International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies, 2016
Some vital population parameters of the bigeye grunt, Brachydeuterus auritus (Valenciennes, 1831)... more Some vital population parameters of the bigeye grunt, Brachydeuterus auritus (Valenciennes, 1831), within Ghana’s coastal waters were evaluated based on monthly pooled length-frequency data from June 2014 to January 2015 using the FiSAT Tool II. The estimated growth parameters from 1675 samples were: asymptotic length (L∞) = 16.28 cm standard length, growth rate (K) = 0.78 per year, growth performance index (ɸ) = 2.315, longevity (tmax) = 4 years, theoretical age (to) = -0.24 years and the ratio of Z/K = 1.26. The length at first capture (Lc50), length at first maturity (Lm50) and length at first recruitment (Lr) were estimated at 3.95 cm, 10.9 cm, and 3.5 cm respectively. The observed recruitment pattern portrayed an absence of recruitment overfishing while the ratio of Lc50/L∞ (0.24) showed the presence of growth overfishing. Total mortality rate (Z), natural mortality rate (M) and fishing mortality rate (F) were estimated at 3.21 per year, 1.73 per year and 1.48 per year, respect...
2 Abstract: Microbiological quality analyses were conducted on processed anchovy (Engraulis encra... more 2 Abstract: Microbiological quality analyses were conducted on processed anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) and round sardinella (Sardinella aurita) collected from processing houses and local retail markets in Accra and Tema to assess their quality. A total of approximately 500 g each of smoked and sun-dried E. encrasicolus and smoked S. aurita were randomly collected from randomly selected processing houses and retail markets from Accra and Tema for analysis. The serial dilution, pour plate and spread plate methods were used to enumerate levels of total heterotrophic bacteria, total coliform bacteria, yeast and moulds and Bacillus cereus colonies in the samples. The results showed that samples obtained from the retail markets recorded total heterotrophic bacteria counts ranging from 1.9 x 10 - 5.9 x 10 cfu/g, while those obtained from the processing houses 45
Onshore oil drilling activity is ongoing at Jubilee oil fields, Ghana. This activity could lead t... more Onshore oil drilling activity is ongoing at Jubilee oil fields, Ghana. This activity could lead to heavy metal exposure with consequential adverse effects on public health in nearby coastal communities. Therefore, we assessed heavy metal levels and spatial distribution in soils and plants from the west coast of Ghana to obtain baseline values for monitoring heavy metal exposure. Surface soils were collected from six coastal communities, and analyzed for arsenic, cadmium, copper, mercury, lead, selenium and zinc using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Mean heavy metal concentrations in soil samples were 2.06, 6.55, 0.016, 21.59, 0.18 and 39.49mg/kg for arsenic, copper, mercury, lead, selenium and zinc, respectively. Mean heavy metal concentrations in plants were 2.70, 17.47, 3.17, 91.74, 1.51 and 9.88mg/kg for arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, selenium and zinc, respectively. Concentrations of arsenic, cadmium and lead in plants exceeded WHO/FAO permissible limits. Enrichment factor...
Journal of Energy and Natural Resource Management, 2018
Sustaining fishery resources is crucial to the survival and wealth of artisanal fishers in Ghana.... more Sustaining fishery resources is crucial to the survival and wealth of artisanal fishers in Ghana. The artisanal fisheries sector ofGhana provides food, employment, livelihood support and socio-economic benefits to the Ghanaian economy. Fishery resourcesof Ghana are under stress from population pressure, increasing demand of fish and fishery products and open-access regime.Formal fisheries management practices have not yielded the desired results. There is an increasing need for traditional fisheriespractices to be incorporated into formal fisheries management practices. The aim of this paper is to conduct an in-depth studyon traditional marine fisheries management systems in Ghana in order to provide information to enhance the management of theartisanal fisheries.Data was collected through document analysis (between May 2014 and January 2015), field observation andquestionnaire-based interview (between 26th and 30th of July 2014). Results show that the Chief Fisherman and CommunityB...
International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2011
... We express appreciation to Mr. Jonathan Allottey (Executive Director, Environmental Protectio... more ... We express appreciation to Mr. Jonathan Allottey (Executive Director, Environmental Protection Agency, Ghana) and Mrs. Cecilia Amoah of the ... Benneh, G., Songsore, J., Nabila, JS, Amuzu, AT, Tutu, KA and Yangyuoru, I. (1993) Environmental Problems and the Urban ...
