The Spanish fisheries along the West African coast The Spanish fisheries along the West African coast from the middle to the end of the 20th centuryfrom the middle to the end of the 20th century

Eduardo Balguerías GuerraMaría Teresa García Santamaría

Ana Ramos MartosIgnacio Sobrino Yraola

Lourdes Fernández PeraltaTeresa García Jiménez

Instituto Español de Oceanografía

Pêcheries maritimes, écosystèmes et sociétés en Afrique de l’Ouest: un demi-siècle de changement

Dakar, Sénégal, 24 – 28 juin 2002

Pêcheries maritimes, écosystèmes et sociétés en Afrique de l’Ouest: un demi-siècle de changement

Dakar, Sénégal, 24 – 28 juin 2002

OUTLINEOUTLINE

1.1. Historical antecedentsHistorical antecedents

2.2. IEO statistical surveys in Spanish landing ports (1932 - 1970)IEO statistical surveys in Spanish landing ports (1932 - 1970)

3.3. Establishment of the IEO program on African fisheries Establishment of the IEO program on African fisheries

(1974)(1974)

4.4. Evolution of the Saharan fishery (1932 – 1999)Evolution of the Saharan fishery (1932 – 1999)

5.5. ConclusionsConclusions

SOME PIECES OF HISTORYSOME PIECES OF HISTORY1.1. Available information until the 17Available information until the 17 thth century century

• Phoenician and Roman vestiges show the fishing tradition in the Phoenician and Roman vestiges show the fishing tradition in the south of the Iberian peninsulasouth of the Iberian peninsula

• Information on disperse documents demonstrate that Iberians Information on disperse documents demonstrate that Iberians fished sardine and hake in the coast of Moroccofished sardine and hake in the coast of Morocco

• During the 15During the 15thth century Portuguese explored the African coast century Portuguese explored the African coast down to Guinea and brought news on the richness of the Saharan down to Guinea and brought news on the richness of the Saharan coastcoast

• Spanish conquered the Canary Islands and started exploiting Spanish conquered the Canary Islands and started exploiting Saharan resourcesSaharan resources

• Treaty of Tordesillas recognised the rights of Spanish fishermen Treaty of Tordesillas recognised the rights of Spanish fishermen to fish between Capes Ghir and Bojadorto fish between Capes Ghir and Bojador

• Pirate attacks isolated the region north to Cape Ghir and permitted Pirate attacks isolated the region north to Cape Ghir and permitted the extension of Canarian fishermen from Cape Juby to Cape the extension of Canarian fishermen from Cape Juby to Cape Timiris (“banco canario – sahariano”)Timiris (“banco canario – sahariano”)

SOME PIECES OF HISTORYSOME PIECES OF HISTORY

1.1. Available information until 15Available information until 15 thth century century

2.2. The Illustration period: first descriptions of the African fisheriesThe Illustration period: first descriptions of the African fisheries

• 30 boats30 boats

• use of hooks exclusivelyuse of hooks exclusively

• “ “tasarte”, “anjova” and “estornino” as baittasarte”, “anjova” and “estornino” as bait

• ““cherne”, “corvina” and “sama” as target speciescherne”, “corvina” and “sama” as target species

• preservation gutted, salted and pressedpreservation gutted, salted and pressed

• annual production around 6 900 t (3 million fish)annual production around 6 900 t (3 million fish)

SOME PIECES OF HISTORYSOME PIECES OF HISTORY

1.1. Available information until 15Available information until 15 thth century century

2.2. The Illustration period: first descriptions of the African fisheries The Illustration period: first descriptions of the African fisheries

3.3. The colonialism: scientific explorationsThe colonialism: scientific explorations

• introduction of nets and traps: “chinchorros”, “artes de tendido” introduction of nets and traps: “chinchorros”, “artes de tendido”

and “nasas”and “nasas”

• preservation of living fish in “tank vessels”preservation of living fish in “tank vessels”

