Economic aspects of fishing of dolphinfish in Sicily

Abstract

Dolphinfish fishing with Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) and purseseine nets is normally practised everywhere in Sicily and the Pelagic Archipelago. The fishing season starts in July when the FADs are placed and finishes in December. In the 1996 fishing season, in 5 sample ports, catches and fishing effort were taken through interviews during landing, fishing running costs were taken by interviewing fishermen and prices per kilos paid to fishermen were taken through direct observation. Catches, costs and profits per sample port, per week and for the entire fishing season were then calculated or estimated. Though it is freshly marketed only in Sicily, the resource would appear to provide a lucrative activity.