Pre- and post-impoundment studies of physical and chemical parameters of water in the Bui dam are... more Pre- and post-impoundment studies of physical and chemical parameters of water in the Bui dam area of the Black Volta were carried out from March 2011–December 2012. The physico chemical parameters monitored fell within the ranges suitable for the sustenance of aquatic life in freshwater bodies with the exception of dissolved oxygen, nitrates, sulphates and phosphates. The physicochemical characteristics showed wide seasonal variations, while between sampling stations the differences were insignificant (p>0.05). Electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, colour, dissolved oxygen, nitrates and sulphates differed significantly (p<0.05) in the pre-impoundment (March–May 2011), immediate post-impoundment (June December 2011) and late postimpoundment (January–December 2012) periods. Hence, reflecting the alterations in the river continuum due to impoundment. Nitrates, sulphates and phosphates were outside recommended ranges suitable for aquatic life. The reasons for these high nutrient levels were not clear in this study and therefore require further research. In the interim however, agricultural activities, especially the use of inorganic fertilizers within the catchment area, should be monitored and controlled by the Bole District Assembly, the Bamboi and Bui Traditional Councils, the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and the Bui Power Authority. Keywords: Water quality, parameters, impoundment, Black Volta River
In spite of the abundance of natural resources, constant exploitation has led to severe degradati... more In spite of the abundance of natural resources, constant exploitation has led to severe degradation of these resources in Ghana including fisheries resources. It was against this backdrop that the present study was conducted with the main objective, to assess the security of coastal fishing operations from the perspective of poverty. In all, four fish landing sites were chosen along the eastern coastline of Ghana with two each in both Greater Accra (Jamestown and Tema) and Volta (Denu and Vodzah) regions respectively. Qualitative data (through the use of questionnaires) obtained from 240 respondents and observational walks within the study areas indicated high poverty indices, low alternate livelihoods, marginalization and vulnerabilities. Overall, our results demonstrated that the security of coastal fishing operations is under relatively high risk. Management actions are urgently required to ensure that fisheries resources continue to contribute meaningfully to the actualization of SDGs 1 and 14 in Ghana.
International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies, 2016
Some vital population parameters of the bigeye grunt, Brachydeuterus auritus (Valenciennes, 1831)... more Some vital population parameters of the bigeye grunt, Brachydeuterus auritus (Valenciennes, 1831), within Ghana’s coastal waters were evaluated based on monthly pooled length-frequency data from June 2014 to January 2015 using the FiSAT Tool II. The estimated growth parameters from 1675 samples were: asymptotic length (L∞) = 16.28 cm standard length, growth rate (K) = 0.78 per year, growth performance index (ɸ) = 2.315, longevity (tmax) = 4 years, theoretical age (to) = -0.24 years and the ratio of Z/K = 1.26. The length at first capture (Lc50), length at first maturity (Lm50) and length at first recruitment (Lr) were estimated at 3.95 cm, 10.9 cm, and 3.5 cm respectively. The observed recruitment pattern portrayed an absence of recruitment overfishing while the ratio of Lc50/L∞ (0.24) showed the presence of growth overfishing. Total mortality rate (Z), natural mortality rate (M) and fishing mortality rate (F) were estimated at 3.21 per year, 1.73 per year and 1.48 per year, respect...
2 Abstract: Microbiological quality analyses were conducted on processed anchovy (Engraulis encra... more 2 Abstract: Microbiological quality analyses were conducted on processed anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) and round sardinella (Sardinella aurita) collected from processing houses and local retail markets in Accra and Tema to assess their quality. A total of approximately 500 g each of smoked and sun-dried E. encrasicolus and smoked S. aurita were randomly collected from randomly selected processing houses and retail markets from Accra and Tema for analysis. The serial dilution, pour plate and spread plate methods were used to enumerate levels of total heterotrophic bacteria, total coliform bacteria, yeast and moulds and Bacillus cereus colonies in the samples. The results showed that samples obtained from the retail markets recorded total heterotrophic bacteria counts ranging from 1.9 x 10 - 5.9 x 10 cfu/g, while those obtained from the processing houses 45
Onshore oil drilling activity is ongoing at Jubilee oil fields, Ghana. This activity could lead t... more Onshore oil drilling activity is ongoing at Jubilee oil fields, Ghana. This activity could lead to heavy metal exposure with consequential adverse effects on public health in nearby coastal communities. Therefore, we assessed heavy metal levels and spatial distribution in soils and plants from the west coast of Ghana to obtain baseline values for monitoring heavy metal exposure. Surface soils were collected from six coastal communities, and analyzed for arsenic, cadmium, copper, mercury, lead, selenium and zinc using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Mean heavy metal concentrations in soil samples were 2.06, 6.55, 0.016, 21.59, 0.18 and 39.49mg/kg for arsenic, copper, mercury, lead, selenium and zinc, respectively. Mean heavy metal concentrations in plants were 2.70, 17.47, 3.17, 91.74, 1.51 and 9.88mg/kg for arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, selenium and zinc, respectively. Concentrations of arsenic, cadmium and lead in plants exceeded WHO/FAO permissible limits. Enrichment factor...
