The impact of improved environmental management practices on small scale catfish production: Experimental evidence from coastal Nigeria.

Increased environmental footprint and poor performance of aquaculture has been attributed to lack of information and weak technical knowledge by small scale farmers who are the majority. Using experimental procedure, this study aims to find out if the provision of training and technical support, will lead to the adoption of improved environmental management practices (EMPs) and enhanced performance. The study uses 600 catfish farmers split into three equal groups comprising two treatment and one control group. The treatment groups will be offered a package comprising training and technical support. Baseline and end-line data will be collected with a structured questionnaire. Multivariate probit model, and difference-in-difference impact estimation procedure will be applied in data analysis. The study will provide knowledge of the factors that influence adoption and the impact of adoption of improved EMPs. This will guide policy and actions for sustainable aquaculture development and poverty reduction. Key Words: improved environmental management practices; adoption; small-scale; catfish farmers; experiment.