Olaoye, O.J.

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This study investigated the adoption of improved fisheries technologies (IFT) among fish farmers in Ogun State. One hundred and twenty fish farmers were sampled from the four agricultural zones (Abeokuta, Ikenne, Ijebu-Ode and Ilaro) of Ogun State Agricultural Development Programme using the multistage sampling technique. Data were analysed with both descriptive and regression analysis. Results revealed that the fish farmers had good contacts with extension workers and therefore positively perceived the extension services on fish farming. The fish farmers positively perceived the adoption of IFT. The different disseminated IFT received varied levels of adoption depending on the extent to which each of the technologies benefited the fish farmers after adopting them. Results of regression analysis revealed that fish farmers’ secondary occupation (β=-0.324, p=0.003), annual income level (β=-0.471, p=0.035), cost of pond construction (β=0.477, p=0.018) and total profit realized (β=-0.466, p=0.023) were significant predictors of the fish farmers’ adoption of IFT with an R2 implying that 46.0% of the variability in the fish farmers’ adoption of improved aquaculture technologies is explained by the socio-economic and production characteristics of the fish farmers. In conclusion, the adoption of IFT was highly depended on the fish farmers’ socio-economic characteristics, the quality of extension workers and the effectiveness of extension services disseminated to fish farmers, characteristics of IFT as well as institutional factors. It is therefore recommended that extension agencies should take the fish farmers’ socio-economic characteristics into consideration while disseminating IFTs through a more effective extension service delivery in order to raise the adoption and continued use of IFTs. Key words: Artisanal, Aquaculture, Discontinued, Fisheries, Fish gears