Artisanal fishery of small pelagic: diagnosis and prospects Case of Moroccan Atlantic center.

In Morocco, artisanal fishing is practiced by small boats that use a simple technology and target a variety of species living in coastal areas. However, in the central Atlantic region between Cape Cantin (32°32'N) and Cape Boujdour (26°07N), about 30% of artisanal boats have converted in recent years their fishing activity to the small pelagic resources, historically exploited by the coastal and offshore fleets. This artisanal fleet use the small purse seine deployed at depths generally less than 25 fathoms. In 2014, an important part of small pelagic is landed by artisanal fleet at the central Atlantic region. The sizes exploited are dominated by adult individuals with a primary mode of 15 cm for sardine and 21 cm for chub mackerel. Considering the small pelagic resources dynamism and their instability and in order to assess the impact of the artisanal fishery pressure on these resources, this study illustrates the key indicators of this activity including operating and biological indicators necessary to implement sustainable management strategies.