Title: Analysis of Tuna longline data and proposed pilot sampling scheme for small scale fisheries in Timor-Leste

The aim of this project is twofold and deals with two very different aspects of the fisheries in Timor-Leste. The first objective of the work was the analysis of tuna logbook data kept by fisheries officers assigned as observers on board long-liners. The second objective was to construct a sampling plan for the small scale fisheries of Timor-Leste as a pilot study. In the sampling plan the aim is to collect data to estimate total catches of the main species caught and biological information on these species. The catch is mostly dominated by mackerel tuna species were the total catch for the four years was 172 tonnes, for albacore 59 tonnes, 57 tonnes of skipjack, bigeye 49 tonnes, 13 tonnes of southern bluefin, yellowfin 7 tonnes and pacific bluefin 2 tonnes. The results of the analysis of the tuna longline data showed, the highest CPUE values are for the mackerel in 2007 or 12.55 tonnes with a standard deviation of 15.305. Low CPUE value in 2006 amounted to 0.53 tonnes with a standard deviation of 0.763 tonnes. Mackerel tuna species are always caught along with other large pelagic species. Economic Exclusive (EEZ) of Timor-Leste has the potential tuna consisting of seven species such as Alabacore (Thunnus alalunga), Bigeye (Thunnus obesus), Pacific bluefin (Thunnus orientalis), Mackerel (Euthynnus affinis), Southern Bluefin (Thunnus marcoyii), Skipjack (Katsuwonis pelamis) and Yellowfin (Thunnus albacares). Based on the results of the survey in 2010-2012, there were fishing centers spread across 162 locations along the coast, fishermen there are 6,162 people, boats without engine 1,903 units, boats with long-tail engine 528 units, boats with outboard engines 310 unit, boats with inboard engine 5 units. The target population in this study is the catches of 28 species of fish, mollusks and crustacean from the small-scale fisheries in Timor-Leste.