Fishing Activity
Type of production system: Commercial; Industrial Fishery Area
Climatic zone: Tropical. Bottom type: Soft bottom muddy or muddy-sand. Depth zone: Shelf (50 m - 200 m). Horizontal distribution: Neritic. Vertical distribution: Demersal/Benthic.
Geo References for: Guinea Bissau
Guinea Bissau
| Exclusive Economic Zone Areas (EEZ) | GNB - Guinea-Bissau |
| FAO Fishing Statistical Subdivisions | 34.3.13 - Atlantic, East central / 34.3.13 |
More Geo References
The following area codes have been found as intersecting the location of
Spain Trawlers cephalopods fishery - Guinea Bissau watersThe marine environment of Guinea-Bissau is characterized by one of the largest continental shelves in the region, approximately, consisting of large shallow areas, large river run-off and extensive mangrove forests lining the mainland coastline and that of the Bijagós Archipelago. The coastal areas are characterized by strong currents and occasional strong winds. The Guinea-Bissau ecosystem, located at the southern limit of the Canary Current System and the western limit of the Gulf of Guinea System, is characterized by strong seasonal variations of oceanographic conditions (Berrit and Rebert, 1977). From January to February the continental shelf is marked by upwelling events. Characteristically warm and salty tropical waters dominate from May to June. With the progression of the rainy season, the intrusion of warm, low salinity inner waters tends to dominate. As a result of upwelling events and the input of organic matter from river run-off, primary productivity is relatively high in the area (Berrit and Rebert, 1977). There is a seasonal variability of the ecosystem, including a higher productivity during the dry season (Domain, 1982). The biota have adopted strategies compatible with this variability, as reflected, e.g., in feeding migrations of fish along the coast and the reproductive migration of shrimp into estuaries following the cycle of wet and dry seasons.
Resources Exploited
Cephalopods - Guinea-BissauEuropean squid - Guinea BissauOther resources: Cuttlefish and Octopus of Guinea Bissau (11ºN-12ºN), senegalese and benguela hakes, soles, dentex, pandoras and seabreams.
Associated Species (Bycatch)
Sparus spp
Vessel Type
Stern trawlers freezerFlag State
Spain
Average characteristics of these vessels are 30 m length, 240 GRT and 900 h.p.
Catch Handling and Processing Equipment
Freezing
Crew
20 persons (Spanish, Mauritanian and Senegalese nationalities) (2009)
Fleet segment
Bottom otter trawl for cephalopods with minimum mesh size of 70 mm
Fishing Gear
Single boat bottom otter trawlsGears could be prepared either with chains (Spanish trawl) or with bobbins in the footrope (Korean trawl).
Trip Duration
50 to 60 days at sea
Ports
La Luz, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Canary Islands) and Dakar (Senegal)
Fishery Indicators
| Type | Measure | Value | Unit | Time period |
|---|
| Nominal Effort | Number of vessels | 8 | vessels | 2006 |
| Participation | Number of fishermen | 160 | persons | 2009 |
| Production | Catch Sepia spp. | 200 | tonnes | 2002-2006 |
| Catch O. vulgaris | 300 | tonnes | 2002-2006 |
Post Harvest
Fish Utilisation
Consumption and exportation
Management
Management unit: No
Jurisdictional framework
Management Body/Authority(ies): Ministère de la Pêche et de l’Economie Maritime
Mandate: Management.
Area under national jurisdiction: Guinea-Bissau
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: Guinea-Bissau
Maritime Area: Exclusive Economic Zone Areas (EEZ).
Legal definition
Freezer, fin-fish and cephalopods trawlers
Management Regime
Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau for the period 16 June 2007 to 15 June 2011 (OJ L 342, 27.12.2007, p. 10–75). Management measures of the Spanish cephalopods trawlers fishery are included in the current Fishery Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau (OJ L 342, 27.12.2007, p. 10–75) under the fishing category 1 “Freezer, fin-fish and cephalopods trawlers”.
This fishing agreement expired in June 2011 and has not been renewed.
Management Methods
Conservation and management measures with focus on Effort control (licences system) and catch control.
Related Fisheries - Fishing activity(ies) managed under the same management unit or being ruled by the same fishing agreement
Spain Freezer bottom trawl shrimp fishery - Guinea Bissau watersMore information on fisheries legislation at: FAOLEX legislative database Status and Trends
This fishery has suffered a strong decay during the last years. Catches are relatively low and fishing coasts are significantly increasing. These facts make this fishery not profitable at this moment.
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.
Berrit, G.R. and J.P Rebert, 1977. Océanographie physique et productivité primaire. In: G.R. Berri (ed.) Le milieu marin de la Guinée Bissau et ses ressources vivates. Pp :1-60. ORSTOM, Paris.
Domain, F., 1982. Répartition de la biomasse globale du benthos sur le plateau continental ouest africain de 17ºN á 12ºN: densités comparées liées aux differents types de fond. Rapp. P.-v. Reun. J. Cons. int. Explor. Mer 180:335-336.
FAO, 2005. Report of the FAO/CECAF Working Group on the Assessment of Demersal resources- Subgroup South. Cotonou, Benin, 13-21 September 2005. CECAF/ECAF Series. FAO. Roma (in press).
FAO, 2006. Report of the FAO/CECAF Working Group on the Assessment of Demersal resources. Conakry, Guinea, 19-29 September 2003. CECAF/ECAF Series 06/67. FAO. Rome: 357 pp.
FAO, 2008. Report of the FAO/CECAF Working Group on the Assessment of Demersal resources- Subgroup South. Freetown, Sierra Leona, 6-18 October 2008. CECAF/ECAF Series. FAO. Roma (in press).
Official Journal of the European Union, 2007. Fisheries partnership agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau for the period 16 June 2007 to 15 June 2011. OJ L 342, 27.12.2007, p. 10–75).
to turn layers on and off 
Octopus vulgaris 
Merluccius senegalensis 