Trawl fishing on slope grounds off southeastern and southern Brazil: Trends of the national fleet between 2001 and 2003

Abstract

Recent trawl fishing on slope grounds off the southeastern and southern sections of Brazilian coast is described from 1,570 trips conducted by double rig trawlers and stern trawlers of the national fleet, all of them monitored at their landing sites in Santa Catarina State between January 2001 and December 2003. These trawlers landed nearly 32,000 ton during this period, being 80% and 20% of this total produced by double rig and stern trawlers respectively. Fishery was based on three target-species: the gulf-hake (Urophycis mystacea), the Argentine-hake (Merluccius hubbsi) and the monkfish (Lophius gastrophysus). The Argentine short-finned squid (lllex argentinus) was also important during the winter, when numberless trips were directed towards the species. Trawlers concentrated their operations in two depth strata, including 100í 250 m (shelf break) and 250í 500 m (upper slope). In the deepest stratum predominated the three fish species cited before, becoming targets of most trips. In the shallowest stratum, trawl fishing was multispecific. Double rig trawlers and stern trawlers operated mostly in the north and south of 29°S, respectively, and stern trawlers produced the largest and most selective catches. Patterns of production, abundance and fishing effort have indicated that slope trawling has peaked in 2002 and has steadily declined after that. This trend suggests that slope trawling has developed in a "gold rush†fashion and that its sustainability perspective is incompatible with the elevated trawl fishing capacity installed in Southeatern and Southern Regions of Brazil.