The characteristic tendencies of cephalopod fisheries in the Northern CECAF Region were analysed by country.
A marked tendency to an increase of the number of units exercising this fishery was observed in Morocco:
1972–1973 = 0
1975–1976 = 10
end of 1981 = about one hundred (of which about 20 are inoperative at present).
All these boats are based at Las Palmas and registered in Morocco. They are all freezer vessels of 200 to 800 gross tons and 600 to 1 800 HP engine power; those purchased lately, of recent construction, are of Spanish, Korean, Japanese and French origin. They are managed by mixed or national companies and most of them have mixed Moroccan, Korean and Spanish crews. About 50 new ships are shortly to be added to this fleet which works almost exclusively in the zone located along the Moroccan coasts between 23° and 25°N. The smaller of these vessels make sea trips of 40 to 45 days and the larger ones of 60 to 75 days. A traditional Moroccan small trawler fleet also fishes a secondary cephalopod catch (in Division 34.1.1).
The Spanish fisheries seek octopus, cuttlefish and squid. At present the fleet consists of 195 freezer-trawlers which make landings at Las Palmas. The engine power of these vessels averages 810 HP, their tonnage varies between 100 to 400 tons, and their average length is 32 m. The duration of their sea trips is 40 to 45 days. At present the number of units is far less than the 290 vessels which exercised fishery in 1979. In fact part of these vessels has been transferred to mixed Moroccan-Spanish enterprises. The main fishing zone, like that of the Moroccans, lies between 23° and 25°N and is located in small target species concentration areas. Moreover within this “traditional” Spanish trawler fishing zone some sections of the coastal areas are prohibited and inaccessible to the fleets because of the regulations in force. Recently a reduction of Spanish fishing effort has been observed in the Southern zone (from 21° to 22°N) as a result of restrictions on fishery in this sector. It should be noted that the Spanish trawler fleet includes a number of refrigerated freezer-trawlers since their fishing effort is directed, at least in principle, mainly to finfish, but they also capture a marginal quantity of cephalopods (2 percent of the total according to Spanish statistics).
The tendency of Korean fishery was analysed on the basis of the 1980 data presented by Korea and those collected at Las Palmas by the CECAF project in line with the CECAF recommendations (Shimura, 1981). A considerable difference was observed among these data which in fact seem to represent only a small sample. Therefore, the activity of the Korean fleet is certainly followed much better on the basis of the CECAF data. Korean fishing effort remained relatively stable during the recent period (87 boats until 1979), with a slight decrease in 1980 (80 units). In 1981, 96 Korean trawlers made landings at Las Palmas. The gross tonnage of these vessels ranges from 250 to 1 000 tons of which a “mode marqué” clear majority (50 percent of the fleet) are between 310 and 400 tons. The average time at sea of these vessels is about 60 days, or longer than that of Moroccan or Spanish trawlers in 1980, i.e., 60 days for Korean trawlers. These trawlers exploit a vast zone from 15° to 26°N concentrating their fishing effort seasonally in some zones. Although very fragmentary, the new data submitted by Korea for 1980 give a good qualitative picture of the space-time distribution of catch per specie of the Korean fleet.
Japan, the leading cephalopod fishing country in the region at the start of the fishery, has markedly decreased its activity transferring its fishing effort in other regions. However it maintains some activity in the Cape Blanc zone.
The USSR declared large octopus catches between 1975 and 1978 (from 6 to 9 000 t) from the 19° to 26°N area. Its declared catches declined in 1980 (2 600 t). The Working Group did not have documentation on the fleet which made these catches, presumably it is a fleet based at Nouadhibou whose fishing effort was temporarily directed to octopus (as was indicated by the high tonnage of the catch). It is difficult to make a detailed interpretation of the decrease of catches in 1980 due to the lack of data, but it was undoubtedly related to the reduction of this directed fishing effort of the USSR in the region.
The fishery was started in 1973 with Senegalese trawlers managed by mixed Senegalese-Japanese shipping companies. This fleet captures mainly cuttlefish and octopus. Artisanal fishery has developed since 1975, mainly capturing cuttlefish and squid. Cuttlefish is by far the leading specie. At present the fleet consists of three refrigerated pair-trawlers and a traditional freezer-trawler (five units in 1977). The artisanal fleet consisting of about 300 mechanized pirogues uses pots and jigs. Recently industrial fishing effort has dropped while that of artisanal fishery has developed. Only the zone between Cape Verde (15°N) and Casamance (12°N) (with the exception of The Gambia) is fished by Senegalese fleets.
According to Shimura, Libya has exploited the area between 19° and 21°N considerably since 1980 (the country seems to have started its exploitation in the sector in 1979). In 1980 twelve Libyan trawlers of 310 to 410 tons were observed; they made their landings at Las Palmas from which they effected 85 sea trips (10 Libyan boats made landings there in 1981).
Italy appeared in the fishery in 1980 with six ships, four of them from 750 to 1 000 tons. The fishing zone declared by this new fleet is located north of 26°, but this declaration seems doubtful. In 1981 this Italian fleet based at Las Palmas was increased to a total of 22 trawlers.
Ghana has maintained marginal activity in the sector during the recent period (from 1 to 5 ships; 8 in 1981).
Mauritania has developed its trawler fleet since 1980, and seven Mauritanian trawlers landed 1 675 tons of cephalopods at Las Palmas in that year. In 1981, 46 Mauritanian trawlers of between 200 and 400 tons made landings at Las Palmas.
The Guinean fleet does not exploit cephalopods. However in that country we note an increase of activities of some foreign countries which fish cephalopods in the region as by-catch (north of Conakry).
