History
The shelf of Guinea-Bissau, extended between Cape Roxo and Santa Ana has an extension of approximately 60 miles in its southern area. This constitutes de wider shelf in West Africa, fact that has favored the presence of foreign fleets during decades. Spanish fleet was one the fist established in Guinea-Bissau during the ‘60s. Since1986, part of the Spanish freezer bottom trawl shrimp fleet has operated in the EEZ of Guinea-Bissau with European Community licences for “shrimper trawlers”. There have been several EU-Guinea Bissau Fishery Agreements during this period, with more restrictive conditions for the fishery along the time.
Fishing Activity
Type of production system: Commercial; Industrial Fishery Area
Climatic zone: Tropical. Bottom type: Soft bottom. Depth zone: Shelf (50 m - 200 m); Slope (200 m - 1000 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 Freezer bottom trawl shrimp 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.
Associated Species (Bycatch)
Small proportions of other crustaceans, fishes and cephalopods.
Vessel Type
Stern trawlers freezerFlag State
Spain
Average characteristics during the period 1999-2006 were 27 m length, 113 GRT and 504 h.p.
Catch Handling and Processing Equipment
Freezing. Shrimps are classified onboard in 8 commercial categories depending on their size (from 0 to 8)
Crew
15-18 persons (Spanish. Mauritanian and Senegalese nationalities) (2009)
Fleet segment
Bottom otter trawl targeting crustaceans with minimum 40 mm mesh size
The fleet is exclusively composed of freezer shrimper trawlers, based at the Port of Huelva (SW Spain).
Fishing Gear
Single boat bottom otter trawlsThese shrimpers usually alternate the use of outriggers and the classic bottom otter trawl with trawl doors (“baka” type), depending on the target species. Thus, outriggers are used to fish P. longirostris and F. notialis, usually during daylight hauls, while the classic bottom otter trawl with trawl doors is employed for a deeper fishery, especially targeting A. varidens and C. maritae in deep hauls usually made at night.
Seasonality
All year long, some vessels combining Guinea-Bissau with other fishing grounds
Trip Duration
30-90 fishing days
Fishery Indicators
| Type | Measure | Value | Unit | Time period |
|---|
| Nominal Effort | Number of vessels | 14 | vessels | 2008 |
| Participation | Number of fishermen | 200-250 | persons | 2008 |
| Production | Catch total | 829 | tonnes | 2004-2008 |
| Catch P. longirostris | 564 | tonnes | 2004-2008 |
| Catch A. varidens | 129 | tonnes | 2004-2008 |
Post Harvest
Fish Utilisation
Wholesale 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
Shrimp 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 crustacean 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 2 “Shrimp 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 Trawlers cephalopods fishery - Guinea Bissau watersMore information on fisheries legislation at: FAOLEX legislative database Status and Trends
The yields of the target species,
P. longirostris, have kept relatively stable during the last ten years. An increase in yields and catches has been detected in 2008.
Source of Information
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).
Sobrino, I. y T. García, 1992. Análisis y descripción de las pesquerías españolas de crustáceos decápodos en aguas de la República de Guinea Bissau durante el periodo 1987-1991. Inf. Téc. Inst. Esp. Oceanogr. 135: 38 pp.
to turn layers on and off 
Parapenaeus longirostris 
Penaeus notialis 