NARRATIVE

The cruise track together with fishing stations and hydrographical stations are given in Figures 1-4.

The survey started from Dakar on 8 February with a short pelagic trawl survey for juvenile sardinella south of Dakar. This programme was requested from CRODT, and in an agreement between CRODT, CECAF and Institute of Marine Research the vessel was put at CRODT's disposal for two days. Frequent trawling was carried out in the area south of Dakar (Figure 1, st. 408-425). However, when after 30 hours and 17 hauls no sardinella juveniles were found, the programme was interrupted and the vessel returned to Dakar.

A calibration and intercalibration programme with the R/V "Capricorne" was planned from 10 February, but this was delayed. The vessels left Dakar on 11 February and anchored near Goree island to calibrate the acoustic equipment. This was completed the next morning, but as some operational formalities were lacking for the "Capricorne" it was decided that the vessels should meet later to do the intercalibration. "Dr. Fridtjof Nansen" then steamed south to Cap Roxo and started an ordinary survey on the pelagic resources southwards. This was interrupted after 24 hours, the vessel returned to Cap Roxo and carried out an intercalibration with "Capricorne" for 21 hours. The vessel then returned to its survey track and worked southwards to south of Freetown. When turning north the courses were adjusted to the densest concentrations of triggerfish previously observed off Guinea. In Guinea-Bissau the shelf between 100 and 200 meter depth was covered on the way north. From Cap Roxo north to Dakar transects 10 nm apart were set to cover the shelf in the area. The vessel then called on Dakar on 1 March to bunker and exchange personell. On 3 March the vessel left Dakar and continued the acoustic survey north to Nouadhibou. No fishing could be carried out in Mauritania before the call on Nouadhibou to pick up the fishing licence and the scientists from Mauritania. The vessel then did a second acoustic covering south to the Mauritania-Senegal border, and then steamed to Nouadhibou, crossing the main fishing banks northwards.

After a short call on Nouadhibou to disembark the Mauritanian staff the vessel set course for Agadir and on route covered the shelf outside 12 nm from the coast of West-Sahara with broad acoustic transects. No fishing was carried out in this area. The vessel called on Agadir 22 March to pick up scientists from Marocco. An acoustic survey was then worked south to Cape Juby. In the area around position N 28°15', W 11°15' acoustic experiments were carried out on good sardine registrations. This work was interrupted by bad weather. The vessel called on Agadir on 30 March to disembark the personell from Marocco. On 1 April the weather conditions again permitted work at sea, and the vessel left Agadir and carried out a second acoustic coverage of the shelf southwards. On 2 April the vessel met with the R/V "Cornide de Savedra" and carried out an intercalibration over 70 nm in the area near N 28°20', W 12°25' on good sardine concentrations. The vessel then covered the remaining part of the shelf south to Cape Juby, and thereafter set course for Tenerife with arrival on 4 April.

The survey included

41 bottom trawl stations
64 pelagic trawl stations
39 hydrographical stations

During the first coverage in Mauritania, along West Sahara and in Marocco all fishing vessels within 5 nm off the cruisetrack were recorded and identified by type if possible. The results from this surveillance are given in Figures 5-7. 72 non-artisanal fishing vessels were counted in Mauritania, 141 in West Sahara and 41 in Marocco between Agadir and Cape Juby. Taking into account the uncovered part of the shelf the total number of fishing vessels in West Sahara (Cape Blanc-Cape Juby) is roughly estimated at 400.