Improving the size-selectivity of trammel net for Pomadasys stridens and Gerres oyena in Suez Bay, the Gulf of Suez, Red Sea

Abstract

Size selectivity of the trammel net for Pomadasys stridens and Gerres oyena in Suez Bay, Gulf of Suez, Red sea, was estimated by comparing three mesh sizes 34, 37 and 40 mm for the inner layer of the trammel net. The SELECT model was used to estimate the selectivity curve. Length frequency data were fitted by five models: normal scale, gamma distribution model, normal location, lognormal distributions model, and bi-normal model. The results revealed that the best fit model of selectivity curve of the trammel nets data for Gerres oyena was obtained by the and bi-normal model, whilst the Log-normal model gave the best fit for Pomadasys stridens. The length-weight relationship equations were estimated to be W = 0.027 × L2.735 with r2 = 0.97 for Pomadasys stridens and W = 0.050 × L2.470, r2 = 0.93 for Gerres oyena. The study concluded that the mesh size of the trammel nets used in Suez Bay fishery should not be less than 40 mm especially for Pomadasys stridens and Gerres oyena to protect their stocks from overfishing.