Trachurus trecae (Perciformes, Carangidae) fisheries Genetics: temporal analysis of populations by microsatellite markers for the sustainable management of this important feature of the African Atlantic coast fishing

• Grant number: 18/24559-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: March 01, 2019
• End date: May 09, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Fishery Resources and Fishery Engineering - Marine Fishing Resources
• Principal Investigator: Alexandre Wagner Silva Hilsdorf
• Grantee: Kenneth Gabriel Mota
• Host Institution: Pró-Reitoria Acadêmica. Universidade de Mogi das Cruzes (UMC). Campus da Sede Mogi das Cruzes. Mogi das Cruzes , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The species Trachurus trecae occurs in the Eastern Atlantic between Morocco to Angola, sometimes ranging south to northern Namibia. This species is an economically important fishery resource for many countries, particularly to Angola. Fishing data reveal a recent population decline, possibly due to the strong fishing pressure coupled with the lack of fisheries management of this species. The maintenance of inter-and intraspecific genetic diversity is a crucial point for the long-term sustainability of the stocks, especially those of interest to artisanal and industrial fishing. Genetic erosion and the loss of genetically distinct populations by overfishing may threaten the economic sustainability of a given species in a first moment, which may imperil the long-term survival of the species. Therefore, to yield sustainable use of a given marine resource, inter alia, the development of methods to estimate the loss of genetic variability in natural populations and assess population genetics structure are necessary. To achieve that, microsatellite molecular markers have been used extensively to determine levels of diversity and genetic connectivity among fish stocks, especially those targets for fisheries. Against this background, this study aiming at assessing the temporal genetic diversity among and within populations of T. trecae collected in a space of 10 years gap. This goal will be carried out with the use of specific-species microsatellite markers developed by our research group, already. The outcomes of this proposal will test the hypothesis of a possible impact of capture of kunene horse mackerel from the fishing fleet of Angola, as well as understand if oceanographic variables are driven factors to produce genetic divergence among populations. (AU)