Portraying Trawl Fishery in Albanian Waters: Case Study from the Sarandë Area (Southern Albania)

Abstract The current study provides valuable insight into the trawl fishery operating in southern Albanian waters via an integrated approach based on high-frequency onboard monitoring trawl vessels and on-site interviews with local fishers. Multivariate analyses of the composition of species landings or economic revenue revealed groups that, depending on the group, were distinguished by improved fisheries landings and economic efficiency. The majority of the catch consisted of a variety of demersal and small- and medium-sized pelagic species, confirming the Adriatic Sea's multispecies nature. Target species identified in terms of catches and revenue imply a systematic tactic over a long period of time, and incidental catches are equally important in terms of overall group similarity. The identification of target species groups may be useful in assessing the current sampling stratification schemes.