Gargoor trap fishery in Kuwait, catch rate and species composition

Kuwait's fisheries include shrimp trawlers, gill nets, intertidal stake nets, and demersal fish traps, known locally as gargoor. The gargoor fishery used to be the nation's most important in terms of value and landings volume, but declines in catch rates have reduced its ranking. This paper describes the status of the gargoor artisanal fishery. The main landings place was sampled for catch and effort, and fish length-frequency data from May 2003 to December 2005. The catch rate, monthly average number of boats operating, and the number of gargoor cleared were estimated for dhow boats fishing in Kuwait's waters and international waters, and speed boats operating in Kuwait waters only. Over the duration of the study period, the speedboat catch rates were higher than those of dhow boats, i.e., 3.7kg/trap-pull vs. 2.6 and 2.5kg/trap-pull for dhows fishing in Kuwait's territorial waters and international waters, respectively. The grouper, Epinephelus coicodes, was the main species captured, contributing 19.3% and 17.8% to the dhow catch in Kuwait waters and international waters, respectively. The catch rates by dhow boats declined from an average of 4.7kg/trap-pull in 2003 to 2.7kg/trap-pull in 2005 representing a 41% decrease. If this decreasing catch rate trend continues, then fishing effort should be reduced to allow stock recovery. It is recommended that the number of gargoor fished in Kuwaiti waters should be limited and that several no-fishing zones be established to ensure the minimum spawning stock biomass and preserve biodiversity for all fisheries.