Assessing the population parameters of Decapterus punctatus (Cuvier 1829) from the coastal waters of Greater Accra, Ghana using TropFishR

Population parameters provide important information and can be considered important indicators of the variability and sustainability of stocks. The population parameters of Decapterus punctatus, in the coastal waters of Greater Accra, Ghana were studied between July 2018 and June 2019. We employed a two-stage sampling criterion in selecting five important fishing communities. In all, a total of 1,116 samples were collected randomly from selected fishermen who use multifilament fishing gears. The von Bertalanffy parameters were estimated at asymptotic length (L∞) = 29.8 cm, growth rate (K) = 0.35 per year and growth performance index (Φ′) = 2.49. Mortality parameters were calculated as total mortality rate (Z) = 1.77 per year, the natural mortality rate (M) = 0.62 per year, and fishing mortality rate (F) = 1.15 per year. The current exploitation rate
(Ecurrent) was lower than the maximum exploitation (Emsy), indicating that
D. punctatus fishery on the coast of Greater Accra is in a sustainable state.