Application of CYP Bioeconomic Model to the Southern Gulf of Guinea Sardinella Fishery

Abstract

Application of CYP bioeconomic model to the Southern Gulf of Guinea sardinella fishery is estimated in this study. The results show that the present level of exploitation with the MSY level imply biological overfishing of the sardinella stock. Given the overexploited status of the sardinella resource, great improvement in the fishery can be achieved if fishing effort of 825 vessels can be reduced by 32 per cent from the present MSY level of 46,111 metric tons. But the maximum net revenue can be gradually achieved until the resource recovers to the steady state biomass associated with MEY. Based on the cost/price structure of the sardienlla fishery, we estimated the effort of 560 vessels that maximises the harvest level associated with MEY of 43,154 metric tons.

Area based catch level approach shows the evidence that Congo is catching three times more sardinella than Angola. An indication of the sensitivity of the area catch rates variation is given by design of four scenarios at 2.5, 5, 7.5 and 10 per cent so as to analyze the economic interation between Congolese and Angolan sardinella fishery industry. The outcomes predicted increasing or decreasing trends of catch, effort, fishing cost, total revenue and subsequently the profit. Zero per cent represents MSY reference point values. Therefore, under substantial effort and catch reductions on Congo side, the economic losses on Angolan side are substantially mitigated by increases in catch and effort, and economic parameters.

In the sub-region level, there should be synchronization between Congolese and Angolan surveys including other nations involved in the sardnella fishery to address the issue of transboundary sardinella resource management. Therefore, stock assessment “output control system” can be adopted in the Southern Gulf of Guinea sardinella fishery among adjacent nations. This implies an urgent need to formulate appropriate effort reduction management policies through cooperation among neibhouring States in order to derive maximum benefits from the sardinella fishery.