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Report of the FAO Working Group on the Assessment of Small Pelagic Fish off Northwest Africa. Agadir, Morocco, 17–26 April 2007. / Rapport du Groupe de travail de la FAO sur l’évaluation des petits pélagiques au large de l’Afrique nord-occidentale. Agadir, Maroc, 17-26 avril 2007.

Year of publication 2007

Pages 238

Author FAO;Fishery and Aquaculture Economics and Policy Division

Product type Book (series)

ISBN 9789250058887

Series title FAO Fisheries Report

Series number 0429-9337 - R849

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) The seventh meeting of the FAO Working Group on the Assessment of Small Pelagic Fish off Northwest Africa was held in Agadir, Morocco, from 17 to 26 April 2007. The Group assessed the status of the small pelagic resources in Northwest Africa and made projections on the development of the status of the stocks and on future effort and catch levels. The advices for the stocks are given in relation to the agreed reference points F0.1, FMSY, B0.1 and BMSY and on the basis of the projections for the next five years. The results of the assessments indicate that the stock of round sardinella is overexploited and consequently a decrease in effort in the total sardinella fishery was recommended. The Atlantic horse mackerel was also found to be overexploited whereas the Cunene horse mackerel was found to be fully exploited. It was recommended that the effort in 2008 should decrease about 20 pour cent of the actual effort. The sardine stock in Zone A+B was found overexploited and the Working Group recommended to decrease the effort by 20 pour cent corresponding to a catch level of 350 000 tonnes in 2008. The stock of sardine in Zone C was found to be not fully exploited and it was noted that the total catch level may be temporarily increased, but should be adjusted to natural changes in the stock. The mackerel was found not to be fully exploited, the catches should not exceed in 2008 the current level of 200 000 tonnes. It was not possible to reach relia ble conclusions from the assessment models applied to bonga and anchovy but, in the case of anchovy, acoustic estimates show a decrease in biomass from 2005 to 2006. As a precautionary measure, the catch level for this species should not exceed the average over the last three years of 115 000 tonnes. For bonga, the recommendation from 2006 is maintained as no new information is available on this species, and the Working Group recommended that the catch level should not exceed 42 000 tonnes.

Statutory body / Meeting title Fishery Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic (CECAF)

Cite this content as:

FAO.Report of the FAO Working Group on the Assessment of Small Pelagic Fish off Northwest Africa. Agadir, Morocco, 17–26 April 2007.Rapport du Groupe de travail de la FAO sur l’évaluation des petits pélagiques au large de l’Afrique nord-occidentale. Agadir, Maroc, 17-26 avril 2007.FAO Fisheries Report/FAO Rapport sur les pêches. No. 849. Rome, FAO. 2007. 238 p.

Language Bilingual

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    A permanent FAO Working Group composed of scientists from the coastal States, and from countries or organizations that play an active role in Northwest African pelagic fisheries, was established in March 2001. The overall objective of the Working Group is to assess the state of the small pelagic resources in Northwest Africa and make recommendations on fisheries management and exploitation options aimed at ensuring optimal and sustainable use of small pelagic fish resources for the benefit of coastal countries. The nineteenth meeting of the FAO Working Group on the Assessment of Small Pelagic Fish off Northwest Africa was held in Casablanca, Morocco, from 8–13 July 2019. The meeting was organized by FAO in collaboration with the National Institute of Fisheries Research (INRH) of Morocco. Un groupe de travail permanent de la FAO composé de scientifiques des États côtiers et de pays ou d’organisations jouant un rôle actif dans les pêcheries pélagiques d’Afrique du Nord-Ouest a été créé en mars 2001. L’objectif général du groupe de travail est d’évaluer l’état des ressources pélagiques du nord-ouest de l’Afrique et formuler des recommandations sur les options de gestion et d’exploitation de la pêche visant à assurer une utilisation optimale et durable des ressources halieutiques en petits pélagiques au profit des pays côtiers. La dix-neuvième réunion du groupe de travail de la FAO sur l'évaluation des petits poissons pélagiques au large de l'Afrique du Nord-Ouest s'est tenue à Casablanca (Maroc) du 8 au 13 juillet 2019. La réunion a été organisée par la FAO en collaboration avec l'Institut National de Recherche Halieutique (INRH) du Maroc.
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