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MeetingAn overview of the bycatch landed by local and foreign tuna longliners in Mauritius for the period 2009 to 2012 2013
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No results found.This paper presents by-catch estimates landed by tiol and foreign longliners fishing inside and outside the EEZ of Mauritius for the period 2009 to 2012. Some 100 licences are issued annually to foreign longliners to fish in the Exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of Mauritius. The average annual landing from these vessels during the period under report amounted to 3 102 tonnes of albacore tu which is the targeted species followed by 796 tonnes of yellowfin tu (Thunnus albacares), 360 tonnes of big-ey e tu (Thunnus obesus) and 1106 tons of by-catch comprising billfish, other tu-like species and sharks. A total of 21 196 tonnes of tu and tu-like species was transhipped in Port-Louis by non-licensed fishing vessels targeting albacore (Thunnus alalunga), from 2008 to 2012. The proportion of by-catch landed during this period varied between 28.9% and 39.4%. The total catch landed by non-licensed longliners targeting big-eye tu has increased over the years from 3495 tonnes in 2008 to 8125 tonnes i n 2012. The proportion of by-catch in the total catch seems to be the same (33.1%-47.0%) as compared to the level of by-catch of albacore-targeting fishing vessels (37.9%-39.4 %). The proportion of by-catch landed by longliners targeting swordfish (Xiphias gladius) varied between 37.2% to 49.6%. A comparison of shark landings by tu longliners and swordfish-targeting longliners was carried out: the levels of sharks in the total catch of longliners targeting big-eye tu are higher (7.9%-20.2%) than those targeting albacore (3.6%-8.03%). However, the catch of sharks was very significant in swordfish-targeting vessels varying between 24.3%-39.1% of the total catch in comparison to albacore-targeting fleets and big-eye targeting fleet. Sharks landed by swordfish-targeting vessels consisted mainly of blue shark (Prioce glauca) (74.2-84.2%) followed by moro (Isurus oxyrhinchus) (7.1-20.0%) and mako shark (Isurus paucus) (4.6-9.2%). Moreover, Mauritius has a small number of tiol boats targeting swordfish that operate in its EEZ. These boats also land a considerable amount of non-targeted tu and tu-like species including sharks. The by-catch levels for tiol boats targeting swordfish was higher (50.8%- 52.7% of the total catch) as compared to the FAD fishery whose by-catch varied between 27.9%- 42.9%. -
MeetingCatch and bycatch in the pelagic longline fishery around Mayotte (NE Mozambique Channel), July 2009-September 2010 2013
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MeetingSeasonal abundance of the tropical tunas around fish aggregating devices anchored off the coast of Mauritius (2010-2012) 2013
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No results found.Catch rates of the pelagic species around the Fish Aggregating Devices (aFADs) anchored off the Western coast of Mauritius show that the seasol variation of the sea surface temperature (SST) has a significant influence on the abundance of the tropical tu. The results of the study carried out over the period 2010 to 2012 suggest that the season of relative abundance for the skipjack tu (Katsuwonus pelamis) is more pronounced during the summer months when SST is higher. The study on the other hand indicates that the yellow fin tu (Thunnus albacares) prefers the cooler waters which prevail both at start of winter and at the outset of the summer season. The broad annual migration of the yellow fin and skipjack tus around the anchored FADs is noticeably associated with the annual SST cycle. The results also indicated a marked scarcity in the presence of the big eye tu (Thunnus obesus) in the landings of the artisal FAD fishery. In contrast, data on landings from the licensed industrial fore ign long liners operating mostly in the EEZ of Mauritius illustrate that both the yellow fin and the skipjack tus abound during the summer season. In addition, the landings of the semi-industrial local fleet (long liners <24m) primarily targeting swordfish in Mauritius waters included the big eye tu (mostly caught in the winter season) and the yellow fin tu (all year round). This paper highlights the results based on the alyses on the fish catch data collected from the professiol artisal fisherm en operating around FADs off the Western coast of Mauritius with discussion on the relation between effort, SST and the seasol abundance of the tropical yellow fin and skipjack tu.
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