Effects Of Overfishing And Abandoning Bottom Trawling On Qatar's Fisheries

Abstract

The present study was conducted to overview the effects of abandoning bottom trawling and increasing fishing effort on the structure and dynamics of Qatar's fisheries during 1985-1994, using the fishery statistics data, issued annually by the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture, State of Qatar. The study indicated that the annual catch has been gradually increasing to reach a peak of 8160 t in 1991, followed by a sharp reduction afterwards. As a result, artisanal fishing effort (no. of fishing vessels) was sharply increased to compensate for the decreased catch per unit effort (CPUE). The catch and CPUE trends indicated that the maximum sustainable yield in Qatar's fisheries is about 6000 t/year. In addition, a dramatic change in species composition in the catch was observed, especially after abandoning bottom trawlin