Baseline studies on postharvest technology of Abia: a pilot fishing village chosen for 1996 training course

Abstract

Abia is a fishing community belonging to one of two groups of fishing communities we have identified so far in our studies. The two groups being those in suburban areas and those in typical fishing villages. Abia belongs to the second group. All the buildings at Abia looked like temporary structures, made of wood, mud or thatch. Abia has potable water but no electricity. It does not have a primary school or a health post. There are no toilets in the village. This village resembles some other villages we have studied, namely; Lekpogunor, Ayetepa, Mangotsonya, Ahwian, Langma, and New Galilea. Abia is a bit different also in the sense that, the settlements are scattered over a villages such as Lekpogunor, Ayetepa, Mangotsonya are large villages with sancrete block wide area and the hamlets or settlements which are far apart are joined by footpaths. Also villages such as Lekpogunor, Ayetepa, Mangotsonya are large villages with sandcrete block buildings. Now, most of them have water. Abia, New Galilea and Langma are quite similar. Because of the distances between the settlements and the bushy nature of the vegetation, sanitation problems are not noticed much. Illiteracy is very high accompanied by high birth rate and polygamous relationships