The vessels itinerary was as follows:
Departure Port of Spain 23 May 09 hrs.Two days were spent working off the north coast where 8 trawl stations and one hydrographic section where made. One day was used to fish for deep water shrimps on the slope off the east coast where 7 hauls at depths from 400 m to 730 m were made. One day was used to survey the shallow waters south of Manzanilla Bank, where 9 prepositioned bottom hauls, 1 pelagic haul and an east/west hydrographic section toward Mayaro Bay were made. Finally the joint research area between Trinidad and Venezuela was covered in two days where 22 prepositioned fishing stations were worked. Altogether 47 trawl stations were completed and 800 nm were steamed.
Called at Galeota Point 26 May 09 hrs.
Arrival Port of Spain 29 May 01 hrs.
Figure 1 and 2 shows the course tracks and the fishing - and hydrographical stations worked. Rough coralline bottom prevails over most of the shelf on the north coast and the bottom trawl hauls made in offshore area were unsuccessful (st.no.411-413).
Suitable conditions for bottom trawling were encountered inshore within a distance of some 15 nm. off the north coast. Otherwise the bottom over the slope off the east coast was rough or very steep, except for the part south of 10°15’N. between 500 m and 800 m depth. In the Mayaro Bay and further southward along the south coast, the bottom was suitable for trawling. Unsuitable conditions for bottom trawling as judged from the echo-sounder are marked with broken lines in Figure 1 and 2. High currents and unfavourable wind and sea conditions also made fishing near the shelf edge and on the slope difficult.
