Utilization of Bonga (Ethmalosa fimbriata) in West Africa - 1. Introduction


1 .INTRODUCTION


Small-scale fisheries account for 80-90 percent of the total catch in West Africa. The catch is made up essentially of small pelagics such as sardinellas, mackerels and, in particular, bonga. The greater part of the catch is processed because of a lack of good transport infrastructure and scarce refrigeration facilities. The common processing techniques are smoking, salting and drying. These techniques, despite recent efforts to improve them, are mainly traditional.

In West Africa, hot smoking is the main method of fish processing. It is estimated that nearly 70 percent of the total fish supply in West Africa is marketed in the smoked or dried forms (Essuman, 1992). A very significant quantity of this supply is the clupeid bonga. The species is caught in the coastal and estuarine waters, and lagoons along West Africa from Senegal to Cameroon. During the dry season it is caught far inland when salt water penetrates the rivers.

In this study the production and utilization of fresh, dried and smoked bonga is investigated in each of the countries visited. Emphasis has been put on bonga smoking and the marketing of smoked bonga, as this is the major product form in West Africa.