Abstract

Twenty five experimental fishing surveys have been carried out around Martinique on a monthly basis during two years (October 1995 to October 1997). The main aim of this study was to collect biological data on large pelagic fishes to improve their exploitation. Several fishing gears have been used, drifting longlines, trolling and drifting lines, mainly around experimental FADs at different levels, with drifting longline from the surface to 600 meters depth. During 175 days spent at sea 27000 hooks have been set and 720 fishes belonging 10 38 different species caught. Due to their commercial importance, three species have been particulary studied: Thunnus atlanticus, Coryphoenahippurus and Xiphias gladius. On the basis of biological observations, some assumptions are proposed or confirmed, especially about the reproduction of Thunnus atlanticus, on the stock structure of Coryphaena hippurus and on the size and sex-ratio of Xiphias gladius. Catches of very small Thunnus albacares, less than 0.3 kg, confirm a reproductive activity of this species in the West Central Atlantic. Large pelagic fishes are shared resources for caribbean islands. The results of this study permit to give some advices for the exploitation of these species in Martinique.

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