Target reference points and implications for Sardinella maderensis in Liberia's coastal waters

Abstract

Small-scale fisheries, particularly those targeting small pelagic fish, are a vital sector in Liberia, providing essential food for the local population and generating income for livelihoods. Sardinella maderensis, predominantly caught by motorized canoes using gill nets and seine nets, is the primary species in these fisheries. To establish management target reference points for the S. maderensis fishery, this study applied the Schaefer production model to aggregated and disaggregated catch and effort data collected by Liberia's National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) from 2018 to 2022. The findings indicate that, in both the aggregated and disaggregated models, the current (2022) fishing effort exceeds the MEY level, leading to diminishing economic returns and approaching economic overfishing thresholds. The economic reference points, MEY and E_MEY, were estimated to be 3% and 19% lower in the aggregated model, and 30% and 44% lower in the disaggregated model, compared to the current (2022) catch and relative fishing effort. This situation arises when the cost of fishing exceeds the price of fish, driven by inefficient and ineffective fishing boats, which leads to high unit costs of effort compared to unit revenue. To fully realize the potential of the S. maderensis fishery, this study recommends a combination of input and output control management strategies, the adoption of more efficient fishing technologies, and the provision of alternative livelihoods for coastal communities.