An assessment of demersal fisheries by trawling in less than 50 m of water off Egypt’s Mediterranean coast

Abstract

Trawl fishing is identified as one of the most significant factors that could affect the diversity of demersal fish groups but not for all depth strata. Since the increased exploitation of Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) has caused the trawl fishing grounds to shift towards shallower seas where their biomass density is maximum, this study aimed to assess demersal fisheries by bottom trawls in the Mediterranean water off Egypt at depths less than 50 m. In this study, data from eight bottom-trawl hauls were used to describe the diversity of the demersal fish catch. The hauls varied in their species composition and both in the number and the weight of individuals. The length frequency distribution of the most occurred species was studied. A total of 87 species were identified in the catch, out of which 32 were recognized as NIS. The percentages of most of the NIS decreased from the east to the west of the surveyed area. There are always changes in fish diversity because of increasing fishing efforts on demersal fish communities, but not for all depth strata, therefore, a monitoring program has to be designed for better assessment of fisheries resources in the Mediterranean water off Egypt.