Abstract

Seine fishing was traditionally practiced throughout Martinique, on both the Atlantic and Caribbean coasts, and regulated by a customary system, the “tré” or seine haul, accompanied in each community by a specific professional seiner agreement. The practice has evolved and is now plural. In recent decades, beach seining in Martinique has declined. This decline is particularly marked on the Caribbean coast, where the activity was and remains the most developed. Following the chlor-decone-related restrictions (2012), this observation is also valid on the Atlantic coast. The first objective of our study is to update theoretical knowledge on the practice of seine fishing in Martinique (description of fishing gear, schedules and preferred areas). The second objective of our study is to evaluate the impact of seine gear on the seabed. In order to assess the impact of the practice on coastal ecosystems (specific composition of targeted and by-catches, assessment of biomass and catch sizes, and study of the behavior of the gear in action).

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