Review of the recent status of exploited stocks of roundscads in the Philippines
1987
Calvelo, R. | Dalzell, P.
A review is presented of the recent status of the Philippine roundscad (Decapterus spp. Fam Carangidae) fishery. The average landings of roundscads between 1975 and 1985 amounted to about 160,000 mt/yr or 13% of the total marine catch. Commercial fishing vessels of over 3 gross tonnes accounted for 80% of the roundscad catch. Virtually all the roundscad catch caught by commercial fishing vessels is taken with four types of gear-purse seines, bag nets (basnigs), trawls and ring nets. Between 1975 and 1985 purse seining contributed an average of about 50% of the total roundscad catch and 60% of the commercial catch. Roundscad are caught throughout most of the Philippines but about 60% of the catch presently comes from the Sulu Sea. Roundscads are caught throughout the year but landings at Navotas fish part, which represent 46% of the commercial catch, demonstrated a distinct seasonality. Data from Navotas (landing part of the Manila capital region) between 1980 and 1986 exhibited a well defined peak from March to June with a through in production towards the end of each year. The relationship between annual catches by ring nets, purse seines and basnigs and a crude measure of fishing effort suggests that roundscad stocks are presently over-exploited. This is supported by data in fishing and natural mortalities for individual species which indicate that these fishes are currently fished at levels of fishing mortality above conventional optimum levels.
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