| The catch per unit effort of the sardine, Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum, 1792), on the eastern Adriatic fishing grounds has greatly increased in recent years, notably during the past decade. We compared the relationship between annual mean total length and catch per unit effort (CPUE), as an index of population abundance. Decrease in fish size indicated the occurrence of a strong year class and led to an increase abundance in subsequent years. Long-term variations in catch per unit effort for 1963-1988 in relation to primary production, temperature, salinity and oxygen were analysed, with reference to the sardine, in the principal fishing grounds of the eastern part of the Adriatic. This correlation analysis confirmed the impact of these factors on... |
