Fcur/F0.1: Ratio between the observed fishing mortality coefficient during the last year of the series and F0.1.
Fcur/FMSY: Ratio between the observed fishing mortality coefficient during the last year of the series and the coefficient that would give a maximum sustainable yield over the long term.
Bcur/B0.1: Ratio between the estimated biomass for the last year and the biomass corresponding to F0.1.
Unless otherwise indicated, the indicators were based on the Schaefer dynamic production stock assessment model.

Sardinellas caught in the southern CECAF area from Guinea to Angola are composed of two species, round sardinella (Sardinella aurita) and flat sardinella (Sardinella maderensis), however they are commonly not distinguished in catch reporting. The surveys carried out in the CECAF area show that sardinella is found in a vast area stretching from the North to South of all area. For the moment, the FAO/CECAF Working Group has agreed on the existence of four stocks for these two species in the southern CECAF area: northern zone (Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia), western zone (Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Ghana, Togo and Benin), central zone (Nigeria and Cameroon) and southern zone (Gabon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Congo and Angola) areas (Figure 2.1.1).

CATCH AND EFFORT: -WESTERN STOCK- Peak catches of the two species occur in June–September, which coincides with the major upwelling period in the area. Fishing effort on sardinella in this region is mainly from the artisanal sector. Ghana has the largest series of effort for sardinella in the region, from 1990 to 2017 for the artisanal fishery. The catch appears to be stable between 1992 and 2000, followed by fluctuations around 80 000 tonnes. In general, catches of the western stock of round sardinella showed a declining trend from 2004 to 2017.
CPUE: The CPUE for the artisanal and industrial fisheries was calculated separately for the two sardinella species (S. auritaand S. maderensis) and stocks. Owing to data collection bottlenecks, the two sardinella species are not reported separately for the northern stock (Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone and Liberia); where they are reported as Sardinella spp. Therefore, the CPUE for Sardinella spp. was also calculated. The two species were also combined to harmonize assessment for the south and central stocks (Figure 2.3.1a, Figure 2.3.1b, Figure 2.3.1c, Figure 2.3.1d, Figure 2.3.1e, and Figure 2.3.1f, and Table 2.3.1a, Table 2.3.1b, and Table 2.3.1c).
-WESTERN STOCK- All the countries with the exception of Côte d’Ivoire presented data on the artisanal fleet, and the CPUE (Figure 2.3.1a, Figure 2.3.1b, and Table 2.3.1a) indicated fluctuating trends annually for Ghana and Togo, which is typical of small pelagics. The CPUE of Ghana’s industrial fleet indicated a generally decreasing trend from the early 1990s to 1998, followed by a slight increase in 2003. From 2004 to 2017, there was a general decline in CPUEs in the region.
*Benin has total catch for Sardinella seperated into S. aurita and S. maderensis using the ratio 60:40 (from survey ratio).
Benin Artisanal net small pelagic fishery - coastal zone within 5 nm
Côte d`Ivoire Industrial sardine fishery - Shelf area
Côte d`Ivoire Artisanal purse seine fishery - Abidjan, west of Abidjan
Côte d`Ivoire Artisanal gillnet pelagic fishery

Assessment year: 2018
The CECAF Working Groups have adopted the following Biological Reference Points (BRPs):
- Limit Reference points: BMSY and FMSY
- Target Reference Points: B0.1 and F0.1
Stock status is assigned based on current estimates of fishing mortality (Fcur) and biomass (Bcur) relative to these target and limit reference points (Bcur/BMSY, Fcur/FMSY, Bcur/B0.1, Fcur/F0.1). The results from the stock assessment of this stock are found under the “Biological state and trend section”.