Bonga (Ethmalosa fimbriata) is a very valuable commercial species for the fisheries of West Africa. This pelagic species, landed in large quantities along the coast, reaches a large segment of the rural population who are the main target group for nutritional improvement within many national food security policies. Harvesting and processing of bonga also provide income for families who can use the net income to improve their living standards.
It is utilized in the fresh, salted and dried, and smoked and dried forms in the sub-region. The distribution of fresh bonga is increasing in urban markets and it is attracting a need for ice to keep it fresh. The larger part of the bonga products is the salted and dried, and smoked and dried forms, which are mainly distributed to rural markets where the need for a longer period of storage and use is more significant
The production of cheaply processed products requires an appropriate, efficient and low-cost technology. The salting and drying technique has so far proved suitable for the product requirement and working conditions. However, the smoking techniques vary a lot and differ in convenience, efficiency, and costs; which puts the spotlight on the improvement of the less efficient techniques being used in the sub-region. A suitable technology and working environment, albeit can be further improved, have been identified in the modified Chorkor oven. Therefore, the modified Chorkor oven is the bonga smoking technology for West Africa, where the bonga landings are increasing and the smoked product is the most popular with the consumers.
