Blue marlin is fished in the French Antilles around Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs). This fishery commenced in late 1985 and the fishing fleet reached its full potential in the second half of the 2000s. A fisheries information system (SIH), implemented from 2008, enables good estimation of catches and effort around FADs. The data on catch estimates of blue marlin and associated fishing effort are presented herein, as well as the methods used to assess them. From these and a survey of fishing masters, it is possible to reconstitute, year by year, the fishing fleet working around FADs in the French Antilles and to reconstitute a historical series of blue marlin landing. |