| Resumo: |
The number of purse seiners active in the Western Indian Ocean remained high during the first quarter of 1989, ranging from 49 in January to 48 in March. This represents a significant increase in the number of vessels over the same period last year when an average of 36 vessels was in operation. Excellent fishing results prevailed throughout the first quarter of this year. Catch rates reached a record high, for that period, of 26 MT/day compared to 18 MT/day for the same period last year. The proportion of yellow fin in the catch dropped from 58% in January to 36% in March, with a corresponding increase in the proportion of skipjack from 40% to 63%. This is unusual for this time of the year, when yellow fin is the predominant species in the catch. The fishing pattern was somewhat different to that of previous years, where fishing activity took place inside and to the east of the Seychelles EEZ and good yellow fin catches were obtained during that period. This year in February, vessels started to move to the North-West of the EEZ and by March fishing activity was concentrated in that area with excellent catches of skipjack. The total catch by purse seiners in the Western Indian Ocean for 1988 was estimated at 230,000 MT. As determined from seiner logbooks received by the 31st of March 1989 the cumulative catch by purse seiners in the Western Indian Ocean for the first quarter of 1989, now stands at 60,280 MT.
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