The survey was carried out during 54 hours, 2-5 March 1981. Except for the easternmost triangle, east of Ras Bir, the Djibouti EEZ was covered. A denser grid over the shelf would, of course, have been preferable.
The primary purpose of the survey was to find whether small pelagic fish species that migrate to these waters at this time of the year had arrived in quantity already.
No schools were recorded by echo sounder in the upper 200 m, and no surface schools were observed. Only a few specimens of the sought for species (Carangidae, Clupeidae, Engraulidae, Scombridae) were present in the catches.
According to the local participants, the cruise was run at the very beginning of the season, therefore the absence of larger concentrations was no surprise.
The presence of large shrimp (Penaeus sp.) on the plateau off Djibouti was confirmed, but access to the whole plateau and more fishing stations are necessary to find whether a commercially exploitable stock exists.
