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P-ISSN: 2394-0506, E-ISSN: 2347-5129

International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies

2018, Vol. 6, Issue 4, Part C

Relationship between human exploitation and condition of mussel populations in Aoufist, (SW Morocco, Atlantic Ocean)


Author(s): Jawad Kassila, Mohamed Ellilouchi and Mohamed Idhalla

Abstract: In Morocco, human exploitation of mussels caused overfishing and drastic reductions of local stocks. For comparative purposes, we studied patterns of abundance and distribution of the mussels before and after the fishing season (May 2014 - February 2015), at locations subject to subsistence exploitation and at unexploited reference locations. The fished shores experienced significant decrease in mussel cover (p< 0.01) while no significant increase occurred at the unexploited shores (p > 0.05). Human exploitation brought a decrease in abundance of individuals of commercially valuable size (5-7 cm) while the unexploited shores experienced a marked increase in abundance of large mussels. Significant reduction in biomass of 44 - 93% occurred at the fished locations while the reference shores experienced an increase of 11 - 34% in biomass. The findings are discussed in relation to various biological attributes which may determine the susceptibility of the local stocks to depletion. The present study emphasize the high level of exploitation in the fishery of Aoufist and emphasize the urgent need to apply appropriate management strategies.

Pages: 176-185  |  870 Views  137 Downloads

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International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies
How to cite this article:
Jawad Kassila, Mohamed Ellilouchi, Mohamed Idhalla. Relationship between human exploitation and condition of mussel populations in Aoufist, (SW Morocco, Atlantic Ocean). Int J Fish Aquat Stud 2018;6(4):176-185.
International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies

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