The technical consultation on small pelagic stocks in the Côte d'Ivoire-Ghana-Togo-Benin sector was convened in Abidjan by courtesy of the Government of Côte d'Ivoire and its Oceanographic Research Centre (CRO) and met from 3 to 12 December 1987.
The purpose of this meeting was to assess the state of these stocks and to see whether results achieved can be used for management of the fisheries, as recommended by the last meeting of the working group on sardinella stocks (3–8 August 1981, Tema, Ghana).
During a preparatory meeting at the Oceanographic Research Centre (CRO) of Abidjan from 15 to 19 June 1987, it had been decided that stock assessment studies, which up to then had focused on Sardinella aurita, should be extended to other important pelagic species, i.e., Sardinella maderensis, Engraulis encrasicolus and Scomber japonicus. Inventory was made of available data and various tasks preliminary to the technical consultation were assigned, involving the participation of scientists from Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Togo, Benin, Senegal, FAO and the CECAF Programme.
Formal opening of the Technical consultation was made by Mr François Xavier Bard, Director of the CRO, who stressed the importance of this forum for the coastal states of the Region. The meeting then proceeded with the election of Mr Bard as Chairman, Mr Ph. Cury as Vice-Chairman, Mr D.J. Faggianelli as first rapporteur to be assisted by Mr K. Koranteng.
The CECAF Programme expressed its thanks to the Government of Côte d'Ivoire and to the Director of the CRO for having facilitated the organization of both meetings (preparatory session and subsequent technical consultation).
