Conservation strategies for saving Barbus occidentalis - a declining fish species from Oyu

Barbus occidentalis is an important commercially exploited fish in Nigeria inland waters which is disappearing from her lakes and reservoirs and facing the threat of extinction. A two-year (January, 2002December, 2003) sampling of the fish from Oyun reservoir revealed a low and declining population of density of the species with 25 and 13 species caught in 2002 and 2003 respectively. Various interacting factors between the fish, reservoir and watershed such as reduced availability and competition for food, overexploitation, watershed abuses, eutrophication, low breeding, migration and habitat degradation were adduced for the declining population. Legislation, implementation of fishing laws and regulations, having protected areas and closed seasons, control of non-native species, artificial breeding of the species, capturerelease method, habitat restoration, education and conservation awareness were some of the conservation strategies that were suggested to save the species from further decline and possible extinction. These strategies if utilized effectively and applied appropriately will not only preserve the aesthical, economic, ecological and genetic values of the species, but will also improve the fisheries of reservoir and prevent the extinction of the fish.