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Elasmobranch Bycatch in a Bottom Trawl Fishery at Al Hoceima Port in Morocco (Mediterranean Sea)

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Abstract

This study focused on identifying and estimating the number of rays and sharks caught incidentally in the Moroccan Mediterranean Sea and their seasonal variation. In 2020, from 62 bottom trawl surveys, it was estimated that elasmobranchs represent 6.67% (25 kg) of the total catch (372 kg/trip) per trip in Al Hoceima Bay. Raja clavata and Scyliorhinus canicula were the most abundant species, representing between 27% and 21% of the total elasmobranchs captured, respectively, followed by Prionace glauca (19%) and Oxynotus centrina (13%). Single or sporadic captures of the threatened and protected Isurus oxyrinchus and Mobula mobular were further recorded, as well as of the endemic and threatened Raja radula. Elasmobranch bycatch rates vary with depth, season and fishing area. The current data indicate that the Moroccan Mediterranean may be an important breeding area for many elasmobranchs. They also emphasize the urgent necessity of better understanding the interactions between fisheries and elasmobranchs to develop management measures.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the fishermen who agreed to share their knowledge and to the office leaders of the fisheries sector who made our fieldwork easier.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Sciences, LESCB, URL-CNRST N° 18, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, Tetouan, Morocco

    Mohamed Keznine, Bilal Mghili & Mustapha Aksissou

  2. iSea, Environmental Organisation for the Preservation of the Aquatic Ecosystems, Thessaloníki, Greece

    Ioannis Giovos

  3. Department of Animal Production, University of Patras, Fisheries & Aquaculture, Mesolongi, Greece

    Ioannis Giovos

  4. Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/B, Padova, 35131, Italy

    Ioannis Giovos

  5. Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Omar Al-Mokhtar University, El Bayda, Libya

    Sara A. A. AL-Mabruk

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  1. Mohamed Keznine
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  2. Ioannis Giovos
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  4. Sara A. A. AL-Mabruk
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Contributions

Mohamed Keznine Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing original draft, Writing review & editing. Ioannis Giovos : Investigation, Writing – original draft. Bilal Mghili: Data curation, Writing original draft. Sara A. A. AL-Mabruk: : Data curation, Writing original draft. Mustapha Aksissou: Reviewing and editing data, Validation.

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Correspondence to Mohamed Keznine.

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Keznine, M., Giovos, I., Mghili, B. et al. Elasmobranch Bycatch in a Bottom Trawl Fishery at Al Hoceima Port in Morocco (Mediterranean Sea). Thalassas 40, 685–691 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41208-024-00682-6

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