Year of publication 1976

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Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

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Author G.V. Everett1

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Product type Project

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Series title CECAF/ECAF Series

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Series number 1014-9228

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Edition 1

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Synopsis (short abstract) In comparison with other parts of the world, the CECAF Region has a relatively small population of 145 million spread over a vast land area at the low density of 18 persons per square kilometre. However the area and population of each country vary greatly and, for example, the population of Nigeria dominates the region with over 40 percent of the total. There are also wide disparities among the countries in respect to the structure of their economies, the degree of industrialisation achieved, an d the abundance of natural resources. Despite these differences, the countries, with few exceptions, are characterised by low per caput incomes, low personal consumption, low levels of education and health, and low standards of living in general. About two million tons of the present approximate total CECAF catch of 3.5 millions are caught by foreign-based vessels and never landed at coastal ports prior to shipment to other markets. Over half of the catch of foreign-based vessels is taken by v essels of the Soviet Union. The most abundant fish resources of the Region are concentrated off a relatively lowly populated coastline stretching from southern Morocco to Sierra Leone, and the principal species caught are sardinella and horse mackerel. Around the coast there are some localised stocks of high value species, such as shrimp and cephalopods, which, although caught in small quantities, form the basis of important locally - based fishing operations. Brackish water fisheries, togethe r with aquaculture, account for only a small percentage of total landings. It is not expected that the total catch of the Region will rise as sharply in the future as in the recent past because many important stocks have now reached their upper limit of exploitation. In order to maintain high fish catches, there is an urgent need to improve the collection of biological data to aid stock assessment and resource management.

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

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Language English

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Also available in:

• French

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