Previous Page Table of Contents Next Page


ANNEX 1
Standard fishing effort measures

(Source: FAO, 1999b). http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=/DOCREP/003/X2465E/X2465E00.HTM

NB The size of gear should also be recorded if variation in gear size is significant. For example Liftnet effort may need to recorded in terms of liftnet m2hours calculated as (number of hours fished) × (area of net).

FISHING GEAREFFORT MEASURE DESCRIPTORSDEFINITION
FIRST PRIORITY
Surrounding nets (e.g. purse seines)Number of setsNumber of times the gear has been set or shot, whether or not a catch was made. This measure is appropriate when school size and packing density is related to stock abundance or sets are made in a random manner.
Surrounding nets (e.g. purse seines)Searching timeThis represents time on the grounds less time spent shooting net and retrieving the catch as well as time hove to. This measure is complicated by the use of aircraft spotting as well as by the dissemination of information from vessel to vessel. The measure is appropriate when school size and packing density are unrelated to stock abundance and a set is only made when a school has been located.
Surrounding nets (e.g. purse seines) if fishing with Fish Attracting Device (FAD) Number of hours since last fishing this FADTime in which FAD (Fishing Attracting Device) is left in the water since it was last fished.
Boat seines (Danish seine, etc.)Number of hours fishedNumber of hours during which the seine was on the bottom and fishing.
Beach seinesNumber of setsNumber of times the gear has been set or shot, whether or not a catch was made.
CastnetNumber of castsNumber of times the gear has been cast, whether or not a catch was made.
TrawlsNumber of hours fishedNumber of hours during which the trawl was in the water (midwater trawl), or on the bottom (bottom trawl), and fishing.
Boat dredgesNumber of hours fishedNumber of hours during which the dredge was on the bottom and fishing.
Gillnets (set or drift)Number of effort unitsLength of nets expressed in 100-metre units multiplied by the number of sets made (= accumulated total length in metres of nets used in a given time period divided by 100).
Gillnets (fixed)Number of effort unitsLength of net expressed in 100-metre units multiplied by the number of times the net was cleared.
Lift netNumber of hours fishedNumber of hours during which the net was in the water, whether or not a catch was made.
Traps (uncovered pound nets)Number of effort unitsNumber of days fished times the number of units hauled.
Covered pots and fyke netsNumber of effort unitsNumber of lifts times the number of units (= total number of units fished in a given time period).
Longlines (set or drift)Numbers of hooksNumber of hooks fished in a given time period.
Pole-and-lineNumber of days fishedThe number of days (24-hour periods, reckoned from midnight to midnight), on which any fishing took place, including days during which searching took place without fishing.
Rod-and-reel (recreational)Number of line-hoursNumber of hours during which the lines were in the water times number of lines used.
TrollNumber of line-daysTotal number of line days in the given time period.
Jigs (hand and mechanical)Number of line-daysTotal number of line days in the given time period.
Other small-scale net gearsNumber of operationsThose small scale gears including push net, scoop net, drive-in net etc. Number of fishing operation, whether or not a catch was made.
Other small scale stationary gearsNumber of hours fishedThose gears include guiding barriers, bag net, stow net, portable net, etc. Number of hours during which the gears were in the water for fishing, whether or not a catch was made.
Harpoons, spears etc.Number of days fishedThe number of days (24-hour periods, reckoned from midnight to midnight), on which any fishing took place, including days during which searching took place without fishing.
SECOND PRIORITY
Boat seines (Danish seine, etc.)Number of sets madeNumber of times the gear has been set or shot, whether or not a catch was made.
TrawlsNumber of sets madeNumber of times the gear has been set or shot (either in mid-water or to the bottom), whether or not a catch was made.
Lift netNumber of hours fishedNumber of times the net was set or shot in the water, whether or not a catch was made.
All gearsNumber of days fishedThe number of days (24-hour period, reckoned from midnight to midnight) on which any fishing took place. For those fisheries in which searching is a substantial part of the fishing operation, days in which searching but no fishing took place should be included in “days fished”data.
THIRD PRIORITY
All gearsNumber of days on groundThe number of days (24-hour periods, reckoned from midnight to midnight), in which the vessel was on the fishing ground, and includes in addition to the days fishing and searching also all the other days while the vessel was on the ground.
FOURTH PRIORITY
All gearsNumber of days absent from portThe number of days absent from port on any one trip should include the day the fishing craft sailed but not the day of landing. Where it is known that fishing took place on each day of the trip the number of “days absent from port”should include not only the day of departure but also the day of arrival back in port. Where on any trip a fishing craft visits more than one “fishing area”(as defined for statistical purposes) an appropriate fraction of the total number of days absent from port should be allocated to each “fishing area”in proportion to the number of days spent in each, so that the total number of days absent on the trip will be the sum of the number of days allocated to all of the different “fishing areas”visited.
FIFTH PRIORITY
All gearsNumber of trips madeAny voyage during which fishing took place in only one “fishing area”is to be counted as one trip. When in a single trip a craft visits more than one “fishing area”an appropriate fraction of the trips should be apportioned to each “fishing area”in proportion to the number of days spent fishing in each, so that the total number of trips for the Statistical Area as a whole will be the same as the sum of trips to each “fishing area”.

Previous Page Top of Page Next Page