Tender for scientific support to the Saudi Arabian fisheries sector (SaudiTender I) (39153)

The general aim of the Fisheries Program at the Marine Studies Section, Center for Environment and Water, Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUMP/RI), is to establish a modern system of data collection, biological and ecological assessment, stock assessment modelling, and government management, in order to evaluate the exploitation status and enhance the sustainability of finfish and invertebrate stocks of Saudi Arabia (SA) Exclusive Economic Zone in the Arabian Gulf. The overall principle underlying this effort is the food security of SA, and the duty to carry out the best efforts to guarantee sustainable exploitation of fishery resources and ensure economic viable fisheries.

The Program is organized in four main branches, or Work Packages: Population Dynamics and Stock Assessment, Essential Fish Habitats, Environmental Impacts of Fishing Methods, and Management Strategy Framework.

The KFUPM/RI of Saudi Arabia and AZTI-Tecnalia, Marine and Food Research Institute of the Basque Country, Spain, in partnership with DTU-Aqua, runs this project with an extensive collaboration program in fisheries monitoring, research, and management advice. A service contract according has been signed between KFUPM/RI and AZTI. A sub-contract to this service contract has been made between AZTI and DTU Aqua where parts of the service contract forms an integral part of the subcontract and where DTU Aqua is co-responsible for the below listed specific tasks and deliverables.

Population Dynamics and Stock Assessment: Provision and further development of suitable model software to carry out stock assessment for data limited fish stocks. Stock assessment models suitable to data-poor fisheries are applied to historical catch and effort data (2002-2012) and to data from the new Data Collection Framework (2013- ) for major stocks. DTU Aqua is responsible for provision of model software to carry out assessments and application of this to 5 major finfish stocks out of the appointed 13 major stocks exploited by SA in the area. The work include estimation of fish stock growth parameters, performing yield per recruit analyses, and conducting stock assessments with application of a stochastic stock production model using the above data to estimate MSY (Maximum Sustainable Yield) sustainability reference levels according to exploitation. Templates for assessment and advice are developed on the basis of the data and knowledge available in cooperation with AZTI which includes a Stock Summary Sheet for each of the stocks.

Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) for Major Stocks: Conducting and reporting MSE for data-poor fisheries considering several prospective harvest control rules in the short to medium term according to MSY. This involves identification of biological reference points (biomass- and fishing mortality based reference points) and identification of input or output based harvest control rules according to short term forecast for the 5 major fish stocks. Also, this involves provision and further development of model software to carry out MSE according to MSY in the short to medium term.

Management Strategy Framework: Provision of formal considerations, evaluations, recommendations and reporting of relevant and appropriate management regimes and systems of data collection and stock assessments for scientifically-based advice to the SA Ministry of Agriculture on basis of current fishery system and exploitation of the 13 major stocks. This addresses needs for data, methods, institutional set-up, provision of advice, and possible management systems.

Partners
National Institute of Aquatic Resources, DTU Aqua
AZTI Technalia, Spain (coordinator)
KFUPM University Saudi Arabia

Funding
This project is funded by AZTI Technalia, Spain as to KFUPM University Saudi Arabia.

Research area: Fisheries Management