Fishing of the Flat Sardinella (Sardinella maderensis, Pisces, Lowe 1838) in Benin (West Africa) Nearshore Waters: Production, Typology of Fishing Gear and Current Status of Its Stock

Abstract

Sardinella maderensis is one of the fish species well appreciated in Benin. In recent years, this species has experienced a decrease in its production in the coastal waters of this country. To search for the causes of this decline in production, a standard survey was carried out using Computed Assisted Personal Interviewing with the 38 artisanal fishermen at the artisanal fishing port of Cotonou who targets this species in order to inquire about the fishing gear and techniques of production. The current stock status of this species was determined using FiSAT from a sample of 1240 specimens collected randomly in commercial catches from January to December 2021. The typical survey revealed a massive use of non-regulatory fishing mesh gear (86.85%). The fishing effort is also sustained and results in a fishing mortality rate (F = 2.88 yr−1 ) higher than the rate of natural mortality (M = 2.22 yr−1 ) suggesting overfishing of the stock. Sustainable management through capacity building of fishermen and application of regulations in terms of gear mesh size and respect for fishing seasons could be stated.