Assessment of Fish Stocks Exploited by Fish Traps in the Arabian Gulf Area

Abstract

The yield isopleth diagrams of six commercially important fish species of the Arabian Gulffish trap fishery showed that the stocks of hamoor(Epinephelustauvina), hamrah (Lutjanus coccineus), sheim (Acanthopagrus latus), sheiry aethrinus nebulosus) and fersh (Plectorhynchus pictus) are exploited at an appropriate age at first capture and fishing effort, while newaiby (Otolithes argenuus) should be fished at a reduced effort level. However, the mean sizes at first maturity of all the fish species were greater than the present sizes at first capture. The multispecies analysiS for this fishery suggested that the maximum yield perrecruit will be obtained by an increase in fish trap mesh size (presently 4.0 cm in bar size) to about 6.0-7.0cm. Alternatively, the present yield per recruit can be maintained by reducing fishing effort by 20%, keeping the present mesh size.