Catches of Sepia officinalis in the small-scale cuttlefish trap fishery off the Algarve coast (southern Portugal)

The present study reports a detailed description of the catches of cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) in the trap fishery performed seasonally off the Algarve coast (southern Portugal). A total of 86 fishing surveys were performed during the fishing season (May-September) from 2009 to 2014, on sandy bottoms at bathymetrics ranging from 8 to 10 m depth. During the whole study period, fishing operations involved 6311 cuttlefish traps with a gear catch rate of 37% (frequency of traps with cuttlefish) and a mean of 0.9 S. officinalis caught per trap. A total of 5883 S. officinalis (1424.0 kg) were caught, being only recorded 282 dead individuals (mortality rate of 4.6%). The mean fishing yield (standardised CPUE's in number and weight) was 46.6 individuals and 11.3 kg 50 traps(-1). Overall, males (n = 3188) outnumbered females (n = 2695), producing a significant male-biased (1 M: 0.85 F) sex ratio. On average, females were significantly larger and heavier (124.4 +/- 22.9 mm ML; 253.1 +/- 148.8 g TW) than males (121.9 +/- 24.0 mm ML; 230.7 +/- 143.1 g TW). Accordingly, the length-frequency distributions displayed significant gender differences, with 89.6% of females and 85.8% of males accomplishing the MCRS (100 mm ML). This markedly seasonal, highly sustainable and low impacting small-scale fishery constitutes a locally important socio-economic activity during spring and summer. Undamaged catches and highly fresh individuals further contribute to the considerable price reached by S. officinalis caught using this artisanal fishing gear. Agência financiadora European Union (EU) Fisheries Operational Programme (MAR 2020) European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF 2014-2020) info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion