Tope, the famous fisherman of Ureje Lake in Ado Ekiti, SW Nigeria

  “I love Ureje lake, I love its fishes; not just because they feed my beautiful belly, but because their home keeps me company when am lonely…”

The words of the young fisherman of Ureje Lake reverberated in my heart like a resounding gángan drum, and they won’t just let go. To him, the lake is not just a provider of his daily bread, it is also an haven of natural wonder.

The profession had fed his family for about 15 years, during which it was handed down to him by his father who was also a fisherman.

– Tope scrapping scales off a tilapia fish.

He sells his tilapias for N200 for 4 fishes, and as soon as the buyer agrees on the price, he grabs the fishes and begins to work at them with his knife, scrapping away their scales and after slicing open their bellies, he empties the contents and throws them into a nearby bowl of water for rinsing before final despatch to the buyer. He says the most common species found in the lake are tilapia, catfish and tiger fish.

– Tope’s fishing canoe at the edge of Ureje lake.

He loves his job, he is proud of Ureje Lake, and he hopes that someday, the potentials of these wonderful waters will be realised by all, and subsequently developed into a landmark of economic worth.

The magnificent lake has great potentials for water sports such as jet skiing, kayaking, boating and fishing.

 

– Some of the Tilapias caught by Tope from the lake.

 

– Some of the Cat fishes caught by Tope from the lake.

Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, Fishing, Ureje Lake