Study on the Evaluation of a High Speed Tagging Device for Nile Tilapia Stock Assessment in the Vunania Dam in Kassena-Nankana District, Upper East Region

The study on the evaluation of a high speed tagging device for Oreochromis niloticus (Nile tilapia) stock assessment was conducted in the Vunania dam in the Kasena-Nankana District of the Upper East Region of Ghana for two months(April- May 2014). A total of 49 Nile tilapia fishes were obtained during the period of study. Out of this number 28 were males and 21 were females representing 57.1% and 42.9% respectively. In the research the females Oreochromis niloticus had a range of 11 cm to 20 cm total length with a standard deviation of 2.0998 and a weight range of 25 g to 140 g with a standard deviation of 28.7697. Males had a range of 11.30 cm to 16.8 cm with a standard deviation 1.4409 and a total weight range of 27 g to 110 g with a standard deviation of 18.4637. In totality the sampled Oreochromis niloticus had a minimum weight of 25 g and maximum of 140 g and a mean of 82.5, minimum length of 11 cm and a maximum of 20 cm and a mean of 15.5. MS222 at a dose of 0.3 g/l [23] was used for the sedation with a minimum sedation time of 12 sec and maximum time of 238 sec and a mean of 125, minimum recovery time of 27 sec and a maximum of 311 sec and a mean of 169, a minimum tagging time of 4sec and a maximum of 122 sec and mean of 63.