Fisheries management of the green tiger prawn (Penaeus semisulcatus, De Haan,1844) in Bushehr waters, Persian Gulf

Stock assessment and the opening and closure seasons of  the green tiger prawn were surveyed in Bushehr waters from July 2004 to September 2006. The study area encompassed Motaf area (27° 30' N" and 51° 30' E) to Daylam waters (30° 00'  N and 50° 00' E) the northern part of the Iranian waters of the Persian Gulf. Assessment was conducted using 45 stations on 15 transects in water depths less than lOrn, 10-20m and 20-30m. Sampling was done by bottom trawl net.

Results showed that the shortest mean length of the prawn were 11.3, 11.8 and 11.9cm in the years 2004, 2005 and 2006, respectively. Also, the maximum catch per unit effort for the prawns in these years was found to be 10.8, 14.7 and 9.7kg per hour.

At the opening of fishing season in the years 2004, 2005  and  2006, the  CPUE  of the prawn fishing launches were 100, 150 and 120kg per day.

Based on length frequency of the green tiger prawn, the opening times of prawn fishing was proposed to be 22, 11 and 20, August of years 2004, 2005 and 2006, respectively. Also, the closure times were derived from the shrimp commercial catch data and defined to be 25, 27 and 28 of September in 2004, 2005 and 2006, respectively.

Investigation of the shrimp stock density in Bushehr waters hows that the green tiger prawns enter the fisheries areas from the southeastern parts of Bushehr waters. The Motaf, Nakhilou, Ras-e-khan and Mond River are the areas that green tiger prawn schools are first emerged in the Bushehr province waters.