Fishing Ground Of Tuna Longline And Fishing Efficiency In The Western Indian Ocean

This paper reported the general situations of tuna fishery in the Western Indian Ocean in recent ten years, and studied the fishing efforts, catch, CPUE and fishing grounds of four longline crafts from Zhonglu oceanic fishery co. Ltd in equatorial waters of the Western Indian Ocean in 2004.The results are as follows mainly: The amount of tuna fishing countries(regions)in the Western Indian Ocean were about 40, main countries(regions)were Spain,Iran,Maldives,France,Taiwan and Seychelles with the catch proportion of 68.04% together in 2004. The tuna fisheries catch species were about 20, and catch majority species was tunas with the proportion of 84.43% together in 2004. Tuna were mainly yellowfin tuna (thunnus albacares), skipjack (Katsuwonus pelami), and bigeye tuna (thunnus obesus). The main gears were purse net, gillnet and longline in the tuna fishery with the proportion respectively 39.07%,22.68% and 16.64% together in 2004. China captured small proportion of tunas in the Western Indian Ocean annually, from 294 tons in 1999 to 8384 tons in 2004, and the main gear was longline and the main species were yellowfin tuna (thunnus albacares) and bigeye tuna (thunnus obesus).The data from the fishing efforts of the four crafts said, four crafts fished for 1027 days in 2004 with average 21.4 days per month together. Vessel Taili fished for eleven months (264 days)with the average 24.0 days per month all year; vessel Taikun fished for twelve months (285 days) with the average 23.75 days per month all year; vessel Taihong fished for eleven months (241 days) with the average 21.91 days per month all year; vessel Taijiang fished for twelve months (273 days) with the average 19.75 days per month all year;The data from the daily catch of per craft indicted that, daily catch per month was 427.6～2507.8 kg for four vessels, with the average 991.3㎏/day. Average of daily catch per month was 1010kg in Taili; average of daily catch per month was 1021kg in Taikun; average of daily catch per month was 997kg in Taihong; average of...