The sardinella stocks in the area from Congo to the southern border of Angola have for many years supported fisheries of substantial importance for some of the countries in the region, with total landings varying between about 50 000 and 150 000 t annually in the period 1961-1975.
Various meetings of the CECAF Working Party on Resource Evaluation reviewed fisheries data and biological data on the sardinella stocks in Congolese waters (FAO 1973, 1975, 1976). They noted that these sardinella belong to stocks distributed from southern Gabon to southern Angola, and felt that the exploitation of these stocks could be substantially intensified. A first attempt at evaluating the stocks in the whole area was made at the meeting of the ICSEAF Working Group on Pelagic Species, held in Malaga, Spain, 6-9 December 1976 (ICSEAF 1976a). The data available at that meeting did not allow a proper stock assessment to be made, but it was believed that the productivity of the stocks would allow substantially higher catches. Recently, Boely and Fréon (1979) included a discussion on these resources in their review of the coastal pelagic stocks along the Atlantic coasts of Africa.
It was the task of the present Ad hoc working group to review and summarize the available information on the sardinella resources, and to evaluate as far as possible the magnitude of the stocks, their distribution and migrations, and the state of their exploitation.
The Group met in the Laboratorio Oceanográfico de Canarias del Instituto Español de Oceanografía, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 20-24 August 1979, under the chairmanship of A. Fonteneau. Seven scientists participated in the meeting. Unfortunately, various scientists with experience of the resources in the area under review, who had agreed to participate, were at the last moment unable to attend the meeting. The list of participants given in Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 shows the agenda as adopted at the meeting. L.K. Boerema was appointed as rapporteur.
The CECAF Project1/ wishes to thank Dr C. Garcia Cabrera, Director of the Laboratorio Oceanográfico, and the Spanish Government, for the excellent facilities provided for the meeting.
1/ The CECAF project coded INT/72/074 and entitled in full Project for the Development of Fisheries in the Eastern Central Atlantic, became from 1 January 1980 one component of the larger Interregional Fisheries Development and Management Programme, coded INT/79/019.
