Sahara Coastal

The area experienced uncontrolled exploitation during the 1960s-70s, which resulted in heavy fishing pressure that has depleted many demersal long-lived species and drastically reduced stocks of sparids. This removal of predators resulted in the outburst of short lived species such as cephalopods, while discards from trawlers are suspected to have enhanced the abundance of some scavenger species that constitute cephalopods' prey. The decline in the trophic level of landings also reflects an increase of small pelagic fish in the total catch. A high variability of small pelagic fish stocks has been observed during the last decade, with changes recorded in both abundance and spatial distribution patterns. These changes however are environmentally induced.