Sarawak purse seine fishery: the dynamics of Decapterus maruadsi, Rastrelliger brachysoma and Rastrelliger kanagurta

Samplings were carried out over a period of 37 months from December, 2002 to December, 2005 on almost all landings of purse-seiners at Kuching and Bintulu landings wharves. The 3 most common pelagic fish species sampled were: Decapterus maruadsi, Rastrelliger brachysoma and Rastrelliger kanagurta. Catch and effort data of the purse seines and biological data of the three species were collected. The data were analysed for catch per unit effort, CPUEgrowth and mortality estimates using FAO- ICLARM Stock Assessment Tools, FiSAT and length-at-first maturity utilising the statistical method of Udupa. The purse seines of Kuching landed most of the round scad, Decapterus maruadsi (200-500kg/day/vessel) at early of the year, whereas between 100 to 200kg/day/vessel of round scads were landed in Bintulu in the middle of the year. Kuching purse seines caught between 100 to 400kg/day/vessel of the Rastrelliger brachysoma mostly in the middle of the year, whereas meagre amount (