This survey is based on interviews with fishermen. The survey identified on maps all the fishing grounds used by the different direct fisheries. These maps provided a GIS base for the results delivered by this study. On a monthly basis, this study estimated total fishery production in quantity and value (BD), and estimated total fishing effort for the fishing grounds used by the different direct fisheries. These results are important for the management of fisheries resources. They also provide value indicators for the marine areas, which is useful information for the development of a master plan for the use of Bahrain's sea areas. This study is the first in Bahrain and the Arabian Gulf area to provide fishing ground-based catch and effort statistics.

This study is also the first to identify 29 direct fisheries in Bahrain's waters. These direct fisheries were found to be supported by 16 target species. Spanish mackerel Scomberomorus commerson and Grouper Epinephelus coioides both were found to support 4 direct fisheries. Sobaity sea bream Sparidentex hasta was found to support 3 direct fisheries. Rabbitfish Siganus canaliculatus, Scad Alepes sp., Needlefish Tylosurus crocodilus were each found to support two direct fisheries. While the Grey Grunt Plectorhinchus sordidus, Golden Trevally Gnathanodon speciosus, Swimming crab Portunus pelagicus, Shrimp Penaeus semisulcatus, Shovel-nose lobster Thenus orientalis, Mojarra Gerres sp., Halfbeak Hemiramphus far, Mullets, Emperor Lethrinus sp., and jellyfish were each found to support a fishery. The fishing grounds used by these direct fisheries were outlined on maps and identified by their local names. Based on the identified direct fisheries, this study produced 23 maps showing the fishing ground locations for all identified direct fisheries.

The estimation procedure adopted by this survey used the fishing boat (or trap in the case of the barrier trap fishery only) as the basic sampling unit. The importance of a fishing ground was assessed based on three elements: 1) catch rate, 2) number of boats working in the ground, and 3) average number of days spent by fishing boats in the ground. This study adopted a technique to estimate the number of boats operating in the different fishing grounds. Based on the ratio estimation procedure, the monthly catch and effort estimates and their confidence interval values were obtained per fishing ground. The annual statistics were obtained by direct summation of the monthly estimates per fishing ground and per direct fishery. The approach adopted to estimate the annual catch and effort estimates provided confidence in these estimates. It also became possible for the study to determine the length of the fishing season for each direct fishery.

This survey used 23 questionnaires to meet the catch and effort estimation requirements for the 29 direct fisheries. Data on the daily catch and value averages of the target and other species groups were collected on a monthly and on a fishing ground basis. The survey conducted a total of 337 interviews (samples) covering all identified direct fisheries.

The present study estimated that the total catches from the 29 direct fisheries were 66999t in quantity and value 61 million BD, based on the fishery status for 2005. This estimate is 5 times greater than the Directorate General for the Protection of Marine Resources (DGPMR) landing estimates in 2003. The Rabbitfish-wire trap fishery was found to make up 39% of the total production estimate quantity. For several direct fisheries, the total catch estimates provided by this study were found within the DGPMR total annual landing estimates. This includes Swimming crab-wire trap fishery (3522t), Mullet-gillnet (169t), Mojarra (323t), and Shovel-nose lobster (25t). The estimate of total jellyfish catches (1151t) was found to be consistent with total jellyfish exports (100t) in 2005. Exported jellyfish go through a processing procedure and usually lose 90% of their original wet weight.

For several fisheries, the total catch estimate quantities were found to be higher than the DGPMR total annual landing estimates, e.g., Rabbitfish gillnet and trap fisheries, shrimp trawl fishery, Spanish mackerel fisheries, and Grouper fisheries. Evidence is provided which supports this study's findings and suggests that an IUU (Illegal, Unregulated, Unreported) fishery problem exists in Bahrain. This IUU fishery problem contributed to an underestimation of total fish landings.