Surveying Artisanal Tuna Fishing Statistic in Hormozgan Province

Abstract

The coast of the Hormozgan province has been divided into five strata. From west to east, the five geographical strata are, Lengeh, Qeshm Island, Bandar Abbas, Kolahi and Jask. The statistical procedure used in the study takes into consideration four boat type categories that are distinguished on the basis of carrying capacity, 1 ton boats, 1 to 20 tons, 20 to 50 tons more than 50 tons and four gear types; gillnet, trap, hooks, beach seine, with tunas being caught mainly by gillnetters and in minor proportion with lines. No data are available for the Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island geographical strata. Longtail tuna is dominate species in the tuna catches of the Hormozgan province, followed by the two species of seerfish (Scomberomorus) and by yellowfin tuna. The three main strata; Lengeh, Kolahi, Jask, for which completes sets of catch data is available call be taken as being representative of the three main fishing zones of the Hormozgan province. A. thazard is caught in all the three strata both inside and outside the Persian Gulf. Yellow tuna (T. albacares) is caught almost exclusively in the outer stratum of Jask between September and December. Longtail tona (T. tonggol) shows marked differences in Seasonal trends between the open water stratum of Jask and the western stratum of Lengeh. Skipjack tuna (K. pelamis) is only caught in the area between September and March, showing approximately the same trend as yellow tuna. Kawakawa (E.affinis) is mainly caught inside the Persian Gulf. In Jask area the best catches of this species are obtained from June to August. The sudden switch between catches of Longtail and Yellowfin in the outer stratum of Jask in August – October, could he partly due to a change in fishing strategy. The increase in tuna catches inside the Persian Gulf during the colder months could be the result or active migration by most of the neritic species toward this area in winter.