Seychelles artisanal fisheries statistics for 1998

(1). During 1998 an estimated total of 3334.3 tonnes of fish was landed on Mahe, Praslin and La Digue by 355 fishing boats. 86% of the total catch was landed on Mahe alone. The catch volume has decreased by 716 tonnes compared to the 1997 catch and the number of boats operating has increased by 7 vessels over the same period. (2). The most important species groups landed (greater than 5% of the total catch) were carangues (30.2%), job (18.1%), capitaine (8.4%), red snappers (including bourgeois) 12.7% and barracuda (4.5%). (3). Peak landings occurred in November (507.1 MT) and the lowest catch was recorded in March (172.2 MT). The average catch per month was 277.8 tonnes this is 63.4 tonnes less on average per month than for 1997. (4). A marked seasonal variation in catches of dernersal species was observed, however the trend of low catches being recorded during the period of southeast trade winds (June - September) shifted to between March and July. Peak catches of carangues have normally occurred during the months of March to May, however this period during 1998 showed the lowest catches of this group. The catch of pelagic species in 1998 tended to be greatest during November and December. As regards the demersal species the seasonal variation tended to shift from peaks recorded during the second quarter in past seasons, to mostly forth quarter peaks during the 1998 fishing period. Catches of cordonnier dropped in April and May. The catch of other trap fish, however, dropped slightly from May to July. (5). In total the small boat fishery accounted for 29.7% of fish landings during 1998. The percentage catch by boat type for the small boat fishery is as follows; fishermen on foot - 1.2% pirogues — 3.7 %; outboards — 24.7% and whalers with Fixed traps 0.1%. Fishermen on foot landed mostly octopus (81.4%): pirogues landed mainly maqueraux.(60.2% and trap fish (16.3%): outboards landed predominantly carangues (28.7%), cordonnier (15.5%), and other trap fish (13.8%), whalers with traps landed mainly cordonnier (46.7%) and red snappers (26.7%). Landings by the small boat fleet were made up mostly of pelagic species (47.8%). (6). The whaler handline fishery accounted for 61.5% of total landings. An average of 89 whalers operated each month during 1997 including those using traps indicating a decrease of 2 vessels overall when compared to 1997. Carangues made up just over a third of the catch (35.7%). Other important species in the catch were; job gris (25%), Bourgeois (6.8%) and vara vara (5.9%). (7). An average of 10.6 schooners operated each month during 1998 and accounted for 7.2% of total landings. Bourgeois was the most important species caught (14.4%) followed by .job gris (12%), vara vara (5.2%) and carangues (5%). The spanner crab Ranina ranina accounted for 5% of schooner landings. (8). Fish purchases from the artisanal fishery by the Oceana Fisheries Co. Ltd. were equivalent to 17.5% of total landings (585.2 MT). 100% was purchased in Victoria, Mahe. Major species purchased were: bourgeois (27.2%), job (15.5%), carangues (9.7%) and groupers (8.7%). (9). Oceana Fisheries also purchased 258.1 MT of frozen fish (gutted and ungutted) from foreign longline vessels during 1998. Species purchased were all pelagic of which bonite was the most common (45.4%) followed by swordfish (19%) and yellowlin (13.8%), (10). Fish product exports during 1998 generated revenue of 426.3 million Seychelles Rupees in foreign exchange earnings. (11). A comparison of data collected between 1986 and 1998 follows. The proportion of catch by boat type and number of boats operating shown in the following table do not include the research vessels of the Seychelles Fishing Authority which landed 29.5 tonnes in 1998 contributing to 0.9% of the total catch.

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