Status of Sepia officinalis and 19 Main Fisheries Species Caught from Southeast Mediterranean Sea, North Sinai, Egypt.

Y. El-Dakar, Ashraf; M. Aly, Salah; A. O. El-Aiatt, Attia; M. AL-Beak, Ahmed

doi:10.21608/ejabf.2020.116577

Status of Sepia officinalis and 19 Main Fisheries Species Caught from Southeast Mediterranean Sea, North Sinai, Egypt.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

10.21608/ejabf.2020.116577

Abstract

The common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis Linnaeus 1758) is consider one of the most important invertebrates (Class: Cephalopods) fishery resources that caught from the Eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. In Egypt, S. officinalis has distinct importance from other fishes that come from natural resources, not only for its abundance in the total catch but for its marketable value as well. This study is the first investigation deal with the fishery status of common cuttlefish as a base on comparison with other main species, also to include catches analysis of 19 main species from the North Sinai fishery. North Sinai Fishery statistics for the period between 1997 and 2017 revealed that cuttlefish is the main cephalopod recourse exploited by the fleet in the southeast of the Mediterranean Sea. During the last few seasons, cuttlefish production is increased with the increase of its value, marketable demand, and high price, where it raised from 37 tons in 1997 to 60.7 tons in 2017. Purse seine gear landings represent almost 50 % of the total catch follows by trammel net and long line, however, trawl is not registered gear in North Sinai as it produced 30% of the total catch. It could be concluded from the current study that fisheries in North Sinai need integrated management for the important species to accomplish a maximum sustainable production.

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