Title: Catch and CPUE trends in the artisanal line fishery in Maputo bay, Mozambique, in the year 1999 - 2010, and analysis of the two main species; Saddle grunt (Pomadasys maculatum) and Silver sillago (Sillago sihama)

In this study the objective was to look at trends in catches and CPUE in the artisanal line fishery in Maputo Bay, Mozambique, in the years 1999-2010. The aim was also to investigate if the species composition had changed during this period. For two of the already known main species in the catches, Silver sillago (Sillago sihama) and Saddle grunter (Pomadasys maculatum), length distributions were examined to investigate if smaller fish were observed in recent years. Data used were official catch statistics and length measurements from the PESCART database. The results showed that the much higher catch and CPUE in the years 2009-2010 than in the years 1999-2008 were due to changes in both the area used and the allocation system. Therefore, the study was limited to Maputo district. In Maputo district the catches have been relatively stable in these years at around 70 tonnes. The CPUE has been around 10 kg/gear/day. During the study period 3 species namely Saddle grunts (P. Maculatum), Silver sillago (S. Sihama) and Javelin grunter (Pomadasys Kaakan) have been dominating in the catches comprising 50-75% of the catches. Saddle grunts and Silver sillago are captured both as juveniles and as adults. Based on available data it is not possible to conclude about the state of the stocks for these two species. Further research on the biology of the species is recommended.