Fishing status of jack mackerel fishery in the southeastern Pacific Ocean

To investigate the catches of jack mackerel fishery, a series of fishing experiments was conducted in the high seas of the southeastern Pacific Ocean ( $30^{\circ}S-38^{\circ}S,\;82^{\circ}W-95^{\circ}W$ ) during the period of 9 August to 18 December, 2003 by commercial fishing vessel and research vessel. The number of 205 tows fishing was carried out in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. The total catch was 1,988 ton and CPUE was 2.4 ton/hour. CPUE showed high values in the frontal zone during the survey. Main target species caught from the experimental fishing were the jack mackerel, Trachurus murphyi (98.1%) and chub mackerel, Scomber japonicus (1.9%) as bycatch. Body length of the jack mackerel was different between female and male. The high mean catch per unit effort of jack mackerel was showed when the fishing ground of jack mackerel fishery was over the $110^{\circ}W$ in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. But the fluctuation of the catch per unit effort in the western part of fishing ground was not matched with those year. Reliable physical and oceanographical information will be useful for the efficiency of fishing activity. According to the result of monthly movement of center of fishing ground, the fishing activity of jack mackerel fishery was performed northward in the southeastern Pacific Ocean as time passes.