Assessing the stock status of Atlantic bumper, Chloroscombrus chrysurus, Linnaeus 1766, from the coastal waters of Ghana

Growth parameters Stock status Mortality rates Coastal waters.

Authors

  • Samuel K.K. Amponsah 1Department of Fisheries and Water Resources, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Box 214, Sunyani, Ghana.
  • Nii Amarquaye Commey ESL Consulting, Accra, Ghana.
  • Berchie Asiedu Department of Fisheries and Water Resources, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Box 214, Sunyani, Ghana.
  • Hasan Fazli Caspian Sea Ecology Research Center, Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Iran.
August 11, 2021

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The main objective of this study was to examine the growth, mortality, and exploitation rate of Chloroscombrus chrysurus from the continental shelf of Ghana, West Africa between July 2018 and June 2019. This study provided results on fishery dynamics parameters to contribute to estimating the stock assessment of these fish species. Monthly length-frequency data were collected from 697 samples and analyzed using fisheries models fitted in TropFish R. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters were utilized to analyze the population dynamics of these species using ELEFAN Simulating Annealing. The estimated asymptotic total length (L∞), coefficient of growth (K), and growth performance index (Φ"²) was 24.9 cm, 0.84 year-1, and 2.72, respectively, with a Response surface (Rn) value of 0.79. The total mortality (Z), natural mortality (M), and fishing mortality (F) rates C. chrysurus from the continental shelf of Ghana were 3.27 year-1, 1.31 year-1, and 1.96 year-1, respectively. The exploitation rate (E) estimated was above the optimum level of 0.5 which indicates that the species is overexploited. Based on the Emsy (0.69) value, analyses show that the exploitation rate has exceeded the sustainable limit and hence the need for proper fisheries management measures.