By-catch composition of small-scale shrimp trawlers in the Persian Gulf (Hormuzgan Province), Iran

Abstract

Fishing vessels equipped with bottom trawls cause high amount of by-catch and discards. We investigated the catch composition and by-catch percentage in October - November 2002 during shrimp fishing season in Hormuzgan Province waters. The studied area was located in DarmSoorkh area, east of Hormuz Island and Toola area. Sampling was done using wooden fishing dhows. During shrimp season, 36 hauls with a total catch of 6050kg were treated. The catch composed of 88 species belonging to 50 families of which 67 species were bony fish from 38 families, 9 species were cartilaginous fish from 6 families, and 3 species were mollusks from three families and also 9 species of crustacean were found belonging to 3 families. The percentages of different groups of by-catch and target catch (shrimp) were 49.4% small discards, 18.7% large discards, 4.7% commercial species and 27.2% shrimp. The ratio of total by-catch to shrimp was estimated to be about 2.7 times that of the shrimp.