ESTIMATION OF THE SIZE STRUCTURE OF BLUEFIN TUNA (THUNNUS THYNNUS) CATCHES BY MOROCCAN TRAPS AND ARTISANAL HAND LINE FISHERY

In 2012, the size structure of bluefin catches by Moroccan traps and artisanal hand line fishery were estimated from biological scraps and individual weight, respectively, using specific statistical relationships. The results showed that the size of fish caught by traps ranges from 169 to 282cm CFL, with average size of 225 cm, while in the artisanal fishery, the size of bluefin tuna varies from 159 cm to 276 cm, with a mean size of 205 cm. The mean size of bluefin tuna showed a positive trend during the last three years, which could be a good sign of the recovery of the East Atlantic bluefin tuna. RESUME