Short communication: Identification of By-catch species of tuna purse seiners in Iranian waters of Oman Sea

Tuna purse seine fishery is a commercial and industrial fishery in the Iranian waters of Oman Sea. An observer programme was conducted to identify the by-catch composition of the tuna purse seine fishery in the Iranian waters of the Oman Sea. Investigations were carried out on board of purse seiner vessel “named Parsian Shila” between September and October 2015. The by-catch was composed of 17 species belonging to 13 families. The composition of by-catch species included: Auxis thazard (22.79%), Coryphaena hippurus (11.4%), Istiophorus platypterus (12.66%), Makaira indica (5.07%), Sphyraena putnamiae (5.07%), Sphyraena jello (1.26%), Echeneis naucrates (2.54%), Elagatis bipinnulata (3.8%), Naucrates doctor (1.26%), Selar crumenophthalmus (1.26%), Rhizoprionodon acutus (24.05%), Rhincodon typus (1.26%), Alopias pelagicus (1.26%), Gymnura poecilura (1.26%), Mobula diabolus (1.26%), Aetobatus narinari (1.26%) and Chelonia mydas (2.54%). Bony fish with 67%, elasmobranches with 30% and turtles with 3% constituted the total by-catch individual. Results of this study provide valuable information in order to manage reduction of by-catch in tuna fisheries by purse seiners in Iranain waters of Oman Sea.