During 2008, a total of 4777 MT of fish was landed on Mahé, Praslin and La Digue by approximately 400 fishing boats. 81% of the total catch was landed on Mahé. The total artisanal catch increased by 593MT compared to 2007, whilst the number of boats operating increased by 49 units over the same period (excluding sport fishing vessels). The most important species groups landed (greater than 5% of the total catch) were carangue (25.7%), bourgeois (17.7%), job (15.8%), capitaine (7.1%), and macquereau doux (6.1%). Peak landings occurred in May (567.1 MT) and the lowest in June (219.2 MT), the latter period coinciding with the Southeast (SE) Trades and sea states not conducive to fishing. The average monthly catch in 2008 was 398.1 MT, representing an increase of 14.3% over the previous year. The mean monthly catch during the SE Trades (June – September, inclusive) was 410.3 MT,compared to a mean monthly catch during the Northwest (NW) monsoon (October – May, inclusive) of 392.1 MT. Catches of bourgeois decrease form 1076.0 MT to 843.4 MT, with peak monthly catches occurring in April. Catches of carangue, capitaine, job, Bonito, red snapper, octopus, becune and other trap fish all increased over the previous year, while those of bourgeois, cordonier,maquereau doux, crabs, other pelagic and shark and rays all declined. The percentage of the total artisanal catch taken by the small boat fishery (pirogues and outboards) was 26%, a slight increased compared to 2007 data. Fishermen on foot landed 0.8% of the total artisanal catch, with octopus catches from this fishery totaling 35.9 MT in 2008. A total of 112 MT of macquereau were landed by pirogues using encircling gillnet. Macquereau (30.1%) follow by cordonnier (15.4%) continued to be the most important species landed by vessels with outboards in 2008, with other important groups in this fishery including carangue (15.3%) and other trap fish (13.2%). In 2008, landings by the small boats and foot fishermen were divided slightly in favour of pelagic and semi-pelagic species (61%) compared to demersal/ reef species (39%). Typical of previous years, the whaler handline fishery dominated artisanal fisheries catches, accounting for 64.2% of total landings in 2008. An average of 103 whalers operated each month during 2007, the same number with 2007. Carangues made up 31.6% of the total whaler handline catch. Other important species in the catch were, in order of importance,bourgeois (20.2%) job (19.9%) and becune (4.2%). A maximum of 22 schooners were in operation during 2008 and these vessels accounted for 11% of total landings. Bourgeois was again the most important species caught by schooners (44.4%), followed by carangues (13.8%),the ‘others’ category (12.5% )and job gris(11.2%) . In terms of contribution to the catch by gear type, handlines continued to be the principal gear used by whaler and schooner vessels. In 2008, nets remained the most important gear used by pirogues . Harpoons are the main gear employed by foot fishermen. Published