Effects of the Construction of the Souapiti Hydroelectric Dam on the Ichthyofauna of the Konkouré River - Case of the Sub-prefecture of Tondon - Republic of Guinea

Abstract

The present study carried out during the period from October 3, 2020 to December 28, 2020 on the Konkouré River in the sub-prefecture of Tondon aimed at evaluating the consequences of the construction of the Souapiti hydroelectric dam on the ichthyofauna of the Konkouré River in order to make concrete proposals for a sustainable management of the ichthyological fauna. During this study, the consultation with the managers revealed the presence of 4 hydroelectric dams on the Konkouré (Garafiri, Kaléta, Souapiti and Amaria in progress). The number of professional fishermen before the construction of the dam was 201 and 198 after the dam. The number of semi-professional fishermen before the construction of the dam was 157 and 276 after the construction of the dam. The numbers of boats and fishing gear before the dam are 39 and 34 respectively, after the dam they are 113 and 103. There are 2 fishing seasons, a good season where the fishing intensity increases from June to July with 32 and 30kg of fish respectively, and a bad season from December to January with 1 and 5kg of fish respectively. After the construction of the dam, there was a decrease in catches during the good season (30 and 26kg) and the bad season (1 and 3kg). The ichthyological inventory carried out before the construction of the dam identified 34 species divided into 12 families, of which the Cichlidae were the most represented (7 species). After the dam, a total of 16 species divided into 7 families, of which the Cyprinidae were the most dominant (5 species). The sampling carried out during the experimental fisheries allowed the identification of 312 individuals in 6 stations and the spatio-temporal situation of the Konkouré River to be regressed from an environmental and ichthyofaunal point of view in the study area.