Report of the FAO Working Group on the Assessment of Small Pelagic Fish off Northwest Africa. Nouadhibou, Mauritania, 26 April-5 May 2005 / Rapport du Groupe de travail de la FAO sur l’évaluation des petits pélagiques au large de l’Afrique nord-occidentale. Nouadhibou, Mauritanie, 25 avril-5 mai 2005.
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The fifth meeting of the FAO Working Group on the Assessment of Small Pelagic Fish off Northwest Africa was held in Nouadhibou, Mauritania, from 26 April to 5 May 2005. The meeting continued to focus on data quality and on the analysis of trends in the basic data (landings, catch, effort, abundance, length and age distribution) and trends in the fishery independent survey data. The structure of the report is the same as that of the previous Working Group report (FAO, 2004), with the ad dition of two chapters, one on bonga (Ethmalosa fimbriata) and one on anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus). The results of the assessments indicate that the sardine stock in Zone C is not fully exploited and the Working Group hence noted that the total catch level may be temporarily increased but should be adjusted to natural changes in the stock. A constant monitoring of the stock abundance and structure, by scientific surveys, independent from catch data, should be ensured, to detect u nanticipated changes that may require urgent management measures. As regards the central stock of sardine (Zones A+ B), it is recommended not to increase catches above the average level of the last five years. The stock of round sardinella was found to be fully exploited and it was hence recommended not to increase catches of sardinella above the current level (2004). As a precautionary approach, the Working Group recommended not to increase catches above the average level of the las t five years for the horse mackerels and not to increase catches above the 2004 level for chub mackerel. For bonga the Working Group recommended as a precautionary measure that the catch level should not exceed the average over the last five years and for anchovy the catch level should not exceed the average over the last three years.