Growth, mortality and exploitation rate of Pseudupeneus prayensis from the coast of Ghana, West Africa

The West African goatfish (Pseudupeneus prayensis) is a commercially valuable demersal species in Ghana. However, its population in Ghana’s coastal waters has exhibited signs of fluctuations in recent years. Between July 2020 and June 2021, a total of 615 individuals were sampled from the coastal waters of Ghana and analysed using FISAT II software to determine the growth, mortality, and exploitation parameters. The mean length was 13.0 cm, with a maximum length of 22.7 cm. Growth was described by the von Bertalanffy Growth Function equation: Lt = 26.25[1–exp (−0.57(t+0.296))], showing a longevity of 5.3 years and a growth performance index (Φ′) of 2.594. The length at first capture (Lc50) was 14.26 cm. Total mortality rate (Z), natural mortality (M) and fishing mortality (F) were 2.12 yr−1, 1.25 yr−1 and 0.87 yr−1, respectively. The exploitation rate (E) was 0.41, below the optimum reference point of 0.5, while the maximum exploitation rate (Emax) was 0.80, implying that the stock does not appear to be currently overexploited. From the results, regular monitoring, strict enforcement of minimum legal landing sizes, and use of appropriate fishing gears are urgently recommended. In addition, strengthening artisanal fisheries management and promoting community-based compliance measures will be essential to ensuring sustainable management of the sampled species in the coast of Ghana.