Seychelles tuna bulletin : first quarter 1991

Abstract

The number of purse seiners vessels active in the Western Indian Ocean remained constant at 43 from January to March. This represents a significant drop from last year 1st quarter average of 52 vessels. To date the fishing results appear to be better than those of the same period in 1990 with the catch rates being substantially higher. Yellowing tuna made up 88% of the catch in January and February dropping down to 67% in March which is the expected trend during this time of the year. The fishing pattern also followed a similar trend to previous years in that most vessels were active to the East of the Seychelles EEZ and moving South towards the Mozambique Channel in March.The total catch for purse seiners fishing in the Western Indian Ocean for 1990 was 221260 MT which indicates a slight decrease in catch compared to 1989. The cumulative catch for the first quarter of 1991 based on purse seiner logbooks now stands at 37684 MT. Towards the end of 1990 a new fishing agreement was signed with Mauritius allowing for the licensing of five purse seiners and one long liner over a two year period. New agreements were signed with two Japanese organizations allowing Japanese long liners to receive licenses. One new license was also granted for a purse seiner registered in St. Vincent.