Population Dynamics and Fisheries Management of the Indian Mackerel Rastrelliger kanagurta in the Gulf of Suez, Egypt

Based on otolith readings of 678 specimens collected during the fishing season 1996/1997, age, growth, mortality and yield per recruit of Rastrelliger kana- gurta from the Gulf of Suez were estimated. Age composition of the two sexes was similar. The oldest males and females were four years old. The values of the von Ber- talanffy growth parameters were K = 0.66 year -1 and L∞ = 29.48 cm for males and K = 0.60 year -1 and L∞ = 32.04 cm for females. The mean total mortality coefficient Z estimated by two different methods was 1.12 year -1 for males and 1.00 year -1 for females. The natural mortality coefficient M was estimated as 0.26 year -1 for males and 0.25 year -1 for females. Yield per recruit was estimated using the parameters ob- tained for the combined sexes and suggests that the present level of fishing mortality (F = 0.82) is much higher than that which gives the maximum yield per recruit.