Gillnet selectivity for the north African catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Actinopterygii: Siluriformes: Clariidae), from the Upper Okavango Delta, Botswana.

Abstract

Successful fisheries management requires estimation of gillnet selectivity for optimum exploitation of the resource. In the Okavango Delta, no study has assessed the selectivity of gillnets for Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) which is an important component of both the subsistence and the commercial gillnet fishery catch. The aim of this study was to simulate the harvesting pattern of the commercial gillnet fishery and provide gillnet selectivity parameters for C. gariepinus . This will help fishery managers with information on the appropriate mesh sizes needed for sustainable utilisation of the catfish resource.