Journal of Energy and Natural Resource Management, 2018
Sustaining fishery resources is crucial to the survival and wealth of artisanal fishers in Ghana.... more Sustaining fishery resources is crucial to the survival and wealth of artisanal fishers in Ghana. The artisanal fisheries sector ofGhana provides food, employment, livelihood support and socio-economic benefits to the Ghanaian economy. Fishery resourcesof Ghana are under stress from population pressure, increasing demand of fish and fishery products and open-access regime.Formal fisheries management practices have not yielded the desired results. There is an increasing need for traditional fisheriespractices to be incorporated into formal fisheries management practices. The aim of this paper is to conduct an in-depth studyon traditional marine fisheries management systems in Ghana in order to provide information to enhance the management of theartisanal fisheries.Data was collected through document analysis (between May 2014 and January 2015), field observation andquestionnaire-based interview (between 26th and 30th of July 2014). Results show that the Chief Fisherman and CommunityB...
International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2011
... We express appreciation to Mr. Jonathan Allottey (Executive Director, Environmental Protectio... more ... We express appreciation to Mr. Jonathan Allottey (Executive Director, Environmental Protection Agency, Ghana) and Mrs. Cecilia Amoah of the ... Benneh, G., Songsore, J., Nabila, JS, Amuzu, AT, Tutu, KA and Yangyuoru, I. (1993) Environmental Problems and the Urban ...
Pre- and post-impoundment studies of physical and chemical parameters of water in the Bui dam are... more Pre- and post-impoundment studies of physical and chemical parameters of water in the Bui dam area of the Black Volta were carried out from March 2011–December 2012. The physico chemical parameters monitored fell within the ranges suitable for the sustenance of aquatic life in freshwater bodies with the exception of dissolved oxygen, nitrates, sulphates and phosphates. The physicochemical characteristics showed wide seasonal variations, while between sampling stations the differences were insignificant (p>0.05). Electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, colour, dissolved oxygen, nitrates and sulphates differed significantly (p<0.05) in the pre-impoundment (March–May 2011), immediate post-impoundment (June December 2011) and late postimpoundment (January–December 2012) periods. Hence, reflecting the alterations in the river continuum due to impoundment. Nitrates, sulphates and phosphates were outside recommended ranges suitable for aquatic life. The reasons for these high nutrient levels were not clear in this study and therefore require further research. In the interim however, agricultural activities, especially the use of inorganic fertilizers within the catchment area, should be monitored and controlled by the Bole District Assembly, the Bamboi and Bui Traditional Councils, the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and the Bui Power Authority. Keywords: Water quality, parameters, impoundment, Black Volta River
In spite of the abundance of natural resources, constant exploitation has led to severe degradati... more In spite of the abundance of natural resources, constant exploitation has led to severe degradation of these resources in Ghana including fisheries resources. It was against this backdrop that the present study was conducted with the main objective, to assess the security of coastal fishing operations from the perspective of poverty. In all, four fish landing sites were chosen along the eastern coastline of Ghana with two each in both Greater Accra (Jamestown and Tema) and Volta (Denu and Vodzah) regions respectively. Qualitative data (through the use of questionnaires) obtained from 240 respondents and observational walks within the study areas indicated high poverty indices, low alternate livelihoods, marginalization and vulnerabilities. Overall, our results demonstrated that the security of coastal fishing operations is under relatively high risk. Management actions are urgently required to ensure that fisheries resources continue to contribute meaningfully to the actualization of SDGs 1 and 14 in Ghana.
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Papers by Francis k. e. Nunoo