Catch variation and demographic structure of common dentex (Sparidae) exploited by Mediterranean artisanal fisheries

Abstract

International audienceThe common dentex Dentex dentex (Linnaeus, 1758) is an iconic marine coastal fish found in the Mediterranean Sea. Despite its ecological and economic importance, scientific data on its exploitation are still very scarce. The aim of this study is to: (i) analyze the relationship between the catch per unit effort (CPUE) and possible factors that might have caused the trends observed, (ii) study the temporal and spatial trends in CPUE, (iii) identify the spatial distribution of catches, and (iv) compare the size and age structure of catches. CPUE varies over spatial and temporal scales but shows annual stability. The study reveals that CPUE varies significantly as a function of month, strata and depth. Our results show a seasonal pattern of captures during the spawning period (May) and the associated size class is mainly composed of mature individuals. The length and age frequency histograms of the common dentex show that after the spawning period (June-September) exploitation is mostly made up of small/young and immature individuals. Our spatial approach reveals a heterogeneous catch distribution and identifies important exploitation areas. A combination of management tools and specific measures to safeguard the reproductive potential of this species should be promoted

Evaluation of <em>Homarus gammarus</em> (Crustacea: Decapoda: Nephropidae) catches and potential in a Mediterranean small-scale fishery

“…Onboard monitoring of small-scale fisheries is an important tool that contributes to the suitable exploitation of various key species from the perspective of the island's fishery management (Le Manach et al 2011, Marengo et al 2016. Despite the reporting of greater landings in Fishstat statistics since 2006, the abundance of H. gammarus seems to remain low and stable (Wahle et al 2013).…”

“…Given the equivalent high commercial value of H. gammarus, this species is of potential interest for fishermen wishing to diversify crustacean-fishing activities in the Mediterranean. In Corsica (NW Mediterranean), the overall fleet can be described as artisanal, which makes it fully representative of Mediterranean small-scale fisheries (Marengo et al 2016).…”

Age structure of spawners of the axillary seabream, Pagellus acarne (Risso, 1827), in the central Mediterranean Sea (Strait of Sicily)

“…Overall, species belonging to the family of Sparidae constitute an important fishery resources in warm temperate marine areas such as the Mediterranean Sea (e.g. Gordoa and Molì, 1997;Monteiro et al, 2010;Marengo et al, 2016) in terms of species diversity, total landing and high commercial value of the landings (Mouine et al, 2012). Among the Sparidae, the genus Pagellus includes several species targeted by Mediterranean demersal fisheries, being the most important the axillary seabream, P. acarne (Risso, 1827), the blackspot seabream, P. bogaraveo (Brünnich, 1756) and the common pandora, P. erythrinus (Linnaeus, 1758).…”

Ecosystem modelling of the Eastern Corsican Coast (ECC): Case study of one of the least trawled shelves of the Mediterranean Sea

“…Because of its diversity of seascapes and habitats, Corsica hosts many fish and invertebrate species and is considered a biodiversity hotspot (Miniconi et al, 1990). The island is inhabited by many emblematic species protected through regulations, including the dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus), common dentex (Dentex dentex), and spiny lobster (Palinurus elephas; Bodilis et al, 2003, Marengo et al, 2016, 2020. The island's coastal waters are protected by several marine protected areas (MPAs), including the Scandola Natural Reserve, the Bonifacio Straits Natural Reserve (BNSR), and, more recently, the Cap Corse and Agriate Marine Natural Park (OEC, 2011).…”

“…We calculated the biomass of Chondrichthyes and teleosts from different sources. For the bathymetric stratum (0-50 m), we used the fish net catch data (fishery database cited in Marengo et al, 2016, Pere et al, 2019, Bousquet et al, 2022, and for the bathymetric stratum 50-200 m, we retrieved the information from the MEDITS trawling survey data (IFREMER, 2019), corrected by catchability parameters. These latter parameters were extracted from Moutopoulos et al (2013) by comparing MEDITS data and the biomass used in an Ecopath model for the Calalan Sea (Coll et al, 2006).…”