Stock Assessment of Small Pelagic Fishes Caught by Ring Net Fishery in the Camotes Sea, Central Visayas, Philippines (2003-2012)

Poro, Tudela, and Pilar.Majority of the fisherfolks were full-time fishers with monthly income from fishing ranging from Php 1,000-6,000 for the marginal fishers to Php 20,000-100,000 for the commercial fishers.About half of the fisherfolks earned Php 1,000-3,000 per month, while others were fishing for consumption only with an average monthly income of Php 2,700.Both motorized and nonmotorized boats are utilized in most fishing activities except in the gathering of sea cucumbers and shells.The growing importance of ring net fishing in the Camotes Sea has given rise to many speculations regarding its effect on the fishery resources.Most of the marginal fishermen, for instance, believe that the rapid increase in the number of commercial fishing activities that catch small pelagic fishes in the Camotes Sea would, in the long run, lead to the depletion of these fishery resources if not properly regulated.In any fishery investigation, information on stock assessment is deemed necessary, particularly to commercially important species of fish.Information on sexual maturation and sex ratio of many ring net caught fishes in the Camotes Sea is, however, inadequate and hence an attempt has been made to study this aspect of fishery biology in the Camotes Sea.This report presents the findings using the data gathered by NSAP Region 7 on the catch trends of the commercial ring net fishery in the Camotes Sea from 2003-2012, and the population dynamics and exploitation rates of the major fish resources exploited by this fishery.The results are then compared to the findings in an earlier study by Jabat and Dalzell (1988) of the Danao ring net fishery from 1983-1987. . M E T H O D O L O G Y Study siteThe Camotes Sea is located approximately at longitudes 124º 45´ E and latitudes 10º 55´ N. The area is bounded to the north by the Ormoc Bay and the Visayan Sea, to the east by the island of Leyte, to the south by the Danajon Bank of Bohol, and to the west by the island of Cebu.At its center is the Camotes Island (Figure 1).