Coastal Aquaculture and Mariculture

Unit 2 - Marine Fishery resources of the world

2.3. Atlantic Ocean
North West Atlantic (FAO Fishing Area 21)
This area located south of 350 N is divided into 3 main regions.
1) Canada 2) United States 3) Green Land
Main features of the hydrography are year to year fluctuations in the cold and warm water current systems. (Gulf Stream warm water and East Greenland Cold water). The general situation of the coastal fisheries and demersal stocks are discouraging. Due to heavy fishing, several stocks have been collapsed (Cod, haddock and herring). The main fisheries in the area have been the demersal by trawl and line. In the southern area, two biggest fisheries are for menhaden (Fish meal and oil) and oysters. Dogfish continued to dominate the demersal biomass in the southern area. In the northern area, the catch rate for shrimp show a declining trend. Red fishes have shown a trend parallel to that of gadolds.

Major species
I. Cod (Gadus morhua)
2. Haddock (Melanogrammus aeoglefinusj
3. Red fish (Sebastes spp.)
4. Silver hake (Merluccinus billinearis)
5. Flounders (include several species of flat fishes)
6. Herring (Clupea herengus) inshore fishery
7. Other fishes (include a variety of sharks, sword fish, tuna and hakes)
8. Molluscs & Crustaceans
Cod and dogfish continue to dominate the demersal bio-mass. Prospect for improving haddock and flat fish are there. Quite recently, molluscan catches have expanded dramatically. The fisheries of United States have long tradition of lobster fisheries.

North East Atlantic (FAO Fishing Area 21)
The area treated here is north east of the latitude 36°N in the South. The region is conveniently marked into 3 major areas.
1) Baltic 2) North Sea 3) Iceland
The North Sea was the cradle of modem trawling. Trawling with heavy gears has made major impact on the sea bottom. Almost all the traditional fishery resources are fully exploited. The collapse of North Sea herring stock received much attention. Cod and haddock are the demersal stocks considered to be heavily fished and still Atlantic cod had made the largest contribution to the total landings. The situation in Baltic and Iceland area are one and the same with over fishing. However, the Iceland herring stock is currently at high level and the Blue whiting from the Barren Sea is relatively constant. Other demersal species in the area are flat fish and several stocks of shrimps.

Western Central Atlantic (FAO Fishing Area 31)
This area centered on the Caribbean and Central American state (50 N to 420 N East ward) has recorded 147 species. Major pelagic groups are herring, sardine, anchovies and menhaden. A substantial increase in landing of tuna, bonito, billfishes, yellow fin and Spanish mackerel are seen. The fisheries for crustaceans are dominated by Caribbean lobster and penaeid shrimps. Several mollusc species also support valuable fisheries in the area. Many groupers and spiny lobsters in the area are over exploited. The most important commercial fisheries are hook and line and trap for snappers and groupers.

Eastern Central Atlantic (FAO Fishing Area 34)
The west coast of Africa and Gibraltar strait encompasses temperate, tropical and equatorial waters, lagoons as well as major currents, upwelling and equatorial convergence. About 190 species are caught in the area. Fisheries in the region are characterised by small pelagic species especially sardine and other clupeids (herring and anchovies) account for nearly 50% of the catch. Horse mackerel, jacks, mullets and sauries, tuna, bonito, billfishes, skipjack and yellowfin are other varieties. Shrimps, squids, cuttlefishes and octopus represent 7% of the total catch.

Mediterranean and Black Sea (FAO Fishing Area 37)
This area is almost land locked water mass connected to the east Black sea. Between the Black Sea and Mediterranean, there is a surface current carrying low salinity water into the Mediterranean and an under current of high salinity water in the Black Sea. Freshwater discharge is important in the Black Sea and Mediterranean, the major discharge has been from the Nile. The Mediterranean Sea is one of the marine areas of the world's ocean showing a steady increase in production for all major source categories; but of comparatively low quantities. Pilchard, anchovy, mackerel and bonito are of commercial importance. Large pelagic species such as blue fm and bonito also show an increase in catch. Growing share of molluscs, shrimps and other crustaceans are seen here. But there are also serious declines in the landings of valuable red coral and spiny lobsters and some important elasmobranch. Similar increase in landing applies to certain demersal species such as hake, angler fish, whiting, conger eel etc.

South West Atlantic (FAO Fishing Area 37)
This area covers the eastern South American coast (70 W to 200 W). The ~ type of fisheries and variety of abundance are determined by the topography and environmental conditions i.e. tropical in the north to sub Atlantic in the south. Major areas include Brazil, Urguay and Argentina. Total fish production comes from demersals and more recently squids, cod, hake, red fish, bassess and congers followed by small pelagics (sardine, herring and anchovies). Shrimps, lobsters and other crustaceans are regulated by closed seasons.

South East Atlantic (FAO Fishing Area 47)
This area extends from 6˚ S to 30˚ E (Cape of Good Hope, South of Durban). An important fishing ground is Agulhas Bank. Angola, Namibia and South Africa are the major fish producing countries. Here the Benguela current brings the nutrient rich upwelling system along the west coast of South Africa. Three major fisheries are distinguished in the area. They include shoaling pelagic fishery (Pilchard and anchovies), trawl fishery (Cod, haddock and hakes with jacks, mullets and sauries) and rock lobster and mussel fishery. The pelagic fisheries in the region are affected by decline in sardine abundance in the north and anchovies in the south, while trawl fishery is affected by decline in hake abundance. Other major contributors of the landing are spiny lobster and molluscs. In addition to this, a number of minor fisheries are also reported.