REPORTS ON SURVEYS WITH R/V
“DR. FRIDTJOF NANSEN”

A survey of Mesopelagic fish resources in the Gulf of Oman and the Gulf of Aden January - February 1981


Asgeir Aglen, Jakob Gjøsæter and Snorre Tilseth
Institute of Marine Research, Bergen
and
University of Bergen, Department of fisheries Biology

Bergen, March 1981

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

ITINERARY

MATERIAL AND METHODS

GULF OF OMAN

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

GULF OF ADEN

CONCLUSIONS


INTRODUCTION

During the surveys of the pelagic fish resources of the North-western Arabian Sea carried out with R/V “Dr. Fridtjof Nansen” during 1975–1976, it was observed that mesopelagic fishes were abundant. Usually the densest consentrations were found in the Gulf of Oman, in the Gulf of Aden and off Pakistan, and some trawl stations in these areas gave very high catch rates (Gjøsæter 1978). An analysis carried out by Wijkstrøm (1978) concluded that a commercial fishery for mesopelagic species might be possible in these areas.

Therefore, it was decided to make a new cruise with R/V “Dr. Fridtjof Nansen” to the Gulf of Oman and the Gulf of Aden in July/August 1979. The results of this cruise were not as promising as those of the previous cruises (Gjøsæer & Myrseth 1980). It was believed, however, that the lower biomass and catch rates observed could be the result of seasonal fluctuations and it was therefore decided to conduct a new survey during January-February 1981.