freely in these areas until 1956, when Morocco achieved independence. Thanks to
fishery agreements between Spain and Morocco, fishing has continued; however, the
same agreements included a reduction in the number of licenses, and thus there has
been a marked decrease in landings.
Over the years, small pelagic catches have experienced strong oscillations. The
current sardine catch is very low with only 3500 tons being caught in 2017 (30% of
the catch in 1992). After 7 years of very low anchovy catches, there was a slight
recovery in 2002 (3200 tons); however, they remain at low levels. This situation has
been partly compensated for by catches of other less important species such as horse
mackerel (Trachurus spp.) and mackerel (Scomber spp.). Although Malaga has been
one of the most important ports in the so-called South Mediterranean Region (SMR)
(i.e., from the Strait of Gibraltar to Cabo de Gata and the ports of Ceuta and Melilla)
(Fig. 16.1), currently, the most important port is Caleta de Vélez. In the 1940s,
24,000 tons of sardine and anchovy were landed annually in the SMR. The importance of this figure resides in the fact that it represents the amount of all species
caught on any gear in the whole area per year at the present time.
The small pelagic fishery in the Alboran Sea has been described by De Miranda
(1930, 1931) and Bellón (1950), with a special focus on the so-called Maritime
Province of Malaga, and the entire area by Abad and Giráldez (1990a) and Giráldez
and Abad (1991, 2000). More studies have focused on Malaga because the Spanish
Institute of Oceanography has had a laboratory in the city since 1913 (Pérez-Rubín
2014).
We conducted a review of small pelagic fisheries of anchovy (Engraulis
encrasicolus, Linnaeus 1758) and sardine (Sardina pilchardus, Walbaum 1792) in
Strait of Gibraltar
Gata Cape
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
Estepona
Cartagena
Garrucha
Mazarrón
Águilas
Carboneras
ALMERÍA
Vélez-Málaga
Adra
Motril
MÁLAGA
Fuengirola
Marbella
Algeciras
La Línea
Roquetas
Ceuta
Melilla
#
#
#
#
C. de Gata
E. de Gibraltar
#
#
#
ESPAÑA
MARRUECOS
GSA01-Mar de Alborán Norte
35°
35°
36°
36°
37°
37°
38°
38°
6°
6°
5°
5°
4°
4°
3°
3°
2°
2°
1°
1°
Isóbatas Mediterráneo
50 m.
100 m.
200 m.
GSA01
Strait of Gibraltar
Cabo de Gata
Cabo de Palos
SPAIN
MOROCCO
Isobatas
Fig. 16.1 Geographic area of the GSA01 showing the fishing ports. The ports shown in black
correspond to the SMR (South Mediterranean Region)
560
A. Giráldez
fishery agreements between Spain and Morocco, fishing has continued; however, the
same agreements included a reduction in the number of licenses, and thus there has
been a marked decrease in landings.
Over the years, small pelagic catches have experienced strong oscillations. The
current sardine catch is very low with only 3500 tons being caught in 2017 (30% of
the catch in 1992). After 7 years of very low anchovy catches, there was a slight
recovery in 2002 (3200 tons); however, they remain at low levels. This situation has
been partly compensated for by catches of other less important species such as horse
mackerel (Trachurus spp.) and mackerel (Scomber spp.). Although Malaga has been
one of the most important ports in the so-called South Mediterranean Region (SMR)
(i.e., from the Strait of Gibraltar to Cabo de Gata and the ports of Ceuta and Melilla)
(Fig. 16.1), currently, the most important port is Caleta de Vélez. In the 1940s,
24,000 tons of sardine and anchovy were landed annually in the SMR. The importance of this figure resides in the fact that it represents the amount of all species
caught on any gear in the whole area per year at the present time.
The small pelagic fishery in the Alboran Sea has been described by De Miranda
(1930, 1931) and Bellón (1950), with a special focus on the so-called Maritime
Province of Malaga, and the entire area by Abad and Giráldez (1990a) and Giráldez
and Abad (1991, 2000). More studies have focused on Malaga because the Spanish
Institute of Oceanography has had a laboratory in the city since 1913 (Pérez-Rubín
2014).
We conducted a review of small pelagic fisheries of anchovy (Engraulis
encrasicolus, Linnaeus 1758) and sardine (Sardina pilchardus, Walbaum 1792) in
Strait of Gibraltar
Gata Cape
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
Estepona
Cartagena
Garrucha
Mazarrón
Águilas
Carboneras
ALMERÍA
Vélez-Málaga
Adra
Motril
MÁLAGA
Fuengirola
Marbella
Algeciras
La Línea
Roquetas
Ceuta
Melilla
#
#
#
#
C. de Gata
E. de Gibraltar
#
#
#
ESPAÑA
MARRUECOS
GSA01-Mar de Alborán Norte
35°
35°
36°
36°
37°
37°
38°
38°
6°
6°
5°
5°
4°
4°
3°
3°
2°
2°
1°
1°
Isóbatas Mediterráneo
50 m.
100 m.
200 m.
GSA01
Strait of Gibraltar
Cabo de Gata
Cabo de Palos
SPAIN
MOROCCO
Isobatas
Fig. 16.1 Geographic area of the GSA01 showing the fishing ports. The ports shown in black
correspond to the SMR (South Mediterranean Region)
560
A. Giráldez