The survey started with a call on Bosaso on 24 August to embark two scientists supposed to arrive from Mogadishu by air, bringing with them operational licences for the vessel. After 24 hours waiting, FAO in Rome managed to establish contact with Mogadishu on the phone. It was informed that no flight would arrive because fuel shortage. An operational licence was deposited at the UNDP office in Mogadishu and the vessel was given clearence to undertake the work without Somalian counterparts on board. The police authorities along the coast was informed of the vessel arriving in the area.
The vessel left Bosaso 25 August afternoon and steamed to Ras Mabber, the southern limit of the area to be surveyed. The shelf was covered northwards with acoustical transects. Trawling were carried out whenever identification of acoustical registrations of fish were required and on semi-randomized locations for "swept-area" biomass estimates. The acoustical transects were laid in an oblique pattern to minimize the effect of the waves generated by the strong SW-monsoon.
The survey was finished on 31 August when the vessel returned to South-Yemen to complete a coverage initiated prior to the work in Somalia.
The cruise track together with trawl stations and hydrographic stations are shown in Figure 1.
During the survey there were carried out:
4 hydrographical stationsThe length of the total cruise track in Yemen waters was about 1070 nm.
4 pelagic trawl stations
21 bottom trawl stations
Figure 1. Cruise track and stations worked
