SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL AVAILABILITY IN THE MULTISPECIES CRUSTACEAN TRAWL FISHERY ALONG THE EAST-COAST OF SOUTH-AFRICA AND SOUTHERN MOZAMBIQUE, 1988-1993

Catch and effort data from the crustacean trawl fishery along the east coast of South Africa and southern Mocambique are used to investigate spatial and temporal availability of several commercially important c rustacean species. The abundance of shallow-water prawns, Penaeus indi cus, Metapenaeus monoceros and Penaeus monodon, on the Tugela Bank tra wling grounds is strongly seasonal, increasing from January to June, a nd declining towards September. Decreasing annual catches are related to low rainfall in selected river catchment areas. Deep-water trawling between 100 and 600 m deep captures the pink prawns Haliporoides tria rthrus and Aristaeomorpha foliacea, the langoustine Metanephrops mozam bicus and Nephropsis stewarti, the rock lobster Palinurus delagoae and the deep-sea red crab Chaceon macphersoni. Trawling effort is distrib uted over depth and season according to species availability and econo mic value, the most valuable species mix being found at 400-500 m. Lan goustine, optimally fished for at 300 - 400 m, and rock lobster, optim ally fished for at 100-300 m, have increased in importance as shallow- water prawn catches have declined.