1. On the catches of minor tunas by the EU purse seiners: data analysis and proposal to correct the task1 and to create task2 catch and effort and catch at size files for minor tunas landed by the EU purse seiners
- Author
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Fonteneau, Alain, Pascual-Alayón, Pedro José, Fonteneau, Alain, and Pascual-Alayón, Pedro José
- Abstract
This paper is estimating the yearly landings of SMT by Spanish and French PS and sold as “Faux Poissons” 3 in the Abidjan and other markets during the 1991-2016 period. This work is mainly based on the analysis of log books and of the multispecies sampling of these species conducted in Dakar and Abidjan. A method is proposed to estimate the monthly catches by species of minor tunas by 1° square. This result was obtained by the SMS method (Fonteneau et al 2016) based on a combined set by set analysis of log books and multispecies samples, where large numbers of SMT have been sampled yearly since 1990. These estimated catches also include the landings of SMT by PS outside Abidjan (an average of 30% of average catches during the 1991-2016 period) that are not included in the today TASK1. This analysis shows that the today TASK1 and TASK2 ICCAT statistics of minor tunas caught by the EU PS are questionable or wrong. Our results show that Auxis average catches by the EU PS fleet may have been reaching an average 5900 5900 t. (last 26 years), Euthynnus catches reaching 1600 t.. this species being predominantly caught in given coastal areas shown by fishing maps, while the catches of Auxis are mainly scattered in wide offshore areas. SMT are predominantly caught associated to FADs (an average of about 77 % of total SMT catches, period 1991-2016, but also in free schools in some coastal areas off Senegal, Cap Lopez and Guinea. An in depth revision of the SMT catch statistics of all PS fleets is recommended. This work should be based on a new analysis of faux poissons, log books and sampling data bases during the last 26 years.
- Published
- 2018