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FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Rome, 1991
© FAO

FOREWORD

This report was originally prepared in Spanish by

Ana Ramos Martos, Ignacio Sobrino Yraola and Lourdes Fernández Peralta, of the

Centro Oceanográfico de Fuengirola
Puerto Pesquero s/n
29640 Fuengirola
Malaga, Spain

and

José F. Gonzáles Jiménez, of the

Centro Oceanográfico de Canarias
Ctra S. Andres s/n
38120 Sta Cruz de Tenerife
Tenerife, Spain

and issued in 1990 by the

Instituto Español de Oceanografía
Subsecretaría General de Pesca Marítima
Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación

with the participation of

Percy A.T. Showers, Institute of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Freetown, Sierra Leone

Isaac D.G. Flowers, National Fishery Division, Monrovia, Liberia

Jacques Konan, Centre de Recherches Océanographiques (CRO), Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

Scott Apawudza, Fisheries Research and Utilization, Tema, Ghana

The original Spanish-language version of this document included colour photographs of the marine species found in the survey area. These are not reproduced in the English translation.

ABSTRACT

This report presents the results of the “GUINEA 90” survey conducted in the Eastern Central Atlantic during April 1990 aboard the Spanish commercial fishing vessel LAGOAPESCA.

The objective of the survey was to investigate the demersal fishery resources off the coasts of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana within the 20–700 m depth limits, using fishing gear with 45 mm mesh in the codend.

Catch percentages of the different demersal communities (Longhurst, 1969) together with fishing yields of all species by stratum and country are reported.

Overall, the most abundant catches correspond to Côte d'Ivoire, and down to 200 m depth the Sparidae predominate. The commercial species offering highest yields were Dentex angolensis and Pagellus bellottii bellottii, with notable quantities of D. congoensis and Brachydeuterus auritus.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

To Antonio Cervantes, who was to head the GUINEA 90 expedition and devoted much time to its preparation. In the end, he was unable to accompany us, but he was very much in our thoughts aboard the LAGOAPESCA.

To the Secretaría General de Pesca Marítima, in the persons of César Seoane and, especially, Carmen Cadenas, and the CECAF Technical Secretariat, in particular Mike Ansa-Emmin, our sincere thanks for the assistance he provided both prior to and following the survey.

To Xosé and Guillermo Lagoa, of the shipping company “Lagoa Santodomingo” and Cándido Correa, of “Remolcavisa”, for their personal interest at all times.

To the Abidjan Oceanographic Research Centre in the person of its manager, Xavier Bard, for his kind welcome during the survey preparatory meeting.

To the Management of the Spanish Oceanographic Institute, especially María de los Angeles Rodriguez.

To many of our companions both within and without the Institute. To Enrique Cárdenas for his help in processing the data. To Jorge Rey and Julián Avilés, without whose technical advice and skill we would not have produced a single photograph. To Mónica Jimenez, Francisca Ortiz and Nuria Ramos, who drew our maps and figures. To José for his invaluable help with this report.

To Fernando González, our inseparable guide in Abidjan.

To Percy, Isaac, Konan and Scott, our African colleagues, and the entire crew of the LAGOAPESCA, Gonza, Fonso, Antonio, Arturo, Manolos, “Canario”, “Lejía”, Francisco, Celestino, Cándido and Xosé, with fond memories of those unforgettable days spent together in the Gulf of Guinea.

To “Canducho”, Skipper of the LAGOAPESCA, who survived having his bridge taken over by two women for 30 long days.

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