Turkish harpoon fishery for swordfish Xiphias gladius in the Aegean Sea (Gökçeada Island)

Abstract

Abstract This study reports the catch per unit effort (CPUE) of swordfish harpoon fishery for the first time in the Turkish Aegean Sea. This research was carried out with commercial harpooners for swordfish in Kaleköy fishing port, Gökçeada Island, a unique harpooning area in Turkish waters during fishing seasons in 2009 and 2010. Catch data (number of specimens and weight of each fish) were recorded on daily basis by both scientific observers and questionnaire with skippers. The effective fishing days at sea were used as a unit of fishing effort. The harpooning data collected during the two seasons (2009-2010) from 21 vessels in Saros Bay showed a total of 20555 kg and 544 specimens. The average CPUEs were 49.7 ± 8.5 kg and 1.3 ± 0.2 in number of fish per day for 2009, and 25.7 ± 12.5 kg and 0.8 ± 0.3 in number of fish per day for 2010. There was no significant difference in the means of swordfish CPUE values both in number and weight between two fishing seasons (2009-2010) (P>0.05).

Keywords

• Key words: Swordfish, Xiphias gladius, harpoon fishery, CPUE, Gökçeada, Aegean Sea

Kaynakça

1. Akyol, O. (2012) Swordfish (Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758) fishery. In: The State of the Turkish Fisheries. (eds., A. Tokaç, A.C. Gücü, B. Öztürk),
2. Publication No. 35, TÜDAV, Istanbul, pp. 364-371. Akyol, O., Ceyhan, T. (2011) Turkish swordfish fishery. Col. Vol. Sci. Pap., ICCAT 66 (4): 1471-1479.
3. Artüz, I. (1963) Contribution to the knowledge of the biology of the swordŞsh
4. (Xiphias gladius L.) in the Sea of Marmara. Proc. Gen. Fish. Coun. Medit. 7: 459-4
5. Bartlett, M.S. (1937a) Properties of sufficiency and statistical tests. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series A 160: 268-282.
6. Bartlett, M.S. (1937b) Some examples of statistical methods of research in agriculture and applied biology. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society 4: 137- 1
7. Demir, M., Acara, A., Arım, N. (1956) Investigations on swordfish (Xiphias gladius L.). İ.Ü. Fen Fak. Hidr. Araş. Enst. Yayınları, Hidrobiologi Mecmuası,
8. Seri A 3: 137-143 (in Turkish). Di Natale, A., Celona, A., Mangano, A. (2005) A series of catch records by the harpoon fishery in the Strait of Messina from 1976 to 2003. Col. Vol. Sci. Pap., ICCAT 58 (4): 1348-1359.

9. Onat, S. (1970) Pelagic fishes and their catching periods. Balık ve Balıkçılık
10. Dergisi, EBK Yayınları, Istanbul 18: 39-40 (in Turkish). Romeo, T., Ancora, S., Manganaro, A., Andaloro, F., Fossi, M.C. (2001) The swordfish fishing by harpoon in the Strait of Messina. Rapp. Comm. int. Mer Médit. 36: 318.
11. Romeo, T., Consoli, P., Punzon, A., Modica, L., Raffa, F., Perzia, P., Battaglia, P., Esposito, V., Andaloro, F. (2010) Swordfish (Xiphias gladius Linnaeus 1758) harpoon fishery: a method of evaluation of swordfish presence in the Strait of Messina (Central Mediterranean Sea). J. Appl. Ichthyol. 26: 886-891. doi: 1111/j.1439-0426.2010.01522.x
12. Sainsbury, J.C. (1986) Commercial Fishing Methods. An Introduction to
13. Vessels and Gears. 2nd Ed., Fishing News Books Ltd. Surrey, England, 207 pp. Üner, S. (1968) Fishing and Fish Meals. 7. Baskı, Mayıs 1984, Say Kitap
14. Pazarlama, İstanbul, 143 pp, (in Turkish). Ward, P. (2000) Swordfish Fisheries and Management Today. Pelagic Fisheries
15. Research Program-PFRP 5(4): 1-8. Ward, P., Porter, J.M., Elscot, S. (2000) Broadbill swordfish: status of established fisheries and lessons for developing fisheries. Fish and Fisheries 1: 317-3
16. Zar, J.H. (1999) Biostatistical Analysis, 4th edition. Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. 718 pp.