Determinants of Aquaculture Fish Production System Choice among Fish Farmers in Anambra State, Nigeria

The choice of aquaculture production system shapes the productivity, profitability and sustainability of small-scale fish farming, yet the socioeconomic factors driving that choice in south-eastern Nigeria remain insufficiently documented. This study examined the determinants of aquaculture fish production system choice among fish farmers in Anambra State, Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select eighty fish farmers, and primary data were obtained through a structured questionnaire and oral interviews. Data were analysed using frequencies, percentages and a multinomial logit (MNL) regression model, with the earthen-pond system as the base category. Most respondents were middle-aged (56.25% aged 42–62 years), literate (50% with tertiary education), experienced (75% with 7–13 years of fish-farming experience) and had access to credit (67.5%), although most (75%) lacked access to extension services. The dominant primary production systems were the concrete pond (87.5%), earthen pond (78.8%) and tarpaulin (62.5%), with plastic containers and fibre glass also recorded. The MNL model was statistically significant (LR χ² = 159.65, p < 0.01; McFadden pseudo-R² = 0.82). Education, access to credit and farming experience were the significant determinants of system choice: a unit increase in credit access raised the probability of choosing the concrete pond by about 3.9 percentage points, and education significantly increased the likelihood of adopting more capital-intensive systems. The study concludes that financial and human-capital constraints, rather than demographic traits, govern production-system choice, and recommends targeted credit, education and extension interventions to support sustainable intensification of aquaculture in the state.