Catch composition and codend selectivity of inshore trawl fishery with the legal minimum mesh size

Fisheries is an important socio-economic contribution to the coastal fishing communities of Vietnam. Unfortunately, inshore natural resources have decreased in recent years. This decline has been largely attributed to overfishing and using a fishing gear with poor size selectivity. This paper estimated size selectivity curves for 8 important economic species using a covered codend attached to the codend of a commercial inshore trawl in Quang Ninh province, Vietnam. Results showed that sublegal-sized individuals accounted for a high proportion of the catch, ranging between 29.22 and 46.69%. The lengths at 50% retention (l(50)) were below minimum landing sizes (MLS) for all species caught, except conger eel (Muraenesox cinereus). Our study provides important scientific information for the fishery management in the studied area. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

In recent years, the fisheries resources in coastal fishing communities of Vietnam have decreased, mainly due to overfishing and the use of fishing gear with poor size selectivity. The study found that the length at 50% retention for all species caught was below the minimum landing sizes, except for the conger eel, highlighting the need for improved management strategies.