Eel fishing management in a hypersaline lagoon of southern Sardinia

Some problems of eel fishing in hypersaline coastal lagoons are examined by an analysis of eel catches in Porto Pino, three connected basins of about 441 ha in southern Sardinia, where the average catch of eels, about 19 Kg/ha/year, is roughly half the total catch and over 65% of the gross economic return from these ponds.The parameters of the eel population dynamics and the exploitation rate were estimated from the number and weight of eels in each of three trade-weight categories, into which the catch is divided each day as requested by the market, and from examination of random samples, from each stratum, for age and sex. In the particular case of Porto Pino ponds, the estimated yield of 12 g per recruit seems to indicate that the stock of eels is under-fished.The catch is not proportional to the intensity of effort, but depends on environmental conditions, such as lunar phase and presence of wind and/or bad weather conditions. The catch could be increased by using a larger number of winged fyke nets, but should not be sought by extending the fishing period, because that might harm the juveniles of other commercially exploitable species. It is suggested that yield optimisation could be achieved by concentrating the maximum effort in the period of silver eel migration (October–February). In the Mediterranean area, these months are characterized both by suitable environmental conditions and by a peak in the demand for the product.