Small-scale fishing produces about half of the total landings of the gulf
of Gabès (Tunisia), but still remains very poorly known. Coastal fleet structure
is studied through a typological approach based on multivariate analyses of trip
catches (principal component analysis, cluster analysis, and partition). Eleven
‘métiers' are defined by combinations of target species,
fishing gears and periods: two of them target cephalopods (octopus and cuttlefish) in
winter, one targets shrimp with trammels, and eight target finfish in a more or less
selective way with gillnets, trammelnets or their combination, with set nets,
and with longlines. This study of Tunisian coastal fishery is the first step towards
a more thorough understanding of its structure and dynamics, which is necessary for
the management of resources and fishing activities.