• factories onshorefactories onshore

SOME PIECES OF HISTORYSOME PIECES OF HISTORY

1.1. Available information until 17Available information until 17 thth century century

2.2. The Illustration period: first descriptions of the African fisheries The Illustration period: first descriptions of the African fisheries

3.3. The colonialism: scientific explorationsThe colonialism: scientific explorations

4.4. The World War Two: expansion of industrial fisheriesThe World War Two: expansion of industrial fisheries

• introduction of trawlingintroduction of trawling

• specialization of fishing (small pelagics, hakes, shrimps, specialization of fishing (small pelagics, hakes, shrimps,

cephalopods)cephalopods)

• new preservation methods (ice and freezing)new preservation methods (ice and freezing)

• extension of fishing grounds towards the southextension of fishing grounds towards the south

SOME PIECES OF HISTORYSOME PIECES OF HISTORY

1.1. Available information until 17Available information until 17 thth century century

2.2. The Illustration period: first descriptions of the African fisheries The Illustration period: first descriptions of the African fisheries

3.3. The colonialism: scientific explorationsThe colonialism: scientific explorations

4.4. The World War Two: expansion of industrial fisheriesThe World War Two: expansion of industrial fisheries

5.5. The new jurisdictional order: decolonisation, EEZ’s and fishing The new jurisdictional order: decolonisation, EEZ’s and fishing

agreementsagreements

0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

300000

33 43 53 63 73 83 93

years

catc

h (

t)

GuineaGuinea BissauSenegal

MauritaniaSaharaMorocco

Catches by fishing areaCatches by fishing area

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

70 years

catc

h (

t)

0

300000

33

0

30000

800

8000

80

0

5000

80

0

7000

80

0

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00

years

effo

rt (

fish

ing

day

s)

GuineaGuinea BissauSenegalMauritania

SaharaMorocco

Effort by fishing areaEffort by fishing area

0

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

33 37 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 73 77 81 85 89 93 97years

catc

hes

(t)

Haemulidae Pleuronectiforms Sciaenidae Sparidae

Serranidae Other fishes Cephalopods

Composition of fish catchesComposition of fish catches

Relative abundance in cruisesRelative abundance in cruisesCIERZO - 1942

92,12

0,54

6,83 0,08

0,42

THALASSA - 1962

0,01

2,8816,78

80,32

ATLOR V - 1974

71,66

18,7

9,64

CONGEL - 1990

78,2

0,86

9,61

11,33

(2175 kg/60’)(2175 kg/60’)

(569 kg/60’)(569 kg/60’)

(211 kg/60’)(211 kg/60’)

(322 kg/60’)(322 kg/60’)

Fish Crustaceans Cephalopods Equinoderms Other invertebrates

1972

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Cephalopods

Chondroichthies

Osteichthies

Invertebrates

percentage (weight)

1990

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Cephalopods

Chondroichthies

Osteichthies

Invertebrates

percentage (weight)

biomass catches landings

CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONS

1.1. First historical records indicate that Spanish fisheries in NW Africa First historical records indicate that Spanish fisheries in NW Africa were already established in the early Mean Agewere already established in the early Mean Age

2.2. Canarian fishermen exploited resources in the Saharan coast almost in Canarian fishermen exploited resources in the Saharan coast almost in exclusivity from the 15exclusivity from the 15thth to the 20 to the 20thth centuries centuries

3.3. World War Two favoured the establishment of specialized industrial World War Two favoured the establishment of specialized industrial fisheries in the regionfisheries in the region

4.4. The new jurisdictional order forced to the extension of traditional The new jurisdictional order forced to the extension of traditional fishing groundsfishing grounds

5.5. Spanish catches and effort reached their maximum during the 1980’s Spanish catches and effort reached their maximum during the 1980’s followed by a continuous decrease due to restrictions in fishing followed by a continuous decrease due to restrictions in fishing agreementsagreements

6.6. Available information suggests that temporal changes in the Saharan Available information suggests that temporal changes in the Saharan assemblages affected to the total biomass more than to the faunistic assemblages affected to the total biomass more than to the faunistic compositioncomposition