History
The industrial fishery for cephalopods was started at the beginning of the 60’s by a Japanese fleet targeting octopus between cape Bojador (26ºN) and cape Blanc (21ºN). Already in 1963, this fleet was taken over by small Spanish ice trawlers supplying their catches to both Japanese and Spanish mother-ships where production was sorted out, frozen and packed to be distributed to the international market. Small ice trawlers were rapidly substituted by Spanish flagged modern freezer trawlers operating autonomously. Technical characteristics of these freezer trawlers were converging along the years towards a standard vessel of 32 m length overall, 245 t gross tonnage and 900 horse power engine, very well adapted to fishing conditions, mean annual production and type of processing.
Fishing Activity
Type of production system: Commercial; Industrial Fishery Area
Climatic zone: Temperate. Bottom type: Soft bottom clean sand; Hard rocky bottom. Depth zone: Coastal (0 m - 50 m); Shelf (50 m - 200 m). Horizontal distribution: Neritic. Vertical distribution: Demersal/Benthic.
Geo References for: Morocco Atlantic coast-South Zone
Morocco Atlantic coast-South Zone
| Exclusive Economic Zone Areas (EEZ) | MAR - Morocco |
| FAO Fishing Statistical Divisions | 34.1.3 - Sahara coastal |
| FAO Fishing Statistical Subdivisions | 34.1.13 - Atlantic, East central / 34.1.13 |
More Geo References
The following area codes have been found as intersecting the location of
Spain Freezer bottom trawlers cephalopods fishery - Moroccan Atlantic coast waters, SouthThe Moroccan Atlantic coast is part of one of the four major trade-wind driven continental margin upwelling zones in the world oceans, the northwestern African upwelling system (or the Canary Current System). In the Eastern Central Atlantic, the dynamics of an eastern boundary current interacting with trade wind-driven upwelling control this marine ecosystem with exceptionally high primary and secondary productivity (Cury and Roy, 1989; Binet, 1997; Demarcq and Faure, 2000). While coastal upwelling occurs mostly on the shelf, biogenic particles derived from upwelling are deposited mostly at the upper continental slope. Nutrient-rich coastal water is transported within the Cape Ghir filament region at 30°N up to several hundreds of kilometers offshore. Both upwelling intensity and filament activity are dependent on the strength of the summer Trades (Freudenthal et al., 2002).
Associated Species (Bycatch)
Adults
Related Fisheries - Same fishing activity(ies) described by another national perspective (at the same or different aggregation level)
Morocco Spanish Freezer bottom trawlers cephalopods fishery - South of 28°44'NVessel Type
Stern trawlers freezerFlag State
Spain
Average characteristics of 32 m length, 245 GRT and 900 h.p.
Catch Handling and Processing Equipment
Freezing
Fleet segment
This fleet operated under the Morocco–European Union fishing agreement from 1995 to 1999. It was mainly composed of around one hundred Spanish cephalopod trawlers. These vessels practised the Spanish technique of backwards or sideways trawl fishing using three types of conservation. The European trawlers ceased operating in Moroccan Waters in November, 1999.
Fishing Gear
Bottom trawlsThe gears utilized by these cephalopods freezer trawlers tended to be bigger with the time and could be prepared either with chains (Spanish trawl) or with bobbins in the footrope (Korean trawl).
Seasonality
November-August (during the last fishery agreement)
Environmental limitations: Strong winds in the fishing area
Trip Duration
50-60 days at sea
Ports
La Luz y Las Palmas (Gran Canaria), both in the Canary Islands
Fishery Indicators
| Type | Measure | Value | Unit | Time period |
|---|
| Nominal Effort | Number of vessels | 255 | vessels | 1978 |
| Number of vessels | 86 | vessels | 1999 |
| Participation | Number of fishermen | 200 | persons | 2009 |
| Production | Catch | 8703 | tonnes | 1999 |
Post Harvest
Fish Utilisation
Consumption and exportation
Management
Management unit: No
Jurisdictional framework
Management Body/Authority(ies): Ministère de l'Agriculture et de la Pêche Maritime. Département de la Pêche Maritime
Mandate: Monitoring; Management.
Area under national jurisdiction: Morocco
Maritime Area: Exclusive Economic Zone Areas (EEZ).
Management Body/Authority(ies): European Union
Mandate: Flag state responsibility for its fishing vessels operating in foreign area under national jurisdiction.
Area under national jurisdiction: Morocco
Maritime Area: Exclusive Economic Zone Areas (EEZ).
Legal definition
Cephalopoders
Management Regime
Agreement on Cooperation in the sea fisheries sector between the European Community and the Kingdom of Morocco of 1995 (OJ L 306, 19.12.1995, p. 7–43). Management measures of the Spanish freezer cephalopod bottom trawl fishery were included in the different Fisheries Agreement between the European Community and the Kingdom of Morocco. This fishery was closed after the end of the Agreement of 1995-1999. Management measures described below are those included in the last Fishery Agreement where this fishery was allowed (OJ L 306, 19.12.1995, p. 7–43) under the fishing category “Cephalopoders”.
Management Methods
CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT MEASURES with focus on Effort control- Licences system
More information on fisheries legislation at: FAOLEX legislative database Status and Trends
The fishery was closed in 1999, when the Fishery Agreement expired. The new EU-Kingdom of Morocco Fishery Agreement does not include the cephalopods fishery.
Source of Information
Balguerías, E., M.E. Quintero and C.L. Hernández-González, 2000. The origin of the Saharan Bank cephalopod fishery. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 57: 15–23.
Balguerías, C.L. Hernández-González and C. Perales-Raya, 2002. On the identity of Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797 stocks in the Saharan bank (northwest Africa) and their spatio-temporal variations in abundance in relation to some environmental factors. Bulletin of Marine Science, 71(1): 147–163.
Cury, P. and C. Roy, 1989. Optimal environmental window and pelagic fish recruitment success in upwelling areas. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 46, 670–680.
Binet, D., 1997. Climate and pelagic fisheries in the Canary and Guinea currents 1964–1993: the role of trade winds and the southern oscillation. Ocean. Acta 20, 177–190.
Demarcq, H. and V. Faure, 2000. Coastal upwelling and associated retention indices derived from satellite SST. Application to Octopus vulgaris recruitment. Ocean. Acta 23, 391–408.
Freudenthal, T, H. Meggers, J. Henderiks, H. Kuhlmann, A. Moreno, G. Wefer, 2002. Upwelling intensity and filament activity off Morocco during the last 250,000 years. Deep Sea Res. (II Top. Stud. Oceanogr.) 49, 17: 3655-3674.
Official Journal of the European Union, 1995. Agreement on Cooperation in the sea fisheries sector between the European Community and the Kingdom of Morocco. Protocol setting out fishing opportunities and the financial compensation and financial contributions. OJ L 306, 19.12.1995, p. 7–43.
to turn layers on and off 
Octopus vulgaris 
Sepia officinalis 