Seychelles tuna bulletin: Year 2008

Abstract

Data used to generate the tables and figures presented here are based on daily catch and effort forms (logbooks) returned from fishing vessels that are licensed to fish in the Seychelles EEZ and for purse seiners, as well as from data collected via the tuna sampling programme conducted during transhipment in Port Victoria. Sometimes there are delays in these being received at SFA, especially for longliners that often spend up to a year at sea, and for purse seiners the delays are usually during and just after the second quarter of the year when most vessels are fishing in the Mozambique Channel and are not necessarily using Port Victoria for transhipment. Readers should note that many of the figures presented here are subject to revision (usually upwards) as more data become available. The closing date for compilation of data prior to the generation of the statistical tables is shown at the head of each table. PURSE SEINERS PRINCIPAL POINTS: The total catch reported by purse seiners licensed in Seychelles during the year 2007 is estimated at 245,670 MT. This was achieved by an average of 49 vessels active per month and a fishing effort of 14,930 fishing days giving a mean catch rate of 16.45 MT/fishing days. The purse seine tuna catch reported for the Western Indian Ocean during the first semester of 2008 was 122,413 MT obtained from a fishing effort of 6,621 fishing days, thus giving a mean catch rate of 18.49 MT/fishing days. This represents an increase of 21 % in catches from the 101,506 MT recorded during the same period in 2007. During the second semester of 2008, a total of 156,543 MT of tuna was caught from a fishing effort of 6,601 fishing days. This represents a 9 % increase in total catch over the same period in 2007. The mean catch rate recorded during the second semester of 2008 was 23.71 MT/ fishing day compared to 18.88 MT/fishing days recorded during the same period in 2007. The total purse seine tuna catches for the year 2008 is estimated at 278,956 MT, representing an increase of 14 % or 33,286 MT of tuna over the total catch recorded in 2007. This was achieved by an average of 45 vessels active per month and a fishing effort of 13,223 fishing days. Thus the mean catch rate for 2008 is estimated at 21.10 MT/ fishing day. During 2008, skipjack tuna dominated the catch accounting for 49 % of the total catch followed by yellowfin tuna (40 %) and bigeye tuna (10%). Catches of bigeye tuna, yellowfin tuna and skipjack tuna increased by 32 %, 22 % and respectively 4 %. Readers should note that the catch composition recorded by fishermen in their daily catch and effort reports were corrected based on scientific sampling carried out during transshipment or landing in Port Victoria. Table 3 shows purse seine transshipment or landing statistics by harbour. It should be noted that the figures represent the transshipment or landing of vessels whose trips ENDED in the month indicated and NOT the actual month of physical transshipment or landing of the catch. During the first semester of 2008, transhipment and landing through Port Victoria amounted to 99,081 MT representing (81%) of the total catch. For the same period in 2007 a total of 82, 491 MT (81% of the total catch) was unloaded in Port Victoria. This represents an increase of 20% in total tuna transhipped during the first semester of 2008 over the same period in 2007 (table 3). During the second semester of 2008, an increase of 53 % was recorded in total tuna transhipped/landed in Port Victoria compared to the first semester. A total of 151, 172 MT, 97% of the total catch was unloaded here compared to 139, 262 MT for the same period of the previous year. For the whole of 2008, a total of 250,253 MT of tuna was transhipped/ landed in Port Victoria compared to 221,753 MT in 2007. This represents 90% of the total catch for the year 2008 and an increase of 13% above the previous year. Map 1 to 4 shows fishing grounds exploited by purse seine during the year 2007 and 2008. LONGLINERS.PRINCIPAL POINTS:Readers should be aware that the longliners statistics represent only a small sample of the total longliners activity in the WIO because: Not all longliners in the WIO have a licence to fish in the Seychelles EEZ and therefore are under no obligation to report to SFA. Some Distant Water Fishing Nations (DWFN) provide SFA with log sheets covering their activity in the whole Indian Ocean while others confine their reports to the Seychelles EEZ. Since the duration of licences can vary from one month to twelve months, for comparison purposes, each month covered in a logbook was considered as one logbook. The statistics published for 2007 are related to 1237 logbooks (months) or 85 % logbook received at the time when statistical tables were generated. A total of 190 licenses were issued to 180 vessels in 2007. During 2008, a total of 948 logbooks (months) or 84% logbook were received, for the 136 licences issued to 122 vessels. Analysis of data collected to date show that: The total catch reported for the whole year 2007 was 16,601 MT obtained from a fishing effort of 40.75 million hooks, thus giving a mean catch rate of 0.41 MT/1000 hooks. During the first semester of 2008, a total catch of 7, 441 MT was reported compared to 8,877 MT for the same period in 2007 representing a decrease of 16%. This was achieved from a fishing effort of 20.88 million hooks giving a mean catch rate of 0.36 MT/1000 hooks. The mean catch rate for the same period in 2007 was 0.42 MT/1000 hooks. During the second semester of 2008 a total catch of 4,365 MT was reported compared to 7,724 MT for 2007. A total of 9.46 million hooks were set during that period giving a mean catch rate of 0.46 MT/1000 hooks, slightly higher than that recorded during the same period the previous year (0.40 MT/1000 hooks). For the whole of 2008, a total catch of 11,806 MT was reported representing a decrease of 29 % in catches when compared to the year 2007. The 2008 catches were achieved from a fishing effort of 30.34 million hooks giving a mean catch rate of 0.39 MT/1000 hooks compared to 0.41 MT/1000 hooks for 2007. For the whole year of 2008, yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna and swordfish recorded a decrease of 56 %, 24 % and 22 % respectively. Bigeye tuna dominated the catch accounting for 58% of the total catch whilst yellowfin tuna made up 16 % of the total catch.