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¹ University for Development Studies, Department of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources Management, P.O. Box TL 1882, Tamale, Ghana
² University of Ghana, Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, Legon, Ghana DOI : 10.4194/trjfas.2011.0115 Viewed : 3912 - Downloaded : 3635 Studies were conducted on the growth and mortality parameters, recruitment pattern, probability of capture, yield-per recruit, and present rate of exploitation of the African river prawn, Macrobrachium vollenhovenii from Dawhenya impoundment, Ghana. Estimation of the von Bertalanffy growth parameters gave; L_∞ = 14.2 cm, K = 1.0 yr^-1, and t_o = -0.195 yr-1 with the growth performance index, Ф' of 2.303. From the linearised length-converted catch curve, total mortality, Z was 5.36 yr^-1. Natural mortality, M calculated from Pauly’s empirical formula was 2.20 yr^-1 and fishing mortality, F calculated from Z - M was 3.16 yr^-1. From the mortality estimations, the present rate of exploitation, E calculated from F/Z was 0.59 indicating that, the species is on the verge of being over-exploited in the impoundment. Using the estimated value of the growth coefficient, K, the longevity was found to be about 3 yrs. Estimations from the probability of capture routines gave the length-at-first capture, L_c as 3.07 cm while the size distribution of the catches suggest two recruitment pulses in a year. It is therefore recommended that, the property right-based system for fisheries management should be implemented so that fishermen can cooperate in the management of the Macrobrachium fishery. Keywords : Growth, mortality, exploitation, recruitment