Spatial distribution of potential fishing grounds for skipjack tuna Katsuwonus pelamis in the Makassar Strait, Indonesia

Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) is one of the large pelagic fish with great potential in the Makassar Strait. Its fishing, migration, and physiology are inseparable from the oceanographic conditions of the waters. This study aimed to identify the relationship between the skipjack tuna catch and oceanographic variables and to analyse the potential fishing ground for skipjack tuna in the Makassar Strait. We used the survey method to collect the fishing and oceanographic data from July to October 2018. The data was analysed using the Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) to find out the relationship between the skipjack tuna catch and oceanographic variables, Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and Chlorophyll-a (Chl-a). Potential skipjack tuna fishing grounds were mapped using ARCGIS 10.2 software package based on MLR output. The results showed that the high catches were associated with chlorophyll-a (0.15 - 0.2 mg m-3 ) and SST (29.5 - 30°C). The results of the MLR analysis showed the distribution and movement of the fishery data (in-situ data) were consistent with the prediction of the potential fishing grounds for skipjack tuna and reached a peak in October during the period of the study. Spatial patterns of the potential fishing grounds for skipjack tuna fishing were mostly located at the areas of 0°00’ to 4°30’ S and 118°0‘E to 119°00’ E. These results illustrate that spatial distribution of skipjack potential fishing grounds provide important information for conservation and fishing management strategies.