The bonga fishery in the sub-region is within inshore waters. The fishing vessels are mainly dug-out canoes with a planked superstructure and powered by 25 hp or 40 hp two-stroke petrol outboard engines mounted on inboard wells. Some of the canoes are up to 20 m in length with an average crew size of 14. The smaller crafts usually terminate in a small transom that is large enough to mount an outboard motor of 25 hp.
Ring nets are used to catch bonga. They vary according to canoe size and engine horse-power. Most of the ring nets in Senegal, The Gambia, and Sierra Leone have large mesh sizes and can catch up to 1 t per day per trip. The crew members take up different roles at the fishing ground. The ones who pull the lead line are situated at the aft of the net. The others help in throwing out the net when a bonga school is identified by the captain who stands on the bow to distinguish the quivering of fish on the surface of the water.
Figure 2 Bonga being landed (Senegal)
Once a school of bonga is identified, the outboard motor is shut down and the school is approached by paddle. The captain, normally an experienced fisherman, signals to the engine operator when it is appropriate to turn on the engine again. As soon as the engine is turned on, the buoys are thrown out and the encircling is carried out under motor power. The encircled bonga school is then collected in a pocket formed by pulling the lead line of the net. Most of the catch is not gilled in the net and the pocket of bonga is usually poured on board the canoes.
The fishing is carried out by day. Some units return to their landing sites after only one satisfactory operation. When the operation (one school encirclement) is not entirely satisfactory, the captain may order up to two or more. Except for the removal of some of the gilled bonga from the net, there is no handling of the catch between the fishing ground and the landing site. Upon arrival at the landing site, the canoe is swarmed by fishmongers - who buy and distribute fresh bonga - and processors - who dry or smoke the bonga.
