Reconstruction of Marine Fisheries Catches for the Republic of Malta (1950-2010)

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Published: Jul 17, 2017
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.1683
Keywords:
Unmonitored fisheries Mediterranean islands recreational catches subsistence catches discards
M. KHALFALLAH
Sea Around Us, Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia, 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4
M. DIMECH
Malta Centre for Fisheries Sciences
A. ULMAN
Sea Around Us, Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia, 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4
D. ZELLER
Sea Around Us, Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia, 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4
D. PAULY
Sea Around Us, Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia, 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4
Abstract

 

The marine fisheries catches of Malta were reconstructed for the period 1950-2014, including for reported and previously unreported commercial large- and small-scale catches, unmonitored fisheries catches, i.e., subsistence and recreational fisheries, as well as major discards. The present study updates and improves a previous catch reconstruction for Malta for the 1950-2010 time period. Reconstructed marine fisheries catches for Malta are nearly 1.3 times the official landings reported by the FAO and national authorities on behalf of Malta, increasing from around 1,200 t·year-1 in the 1950s to 3,700 t·year-1 in the 2010s. The discrepancy between reported and reconstructed total catches is mostly due to the subsistence catches estimated, which here consist exclusively of on-board consumption and take-home catch of commercial fishers. While the Maltese fisheries statistical system includes procedures to estimate ‘unmonitored’ commercial landings, this contribution documents that it would be beneficial to also account for non-commercial catches.

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Author Biography
M. KHALFALLAH, Sea Around Us, Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia, 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4
PhD student in Resource Management and Environmental Studies - Fisheries under the supervision of Dr. Daniel Pauly
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