Tasks. The agreed work tasks included the following: To conduct an acoustic fishing survey for small pelagic fish on the shelf; to conduct bottom trawling experiments for demersal fish, deep water shrimp and langostinos; to test the availability of squid just off the shelf with light and jigging; and to run hydrographic profiles in agreed localities.
Survey plan. The time available for the work between Panama and Salina Cruz in Mexico allows a mean rate of coverage of 15 nm between course tracks over the shelf leaving 10-12 hrs per day for fishing. The survey effort was however adjusted to the fish distribution with a denser coverage of areas of higher abundance. The survey plan was also adjusted to available information on the distribution of the fisheries and on previous survey programmes, for Panama notably the CANOPUS-programme 1972-75, and for Costa Rica the work with the Spanish vessel “Macuro”.
Scientific staff: The following participated from the region:
Panama: Elvis Nieto, Ruben Salazar.
Costa Rica: Hubert Araya, Mario Quiros.
From FAO: Luis Villegas.
The vessels own scientific staff were: G. Sætersdal, O. Alvheim, T. Haugland and E. Molvær.
