Assessment of the Catch per Unit Effort (CPUE) and Production of the Cassava Croaker Pseudotolithus senegalensis (Valencienne, 1818) in Mondoukou (Grand-Bassam, Cote d’Ivoire)
Coulibaly Bakari *
Centre de Recherches Oceanologiques, 29 Rue des Pecheurs, BPV 18 Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
ALIKO N’guessan Gustave
UFR Environnement, Universite Jean Lorougnon Guede, BP 150 Daloa, Cote d’Ivoire.
Djadji Ebram Luc Gervais
Centre de Recherches Oceanologiques, 29 Rue des Pecheurs, BPV 18 Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
Koné Tidiani
Laboratoire des Milieux Naturels et de Conservation de la Biodiversite, UFR Biosciences, Universite Felix Houphouet-Boigny, 22 BP 582 Abidjan 22, Cote d’Ivoire.
Kouamelan Essétchi Paul
Laboratoire des Milieux Naturels et de Conservation de la Biodiversite, UFR Biosciences, Universite Felix Houphouet-Boigny, 22 BP 582 Abidjan 22, Cote d’Ivoire.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Catch per unit effort (CPUE), fishing effort, and production data for Pseudotolithus senegalensis remain limited in Mondoukou, Côte d’Ivoire.
Aims: This manuscript provides preliminary information on the catch per unit effort (CPUE), fishing effort, and production of Pseudotolithus senegalensis in Mondoukou, Côte d’Ivoire, where fishery production data remain limited.
Methodology: Landing data were collected from two sites for 15 days per month at each site from June 2024 to May 2025. The characteristics of the gears were documented during field visits to the landing sites within the Mondoukou marine fishery. During these visits, the fishermen were interviewed to gather all necessary information about the gears they used and how they operated. During the sampling period, surveys of fishing activities and catches were conducted to determine the number of daily trips, catches of P. senegalensis per trip, and daily and monthly production of P. senegalensis .
Results: Fluctuations in fishing effort were observed at both sites, including periods, particularly in July, when effort was zero. The highest fishing effort at site 1 was observed in January. At site 2, a very slight increase from December 2024 to January 2025, reaching 8 trips/day, was observed. The highest catch per unit effort (CPUE) at site 1 (1289.20±205.76 kg/trip) was recorded during the Short Cold Season (SCS), and the lowest CPUE (307.5±50.20 kg/trip) was recorded during the Long Harm Season (LHS). At site 2, the highest CPUE values (115 and 88 kg/trip) were recorded in February and January, respectively. Regarding fish production at site 1, the highest production was recorded in December and estimated at 751605 kg, whereas the lowest was recorded in April at 1256 kg. However, at site 2, the highest fish production was recorded in January at 1479 kg. The overall production and CPUE of both sites were estimated at 1 095140 kg and 9342.60 kg, respectively.
Conclusion: Fishing effort and catch per unit effort were higher from December to February, during the short hot season. The total production of sites 1 and 2 was estimated at 1 095140 kg.
Keywords: Catch per unit effort, fishing effort, fish production, artisanal fisheries, cassava croaker, Pseudotolithus senegalensis, beach seine, gillnet, landing-site monitoring