SOUTHEAST ATLANTIC(FAO Fishing Area 47) CAPTURE PRODUCTION

The Southeast Atlantic database presents annual statistics allocated by (i) countries or areas, (ii) species items, and (iii) SEAFO statistical divisions, of capture production in FAO Major Area 47 (see below) for calendar years starting with 1975.

The data exclude production from marine aquaculture practices. The database does not contain statistics for marine mammals, miscellaneous aquatic animal products, and seaweeds.

Data include all quantities caught and landed for both food and feed purposes but exclude discards, live escapements or losses prior to landings. Catches of fish, crustaceans and molluscs are expressed in live weight, that is the nominal weight of the aquatic organisms at the time of capture. Data are given in tonnes (=1000 kg).

To assign nationality to catches, the flag of the fishing vessel performing the essential part of the fishing operation is used, unless the wording of chartering and joint operation contracts indicates otherwise.

Several countries still report their catches by large groups of species and in these circumstances the catch data presented by individual species items are likely to be underestimated. Therefore, when examining the statistics for a particular species, it should be noted that an unknown proportion of the catches for that species might have been reported by the national office under the generic, family or order name of the species, or even more roughly as "fishes not identified". Consequently, species item totals frequently underestimate the real catch of the individual species.

In 2007, FAO and the Southeast Atlantic Fisheries Organization (SEAFO) prepared a joint proposal to revise the statistical divisions in FAO Fishing Area 47, with the purpose of establishing a common questionnaire, facilitate the reporting of catch data to both organizations, and obtain clearly separate data between catches taken inside and outside Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of coastal states. The proposal was endorsed by the SEAFO Commission at its 4th Annual Meeting (Windhoek, Namibia, 8-11 October 2007).

Below is the list of the revised divisions. The map of new statistical divisions for Area 47 can be accessed through VIEW/SHOW METADATA/ATTACHMENTS from the main menu. Boundaries between coastal divisions (from 1.1 to 1.6, 2.1 and 2.2) remain unchanged but their offshore boundaries have been modified to match the EEZs of coastal states. Former oceanic divisions (3.0, 4.0, 5.0) have been replaced by SEAFO divisions (A.0, A.1, B.0, B.1, C.0, C.1, D.0, D.1).

Tuna catches are not allocated according to statistical divisions and are grouped together into a division named "Tunas" (47.0.0). Three other divisions, namely "Western coastal, not known" (47.1.9), "Agulhas coastal, not known" (47.2.9) and "Not known" (47.9.0), contain catches for which is not exactly known the statistical division.

Division 47.A.2 shown in the map covers the rectangle bounded by a line joining the following points 0°-20°W; 0°-10°W; 6°S-10°W; 6°S-20°W. This area is included in the SEAFO Convention Area but in the FAO global grid of Major Fishing Areas it belongs to Area 34 and not to Area 47. Catch statistics reported for this division would be included by FAO under Major Fishing Area 34.

Starting with 2007, data reported according to the revised divisions have been included in this database.

Data for 1975-1987 are generally those of the International Commission for the Southeast Atlantic Fisheries (ICSEAF, which ceased in 1990), except for catches from the convention sub-areas 7.0 (Marion-Edward) and 8.0 (Mozambique) which FAO attributes respectively to the Antarctic and the Western Indian Ocean fishing areas in its database and publications.

Due to the non-availability of catches by subareas for the Republics of the former USSR in the period 1988-91, and for the Russian Federation in 1992-93, the allocation of catches to the division "Not known" is abnormally high. Due consideration should be paid to the above, while using the time series data for analysis.

Where necessary, any data published in previous releases of this dataset have been revised. Where the figures in the current release differ from those previously published, the amended data represent the most recent version. Some statistics provided to FAO by national offices, in particular those for the last year, are provisional and may be amended in future editions.

Discrepancies might occur in certain instances of this regional dataset when compared to the data in "Global Capture Production", due to a different updating timeframe.

SYMBOLS USED

Please note that, starting with the release 2024, the symbols used are aligned with SDMX standard.

Symbols associated to value " 0 ":

You can customize the display of the symbols by accessing to Format/Symbols and Colors.

You can customize the export of the data in order to remove the symbols by accessing to Edit/Preferences/Data export.

Please note that «I» is not a valid flag for aggregated data, replaced by «E». More information about the standard flags used in this dataset are available at the following link Statistical Standard Series: Observation Status Code List.

CITATION

When quoting FishStatJ data, please use the following reference:

FAO. 2026. FishStat: Southeast Atlantic (Fishing Area 47) capture production 1975-2024. [Accessed on 30 June 2026]. In: FishStatJ. Available at www.fao.org/fishery/en/statistics/software/fishstatj. Licence: CC-BY-4.0.

For a correct citation, please revise the date you accessed the data.

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FAO declines all responsibility for errors or deficiencies in the database or software or in the documentation accompanying it, for program maintenance and upgrading as well as for any damage that may arise from them. FAO also declines any responsibility for updating the data and assumes no responsibility for errors and omissions in the data provided. Users are, however, kindly asked to report any errors or deficiencies in this product to FAO.

The word "countries" appearing in the text refers to countries, territories and areas without distinction.

The designations employed and the presentation of material in the map(s) do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of FAO concerning the legal or constitutional status of any country, territory or sea area, or concerning the delimitation of frontiers.

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