Fish Resources of Coastal Waters of the Gulf of Guinea: Natural and Man-Made Factors Influencing their Distribution, Abundance and Capacity for Development and Sustained Exploitation

Tobor, J. G.; ,

Fish Resources of Coastal Waters of the Gulf of Guinea: Natural and Man-Made Factors Influencing their Distribution, Abundance and Capacity for Development and Sustained Exploitation

by J. G. Tobor, Nigerian Inst for Oceanography, Lagos, Nigeria,

Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Coastlines of Western Africa

Abstract:

The Gulf of Guinea corresponding to Equatorial West Africa is bordered by eleven coastal states from Cote d'Ivoire in the west to Gabon in the South. Its coastal waters have no less than 80 families and 200 species of fin and shell fish most of which are of naturally small sizes. The commercially valuable species/species groups include the Bonga, Flat and Round herrings. Natural factors influencing the distribution and abundance of fish resources and their capacity for development and sustained exploitation in the Gulf include existence in the center and south of the Gulf of Guinea a permanent thermocline which not only prevents the enrichment Guinea a permanent thermocline which not only prevents the enrichment of the mass of tropical surface water with nutrients of deep sea origin but also acts as a natural barrier to the vertical movement of the fish.

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