Gulf of Suez Fisheries: Current Status,Assessment and Management

The Gulf of Suez is the most productive fishing ground along the Egyptian sector of Red Sea, where more than 64% of Egyptian Red Sea fish production was harvested from it. The current status of the Gulf fisheries was evaluated and an assessment of the different fishing gears operated inside it was done. Fishery statistics of the different fishing gears over 25 years (1979-2004) were collected and analyzed. The biomass-based model of Schaefer was applied to the catch per unit of fishing effort (CPUE) indices. The maximum sustainable yield (MSY) and the relevant level of fishing effort (fMSY) for trawl, purse-seine and artisanal fisheries in the Gulf were estimated. Also, 2/3 fMSY, as a target reference point was calculated. The obtained results revealed that, the fish stocks under the current fishing effort for the three fishing methods are overexploited and the estimated precautionary target reference points advised the reduction of fishing effort by about 44.5%, 43.3% and 50% for trawl, purse-seine and artisanal fisheries, respectively. As the reduction of fishing effort seems to be unrealistic, considering socio-economic dimension, regulating mesh size and defining closed area on the light of developing a geographical information system for fishing grounds in the Gulf of Suez could be advised.