WAEC Syllabus for Fisheries (Alternative B)

(a)    Meaning of fisheries.

(b)         Sub-divisions of fisheries.

2.   Importance of fisheries.

B.   PROCESSES OF FISH PRODUCTION

1.   Capture fisheries

(a)     Different methods involved in

capture  fisheries.

(b)     Materials  required for capture

fisheries and their uses.

Explanation of the terms fishery and fisheries. Fisheries refer to all processes involved in fish production, processing, marketing and distribution. Fishery is one aspect of fish production.

Knowledge of the following is required

(i)                 Capture fisheries (fishing):

–          subsistence fisheries;

–          artisanal fisheries;

–          industrial fisheries.

(ii)               Culture fisheries (aquaculture).

Importance of fisheries e.g. food, employment, income generation, social-cultural activities, aesthetics, medicinal etc.

Various methods of capture fisheries such as hook and line, cast netting, set netting, trap/trapping, trawling, harpooning should be assessed.

Assessment  should include hooks, cages, knives/cutlasses, traps/basins, spears, cast nets, gill nets, seine nets, drag nets. Knowledge of the uses of the materials is required.

1. Culture fisheries.

(a)     Identification of common qualities of

culturable fish species.

(b)   Identification of common culturable

fishery organisms.

(c)    Culture facilities.

C.    TYPES OF FISH CULTURE     FACILITIES AND CULTURE SYSTEMS

1.    Fish ponds.

(a)   Types of fish ponds.

(b)       Components of fish ponds.

1. Systems of aquaculture.

(a)    Types of aquaculture.

(b)    Management systems in aquaculture.

1. Water quality control and monitoring.

(a)     Definition of water quality.

(b)   Water quality parameters.

Students should be able to identify common culturable fishery organisms such as Clariasspp, Tilapia, Heterobranchus, shrimp, sea weeds.

Assessment should include description of culture facilities such as ponds, tanks, race ways, cages, pens.

Knowledge of different types of fish ponds: earthen ponds, concrete tanks, plastic tanks, fibre glass tanks etc is required.

Assessment should be limited to the components of fish ponds: inlets, outlets, dykes/embankments/walls, monks and spillways.

Explanation of monoculture, poly culture and integrated fish farming is required.

Assessment should include the extensive, intensive and semi intensive systems of aquaculture management.

Conditions of water that promote good health of fishery organisms for survival should be assessed .

Assessment should cover the various water  quality parameters such as dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, temperature, turbidity, conductivity.

(d)   Water pollution.

(e)    Optimum water parameter ranges

D.  FISH FEEDS AND FEEDING

1.   Fish feed/food materials.

(a)   Identification of different fish feed/food

materials

(b)   Nutritive value of fish feed ingredients

2. Fish feeding.

(a)  Feeding regime for fish.

(b) Ideal feeding periods for fish.

–              causes (poisons, sewage, debris, household refuse);

–          prevention and control.

Knowledge of optimum water parameter ranges is required:

–           DO(5.0 – 8.0 mg/l);

–          pH(6.5 – 8.0);

–          turbidity (secchi disc measurement less than 30 cm).

Knowledge of natural fish food (phytoplankton and zooplankton) and artificial fish feed should be covered.  A clear distinction between food and feed  should be made.

Assessment should cover energy yielding ingredients (corn, wheat bran, garri, rice bran etc.) and protein yielding ingredients (soya bean, fish meal, groundnut cake etc.). Details of ration formulation and biochemical details are not required.

Knowledge should cover explanation of feeding regime such as 3% – 5 % of fish body weight based on age/size is required.

Knowledge of ideal feeding periods based on age/size is required.

1.  Fish pond construction

2.  Pond preparation

(a)   Tools  required for pond preparation.

(b)   Preparation  of ponds for stocking.

3. Pond management.

(a)   Meaning of pond management.

(b)  Pond management practices.

F.   FISH HARVESTING AND POST HARVESTING PROCESSES

1.  Materials and methods for harvesting fish.

(a)  Fishing gear Npower Recruitment

(b)   Construction and mending of fishing

gear.

(c)    Methods of fish harvesting.

(d)  Fishing crafts

Knowledge of tools such as digger, head pan, cutlass, wheelbarrow, spade, hand trowel is required.

Knowledge of maintenance activities of old and new ponds should include:

–      flushing of water;                           –      repair of  leakages/cracks;                  –      liming and fertilization                                          –      drying and cleaning etc.

Assessment should cover monitoring water quality, daily checking of leakages/seepage, methods of feeding and stocking, stocking rate and time etc.

Knowledge of the various fishing gear is required.

Knowledge of the materials used for construction and mending of fishing gear is required. Details of construction and mending are required.

Assessment should cover the various methods of harvesting fish

Knowledge of the various types of fishing crafts is required.

processing fish.

(b)  Methods of fish preservation.

(c)  Packaging materials for fish

(d)   Marketing channels for fish.

G.  FISH SEED PRODUCTION

1.  Brood stock selection and handling.

(a)  Differences between male and female sexually matured fishes.

(b)  Qualities of good breeders.

(c)  Ways of handling brood stock .

2. Artificial breeding

(a)  Meaning and importance of artificial breeding.

(b)      Steps involved  in artificial breeding of

fishes.

A clear distinction between fish processing and fish preservation should be made.

Knowledge of the qualities of good breeders should include hardiness, ability to breed in captivity, large size, without defects etc.

Assessment should cover ideal period of transporting fish; duration in confinement and careful handling of brood stock.

Assessment should cover: the meaning of artificial breeding as ‘manipulating the sexually matured fish to spawn or reproduce in captivity’; importance of artificial breeding such as to:

–          obtain high quality hybrids;

–          obtain large quantity of fish seed;

–          make fingerlings readily available.

Brood stock selection, conditioning, inducement, stripping, fertilization and incubation of fertilized eggs should be assessed.

3.      Managing and nursing fish seed

1. FISH  CULTURE

1.      Environmental conditions in fish habitats.

2.      Tools and equipment used in fish culture.

3.      Common culturable fish species.

4.      Fish feed and materials.

5.  Materials for  pond preparation

1. FISHING GEAR AND CRAFT

1.       Fishing gear.

2.      Fishing craft.

1. FISH PROCESSING AND PRESERVATION 

1.  Fish processing and preservation.

2. Equipment used in fish processing and

preservation. Dollar to Naira Rate

3. Fish products and by-products.

4. Fish packaging materials.

Identification, uses and maintenance of fishery tools and equipment e.g. secchi disc, water pump, pelleting machine, aerators.

Identification of common culturable fish species in your country is required.  Knowledge of scientific names is required.

Identification of types of fish feed and uses of fish feed materials is required.

Identification and uses of materials for pond preparation: lime , fertilizers etc is required

Identification, description and uses of fishing gear e.g. gill net, cast net, seine, traps.  Identification of parts and their functions should be assessed. Maintenance of fishing gear is also required.

Identification, description, uses and maintenance of fishing craft should be assessed.

Assessment should include the identification of common processed and preserved fish; identification and uses of common processing and preservation methods.

Identification and uses of fish processing equipment e.g. knives, measuring bowls, weighing balances, hand gloves; fish preservation equipment e.g. freezer, smoking kiln.

Identification and uses of fish products and by-products e.g. fish scales, fish oil, fish skin.

Identification of fish packaging materials e.g. fish boxes, nylon, baskets, cardboard