page_title: Lake Nokoué
section_title: Economy
hierarchical_section_title: Lake Nokoué / Economy
caption_attribution_description: English: Caption: Jesuko, Benin. The women of Jesuko pole their dug-out canoe to the edge of Lake Nokoue to pick up the 'animators' on the way to the Jesuko church where the meetings are held. L to R: A sister from Jesuko, Philomeme Koumalon, a mid-wife at Bethesda, MBM worker Lynda Hollinger-Janzen, Chantal Xosue - a social worker at Bethesda (back turned). Citation: Mennonite Board of Missions Photographs. Benin, Hollinger-Janzen, 1980-90s. IV-10-7.4 Box 1 Folder 17. Mennonite Church USA Archives - Goshen. Goshen, Indiana.
context_page_description: Lake Nokoué is a lake in the southern part of Benin. It is 20 km wide and 11 km long and covers an area of 4,900 ha. The lake is partly fed by the Ouémé River and the Sô River, both of which deposit sediments from throughout the region in the lake.
  The city of Cotonou sits on the southern border of the lake. Sections of the population of Cotonou have been displaced by coastal and lake flooding. On the northern edge of the lake is the town of Ganvié.
context_section_description: Because of its diverse wildlife, the lake provides an important source of food and economic activity for these towns. Fishing is best when water is low between November and June. Fishing is typically of 30 species of fish, with fish from the Cichlid, Clupeidae and Penaeidae families making 85% of the catch. The fishery became more stressed during the 1990s, as more people began fishing on the lake. Fishing is typically artisanal, with small crew dugout canoes catching small batches of fish. The estimated fish production of the lake is 2 tonnes per hectare per year.
  The lake is also used for Acadja, a type of fish breeding facility.
caption: Mennonite missionary in a dugout canoe, similar to the ones used by local artisanal fishermen
exif: {}