Age, growth, and mortality rates of the European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus L. 1758) off the Turkish Black Sea coast

This study was conducted during the Engraulis encrasicolus fishing seasons of 1998-1999 and 1999-2000, and some basic characteristics of this population off the Turkish coast of the Black Sea were examined. Weight-length relationships and von Bertalanffy growth equations were estimated as W = 0.0083 L-2.872 and Lt = 15.66[1 - e(-0.3368 (t+2.526))] and W = 0.0076 L-2.919 and Lt = 17.07 [1 - e(-0.2836 (t+2.1047))] for the 1998-1999 and 1999-2000 fishing seasons, respectively. For the 1998-1999 fishing season total (Z), natural (M), and fishing (F) mortality rates were Z = 1.44 year(-1), M = 0.49 year(-1) and F = 0.95 year(-1) and for the 1999-2000 season they were Z = 1.60 year(-1), M = 0.46 year(-1) and F = 1.44 year(-1), respectively. The exploitation rates (E) of 0.66 and 0.71 for each season indicate that the population is being heavily exploited.