The fishery research vessel “Dr. Fridtjof Nansen” belongs to the Norwegian Agency for International Development (NORAD), and was designed and built for scientific and exploratory investigations of fishery resources of developing countries. The Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, is responsible for the scientific programme and the operation of the vessel.
By an agreement between the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Oman and UNDP/FAO and NORAD the vessel was scheduled to work in Omani waters in February and March 1983. The work was funded by UNDP/FAO and NORAD.
The first month of the work was set aside for pilot studies on catch technology on mesopelagic resources in the Gulf of Oman. This work has been covered in a separate preliminary cruise report.
The last three weeks of the survey was assigned to cover the shelf from Muscat to the southern border of Oman. The vessel had earlier carried out five acoustic surveys in Omani waters under a FAO programme for the North Arabian Sea in 1975-76. The last part of the present survey was thus designed as a follow-up of the previous work.
The main objectives were:
Acoustic survey of the small pelagic fish resources off Oman, and of the demersal fish resources in the 20-200 m bottom zone with intensive trawl sampling.The scientific staff was:Charting of the main hydrological regime off Oman in four transects.
Experimental fishing with traps on bottom unsuitable for trawling.
Various acoustic experiments to improve acoustic methodology.
From the Institute of Marine Research, Bergen:Tore Strømme (Cruise leader)From the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Muscat:
Sigmund Myklevoll
Helge Ullebust
Bjørn Bakken (Instrument chief)
Helge AbrahamsenNasser Murbak Salim Al Makheni
