Technological aspects of the gillnet industrial fishery in the State of Santa Catarina - Brazil

Abstract

The current work describes the industrial gillnet fishery in Santa Catarina State through analyzing the physical characteristics of the vessels involved and the technological specifications of the nets used in these fisheries. The data were collected through an Observer Program, questionnaires applied to skippers and technical visits to the netmakers. All vessels monitored in 2010 were built in wood, 14 to 25 m long, with 30 to 120 gross tonnages and engine power of 113 to 470 HP. The coastal gillnet fisheries captures mainly white mouth croaker (Micropogonias furnieri) and argentine croaker (Umbrina canosai). The mesh size used for the white mouth croaker fishery was 130 mm (stretched mesh size), and the nets were approximately 3.60 m high x 58-60 m long. As for the Argentine croaker fishery the mesh size used was 100 mm and the nets dimensions were 3.20 m high and 50 m long. On the slope, the main target-species of the gillnet fishery were the gulf-hake (Urophycis mystacea) and the monkfish (Lophius gastrophysus). The gulf-hake fishery used mesh size of 110 mm, and the nets were 3.20 m high and 45 m long, while the monkfish fishery used mesh size of 280 mm, operating nets of 3.60 m high and 50 m long. The results show that the distinction of these fisheries in terms of target-species and fishing gear, combined with the differences in their fishing areas and incidental catch composition, indicate the necessity to consider them distinct management units liable to specific measures.