Traditional storage of smoked anchovy (Anchoa guineensis) at Akplabanya

Abstract

The different techniques used for the traditional storage of smoked anchovies by artisanal fish processors at Akplabanya (a coastal fishing village near Ada, in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana) were studied, and the major structural features, material requirements and methods of construction were determined. Three major types of smoked anchovy storage structures were identified. These include: (a) the round oven storage structure, (b) the sea-sand platform storage structure, and (c) the fenced yard structure. In general, all the structures are built with mainly locally available materials; and the choice of any of the three depends on factors such as capital input available and the volume of smoked fish to be stored. The duration of storage depends, to a large extent, on the period of time the processor can afford to lock up the capital invested. It also depends on the demand and current market value. Generally however, such traditional storage is undertaken for a period ranging between four and seven months. The paper gives a detailed description of the three different techniques, the structural material requirements as well as step wise procedure for their installation. Pictorial illustrations are also provided. The structural characteristics established in this study for the round oven technique were used to construct a prototype structure in the village to determine its effectiveness in preserving the quality of smoked anchovies