5. Fishing experiments

A record of all fishing stations is given in Annex II. In most part of the shelf on the east coast the bottom was not suitable for trawling, and consequently the number of hauls in the area is low. Table 1 shows standardized catch rates by main groups for the trawl stations made. “Pelagic” comprises Clupeidae (sardines), Engraulidae (anchovies), Carangidae, Scombridae, Sphyraenidae (barracuda) and Trichiuridae (hair-tails). “Demersal” includes the families Sciaenidae (croakers), Lutjanidae (snappers), Pomadasiydae (grunts), Serranidae (groupers), and Ariidae (catfish). Table 2 shows the catch rates by the main pelagic families, and Table 3 presents catch rates by the main demersal groups.

Table 1. Trinidad east coast. Catch rates in bottom trawl for main groups. Standardized to kg/hour.

ST. NO.	DEP.	Pelagic	Demersal	Shark	Squid	Shrimp	Other
696	78	3.80	29.80		2.00		21.00
697	67		1.30		1.57		6.52
698	64	3.20	58.10		2.40	10.40	108.40
699	25	168.00	1367.40	16.40			4.60
700	22	336.80	653.60	136.00		16.00	7.20
701	34	340.84	92.90	53.20			34.50
702	472	0.20		2.00	7.00	7.30	34.14
703	502					3.00	24.30
705	37	133.00	204.80	20.00	4.20	5.00	53.20
706	27	163.60	235.20			15.40	27.80
711	60	27.40	177.00	3.20	0.60	6.80	68.40
712	71	15.60	31.60	6.40	4.00	4.20	56.40
713	55	34.00	71.00	10.00	4.00	63.00	167.20
MEAN		94.34	224.82	19.02	1.98	10.08	47.20

Table 2. Trinidad east coast. Catch rates by main families of small pelagic fish in bottom trawl hauls.

ST. NO.	DEP.	Clupeids	Anchovies	Carangids	Scombrids	Hairtails	Other
696	78			3.80			52.80
697	67				6.52		2.87
698	64			3.20			179.30
699	25	98.00		23.40		46.60	1388.40
700	22	94.40	4.00	99.20		139.20	812.80
701	34	74.80		262.84		3.20	180.60
702	472					0.20	50.44
703	502						27.30
711	60	2.40		5.00		20.00	256.00
712	71			10.80	1.20	4.80	101.40
713	55			25.00		9.00	315.20
MEAN		24.51	0.36	39.39	0.70	20.27	306.10

Table 3. Trinidad east coast. Catch rates by main demersal families in bottom trawl.

ST. NO.	DEP.	Croakers	Snappers	Grunts	Groupers	Catfish	Other
697	67		1.30				8.09
698	64	1.20	29.70	24.80	2.40		124.40
699	25	980.00	49.00	16.20		322.20	189.00
700	22	612.80		2.40		38.40	496.00
701	34	25.30	39.00	28.60			428.54
702	472						50.64
703	502						27.30
711	60	173.80	0.60		2.60		106.40
712	71	14.40	9.20		8.00		86.60
713	55	42.00	9.00	8.00	12.00		278.20
MEAN		184.95	13.78	8.00	2.50	36.06	179.52

Results of the bottom trawl survey in the joint research area appears from Tables 4 to 6. Table 4 lists the standardized catch rates by broad groups for all the prepositioned hauls made, Table 5 show catch rates by main pelagic groups and Table 6 by main demersal families. The pelagics are mainly composed of clupeids and hairtails and the croakers are the clearly dominating family among the demersal.

Table 4. Joint research area. Catch by main groups in bottom trawl. Standardized to kg/hour.

ST. NO.	DEP.	Pelagic	Demersal	Shark	Squid	Shrimp	Other
705	37	133.00	204.80	20.00	4.20	5.00	53.20
706	27	163.60	235.20			15.40	27.80
707	27	210.40	255.20		3.20	3.20	80.00
708	24	146.80	336.00		4.00		113.60
709	53	10.80	105.80	19.80		4.80	8.40
714	38	99.00	30.75	30.00	4.50	10.50	28.50
715	46	136.00	91.00	30.00	3.00	15.50	30.10
716	40	85.90	32.50	6.00	4.40		30.00
718	56
719	46	48.00	226.00	7.00	5.00	2.20	5.00
720	46	79.60	197.60	27.80		0.80	2.60
721	39	33.00	118.40	17.40		6.90	15.00
722	31	5.60	205.00	12.40		6.60	27.80
723	32	10.80	76.80			7.20	23.60
724	33	5.80	74.00			7.00	43.60
725	42	20.20	79.80	14.80	1.20	7.60	18.40
726	52	16.00	167.20	16.00		6.40	12.40
727	44		7.00				1.40
728	45	9.20	146.40	5.20		4.00	18.40
729	36	88.00	248.60			20.00	56.00
730	52	98.00	169.20	16.40		12.00	19.00
731	30	43.40	4.60	9.00			8.20
732	35	15.40	109.20			8.40	1184.30
733	29	38.60	193.00			15.60	40.40
MEAN		64.15	138.16	9.66	1.23	6.63	77.04

Table 5. Joint research area. Catch rates by main families of pelagic fish.

ST. NO.	DEP.	Clupeids	Anchovies	Carangids	Scombrids	Hairtails	Other
705	37	54.60		28.80		49.60	287.20
706	27	86.80		2.60		74.20	278.40
707	27	104.80		3.20		102.40	341.60
708	24	102.40		12.40		32.00	453.60
709	53	4.20				6.60	138.80
714	38	4.50	3.00	24.00	7.50	67.50	96.75
715	46	61.00				75.00	169.60
716	40	53.40			9.00	32.50	63.90
718	56
719	46	23.00				25.00	245.20
720	46	25.60		16.00		38.00	228.80
721	39	21.00				12.00	157.70
722	31	2.00		3.60			251.80
723	32			3.20		7.60	107.60
724	33	5.80					124.60
725	42	6.40	0.80	8.20		4.80	121.80
726	52	1.60	0.80			13.60	202.00
727	44						8.40
728	45	0.40	0.80			8.00	174.00
729	36	48.00	28.00			12.00	324.60
730	52	4.00	1.00			93.00	216.60
731	30	0.60		2.20	7.00	40.60	14.80
732	35		4.60	0.20		10.60	1301.90
733	29	3.60	22.80	6.60		5.60	249.00
MEAN		25.57	2.58	4.63	0.98	29.61	231.61

Table 6. Joint research area. Catch rates by main demersal families in bottom trawl.

ST. NO.	DEP.	Croakers	Snappers	Grunts	Groupers	Catfish	Other
714	38	30.75					172.50
715	46	91.00					214.60
716	40	30.50				2.00	126.30
718	56
719	46	221.00	5.00				67.20
720	46	170.80	10.20		0.80	15.80	110.80
721	39	101.00	1.80		5.40	10.20	72.30
722	31	166.00	33.00	6.00			52.40
723	32	69.20	7.20		0.40		41.60
724	33	48.80	16.00		9.20		56.40
725	42	64.20	9.60			6.00	62.20
726	52	146.80		8.00	0.80	11.60	50.80
727	44	7.00					1.40
728	45	146.40					36.80
729	36	225.60	7.00		16.00		164.00
730	52	164.60				4.60	145.40
731	30	3.00	1.40	0.20			60.60
732	35	100.40				8.80	1208.10
733	29	29.60			160.00	3.40	94.60
MEAN		95.61	4.80	0.75	10.14	3.38	146.41