Seychelles tuna bulletin: Year 2009

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 for longline fishing vessel 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 2008 was 278,956 MT. This was achieved by an average of 45 vessels active per months and a fishing effort of 13,223 fishing days giving a mean catch rate of 21.10 MT/fishing days. The purse seine tuna catch reported for the Western Indian Ocean during the first semester of 2009 was 116,000 MT obtained from a fishing effort of 5,789 fishing days, this giving a mean catch rate of 20.04 MT/fishing days. This represents a decrease of 5 % in catches from the 122,413 MT recorded during the same period in 2008. During the second semester of 2009, a total of 146,718 MT of tuna was caught from a fishing effort of 5,148 fishing days. This represents a 6 % decrease in total catch over the same period in 2008. The mean catch rate recorded during the second semester of 2009 was 28.50 MT/fishing days compared to 23.71 MT/fishing day recorded during the same period in 2008. The total purse seine tuna catches for the year 2009 was estimated at 262,719 MT representing a decrease of 6% or 16,238 MT of tuna below the total catch recorded in 2008. This was achieved by an average of 38 vessels active per month and fishing effort of 10,936 fishing days. Thus the mean catch rate for 2009 was estimated at 24.02 MT/fishing days. During 2009, skipjack tuna dominated the catch accounting for 57% of the total catch followed yellowfin tuna (32%) and bigeye tuna (10%). Catches of Skipjack, and bigeye tuna increased by 10 % and 0.1 % respectively, whilst that of yelllowfin tuna decreased by 25 %. 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 2009, transhipment and landing through Port Victoria amounted to 72,197 MT representing 62 % of the total catch. For the same period in 2008 a total of 99,081 MT (81 % of the total catch) was unloaded in Port Victoria. This represents a decrease of 27 % in total tuna transhipped/landed during the first semester of 2009 over the same period in 2008 (table 3). During the second semester of 2009, a decrease of 8 % was recorded in total tuna transhipped/landed in Port Victoria compared to the same period of the previous year. A total of 139,398 MT, 95 % of the total catch was unloaded here compared to 151, 172 MT for the same period for 2008. For the whole of 2009, a total of 211,595 MT of tuna was transhipped/ landed in Port Victoria compared to 250,253 MT in 2008. This represents 81% of the total catch for the year 2009 and a decrease of 15 % from the previous year.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 2008 are related to 948 logbooks (months) or 84 % logbook received at the time when statistical tables were generated. A total of 136 licenses were issued to 122 vessels in 2008. During 2009, a total of 604 logbooks (months) or 81% logbook were received, for the 112 licences issued to 93 vessels. Analysis of data collected to date show that: The total catch reported for the whole year 2008 was 11,806 MT obtained from a fishing effort of 30 million hooks, thus giving a mean catch rate of 0.39 MT/1000 hooks. During the first semester of 2009, a total catch of 6,395 MT was reported, compared to 7,441 MT for the same period in 2008 representing a decrease of 14 %. This was achieved from a fishing effort of 15.3 million hooks giving a mean catch rate of 0.42 MT/1000 hooks. The mean catch rate for the same period in 2008 was 0.36 MT/1000 hooks. During the second semester of 2009 a total catch of 3,826 MT was reported compared to 4,365 MT for 2008. A total of 9.9 million hooks were set during that period giving a mean catch rate of 0.38 MT/1000 hooks compared to 0.46 MT/hooks, which was recorded during the same period the previous year. For the whole of 2009, a total catch of 10,221 MT was reported representing a decrease of 13 % in catches when compared to the year 2008. The 2009 catches were achieved from a fishing effort of approximately 25.3 million hooks giving a mean catch rate of 0.40 MT/1000 hooks compared to 0.39 MT/1000 hooks for 2008. For the whole year 2009, yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna and swordfish recorded significant decrease of 52 %, 25 % and 19 % respectively. Bigeye tuna dominated the catch accounting for 50% of the total catch whilst yellowfin tuna accounted for only 9 % of the total catch.