Key Biological Information on Atlantic Bonito From Small-Scale Fishery in the Senegal Exclusive Economic Zone

Abstract

Biological parameters are critical for the sustainable management of fisheries globally, providing critical insights into population dynamics, ecological interactions, and fish stock resilience. In the Senegalese Exclusive Economic Zone (SEEZ), valuable biological information required for Atlantic bonito stock assessment and implementing effective management measures is either limited or nonexistent. This study aims to address this gap by examining some important biological parameters of Atlantic bonito, one of the most targeted species of small tuna by small-scale fisheries in the Senegal fishing area. The results reveal important biological aspects, such as the length–weight relationship coefficient (a) of 0.0062 and the rate of weight change with length (b) of 3.2346, which is significantly greater than 3.0. These findings suggest that most fish species exhibit moderately positive allometric growth and an increase in relative body size or weight. The Fulton's condition factor (K) of the combined data ranged 1.18–1.48 (1.34 ± 0.14), suggesting that the fish are well-nourished in relation to their size. Furthermore, the age of Atlantic bonito in Senegalese waters is approximately 4.6–5 years. The final main growth parameters obtained were L_inf = 73.01 cm fork length, with estimated sizes at first maturity (L_m50) for males and females being 42.09 and 38.56 cm, respectively, and 40.75 cm for combined sexes. The results provide important biological aspects for assessing the Atlantic bonito stock, establishing robust harvest control rules (HCRs) for fisheries management, and supporting sustainable fishing for this small tuna for the benefit of coastal communities in the Northeastern Atlantic Ocean.