The fish smoking businessenterprise

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4.5.2 The fish smoking businessenterprise

Fuelwood consumers have been in the fish smoking enterprise from less than 10 to 60 years Figure 71. The average years of experience is 21 years across regions with a minimum of 1 occurring in Greater Accra and Western Regions and maximum of 60 years in the Greater Accra Region.  5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 Volta Greater Accra Central Western All Regions F is h sm ok er Region No. of years of experience in fish smoking ≥ 11--20 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 Figure 72 Number of years of experience in fish smoking Figure 72 indicates that there are no fuelwood consumer or fish smoker associations in most communities surveyed except in few areas in the following districts:  Volta - Keta, Ketu south,  Greater Accra - Accra Metropolitan, Ada East, Ada West, Kpone Katamanso, LEKMA, Ningo-pramparam  Western - Shama Ahanta, Ahanta West, Jomoro Membership strength range from 8 in Ketu South to 200 people in Ningo-Prampram and Ahanta West Districts Table 30. The main purpose of forming these associations is to undertake welfare activities in support of members particularly during times of bereavement. Other reasons include the potential of using group credentials as collateral in acquiring loans from banks or financial institutions and also to bargain for better prices of fuelwood and fresh fish Figure 73. 82 20 40 60 80 100 120 Volta Greater Accra Central Western All Regions Fuelwood consumer Re gi on Membership of consumerfisfh smoker association Yes No Figure 73 Membership of fish smokerConsumer association Table 30 Membership strength of fuelwood consumer association District Number of people in association Ketu South 8-50 Keta 12-26 Ada East 26-100 Kpone-Katamanso 50-60 LEKMA 50-200 Ningo-Prampram 50-200 Ahanta West 200 Jomoro 17-135 Table 31 Distribution of membership strength of fuelwood consumerfish smoker association Frequency Volta Greater Accra Western All Regions ≤20 8 2 10 21-60 4 16 5 25 61-100 0 17 1 18 100 10 5 15 83 20 40 60 80 100 120 Volta Region Greater Accra Region Western Region All Regions Response R e g ion Purpose for forming fuelwood consumerfish smoker association Support organization Community service To build improved stoves for members To bargain for lower prices Enhance access to funds Welfare, eg funeral Figure 74 Reasons for the formation of fish smokers association 4.5.3 Forms of fish smoked and fuel type used Usually fresh catch and fresh frozen fish are smoked in most fishing communities in coastal Ghana especially during the lean season when fresh supplies are low. Overall, 94 of the fish smoked is fresh catch from the sea particularly in Volta and Western Regions while is the remaining 6 is the frozen type, common smoked in Central and Greater Accra Regions Figure 74. Variable quantities of frozen fish usually packed in paper cartons commonly called boxes are smoked per day. Eighty-six percent of the frozen fish smokers process 1-20 boxes per day Figure 75. 20 40 60 80 100 120 Volta Greater Accra Central Western All Regions Fish smokers R e g io n Forms of fish smoked Fresh catch from the sea Frozen fish Figure 75 Proportion of fish smokers processing main forms of fish smoked 84 20 40 60 80 100 120 Greater Accra Central Western All Regions Fish smokers Re gi on No. of boxes of frozen fish smoked per day 40 21-40 1--20 Figure 76 Distribution of quantities of frozen fish smoked per day Usually a combination of fuel material comprising wood, coconut shell, and charcoal are used in smoking fish. However, 96 of the fish smokers use fuelwood only Figure 76. Sugarcane husk, corn cobs andor other materials may be added to generate smoke in addition to the heat from the wood to cure the fish. Gas and cocoanut shell may alternatively be used as the major fuel source particularly in the Volta, Greater Accra and Central Regions. Palm fronds, plastic sheet and saw dust may be used in the Western Region to compliment fuelwood in smoking while grass, cassava stick and cassava peels are used in some cases in the Greater Accra Region Figure 77. 20 40 60 80 100 120 Volta Greater Accra Central Western All Regions Fish smokers Re gi on Main fuel sources used in fish smoking Fuelwood and Coconut husk Coconut shell Charcoal Fuelwood Figure 77 Fuel types used for fish smoking 85 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Volta Greater Accra Central Western All Regions Fish smoker Re gi on Other sources of fuel for fish smoking Cassava peel Cassava stick Saw dust RubberPlastic Grass Palm fronds Sugar cane and maize husk Coconut shell Gas Figure 78 Other fuels used in addition to wood for fish smoking Not all fish smokers own the stoves they use for smoking fish Figure 78. However the majority of smokers comprising 96, own their stoves while 4 rent or use that belonging to their family and friends. Most 78 overall of the fish smokers own 1-5 stoves per person Figure 79. 20 40 60 80 100 120 Volta Greater Accra Central Western All Regions fish smokers R e g ion Ownership of fish smoking stoves Yes No Figure 79 Proportion of fish smokers owning stoves used for fish smoking 86 50 100 150 Volta Greater Accra Central Western All Regions Fish smokers R e g ion No. of fish smoking stoves owned 15 11--15 6--10 1--5 Figure 80 Distribution of the number of stoves owned by fish smokers

4.5.4 Fuelwood species used, reasons for preferences supply sources