assemblages has limited the ability to carry out effective conservation measures, hence failing to address economic and ecological roles of fish. Therefore, the present study aimed at characterizing the fish community in the upper part of Volta River basin and drawing up their influence on fisheries‟ sustainability. From 2009 to 2014, fish individuals were collected in nine sampling areas belonging to the Volta catchment, mainly in the catchment of Nakanbé and Mouhoun rivers that are the two major tributaries. More than 40,000 fish specimens were collected in over 600 mesohabitats by using several types of fishing gears (gill nets, cast nets, long lines and electric fishing gears). Altogether, 79 fish species belonging to 41 genera grouped in 19 families were identified. The most common species were Enteromius macrops (50.71%), Brycinus nurse (35.32%), Enteromius ablabes, Oreochromis niloticus (47.10%), Sarotherodon galilaeus (47.88%) and Coptodon zillii (42.23%). The fish species richness varied according to the sampling area. The main trend is that the protected area of Nazinga is the most diverse thus would be regarded as an appropriate refuge for fish species.Keywords: Common species, species richness, protected area.