Mornings that make you glad to be alive!

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New, SeyCCAT-funded, project on the Seychelles lethrinid started last week. Lethrinids make up approx 17% of the artisanal catch but have never been researched to the species level. Below is the Longface emperor (Lethrinus olivaceus) - the world's largest species of emperor.

Wonderful!

Mature feamle blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus) - over 205 cm and weighing 53.5 kg, English River market (31/01/26). SOSF-funded project: Monitoring the effectiveness of new shark protection laws in Seychelles. #saveourseasfoundation #ArtisanalFisheries #carcharhinuslimbatus

Fish "packet" incl. Sky (Lethrinus mahsena), Slender (L. rubrioperculatus) Blackeye (L. enigmaticus) and Pinkear (L. lentjan) emperors, English River (31/01/26). SeyCCAT-funded project: Establishing a baseline for, and the species composition of, the Lethrinid fishery. #SeyCCAT

The Sky emperor (Lethrinus mahsena) a relatively abundant component of the catch is classified as Endangered by IUCN. This species will be a focus of this project. SeyCCAT-funded project: Establishing a baseline for, and the species composition of, the Lethrinid fishery. #SeyCCAT

This sub-adult male lemon shark (Negaprion acutidens) measured 211cm and weighed 55.6 Kg, English River market (31/01/26). SOSF-funded project: Monitoring the effectiveness of new shark protection laws in Seychelles. #saveourseasfoundation #ArtisanalFisheries #negaprionacutidens

Spotcheek emperors (Lethrinus rubrioperculatus) - "baksou" - English River market (31/01/26). SeyCCAT-funded project: Establishing a baseline for, and the species composition of, the Lethrinid fishery. #SeyCCAT #ArtisanalFisheries #lethrinusrubrioperculatus

Orange-striped emperors (Lethrinus obsoletus) - "poul kouve" - Roche Caiman (31/01/26) . SeyCCAT-funded project: Establishing a baseline for, and the species composition of, the Lethrinid fishery. #SeyCCAT #ArtisanalFisheries #Lethrinusobsoletus #trapcatch

A species of lethrinid very close to my heart, the Indian-Ocean eyebrowed large-eye seabream (Gymnocranius indicus) - "Kapten blan grolizye" - English River market (31/01/26). SeyCCAT-funded project: Establishing a baseline for the Lethrinid fishery. #SeyCCAT #ArtisanalFisheries

24 species of shark have been recorded in the artisanal catch, the top 4 make up 86.4% of the catch, and the top 10 98.7%. Front to back: grey reef (C. amblyrhynchos), blacktip (C. limbatus) and spottail (C. sorrah), English River market (28/01/26). SOSF-funded project.

Catch diversity. We are truly blessed in Seychelles... but we need to do a much better job of managing our marine resources, English River market (23/01/26).

The much-maligned spotcheek emperor (Lethrinus rubrioperculatus) - "baksou" - actually a perfectly decent and an important component of the catch, early morning English River market (24.01/26). SeyCCAT-funded project: Establishing a baseline for the Lethrinid fishery. #SeyCCAT

Thanks to Leroy from Praslin for sharing this video of a beautiful bottlenose wedgefish (Rhynchobatus australiae) - "vyolon" - in crystal clear waters off Felicite Island. This species is classified as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Catch diversity and quality, English River market (23/01/26).

Red-tipped grouper (Epinephelus retouti) - "mama rouz" - English River market (24/01/26). Read about this species here: seatizens.sc/species/epinep…

The rich colours and diversity of #Trapcatch, English River market (28/01/26).

Without fisher cooperation measurements and weight of this Blacktip could not have been gathered, Northeast Mahe (10/02/26). SOSF-funded project: Monitoring the effectiveness of shark protection laws in Seychelles. #saveourseasfoundation #ArtisanalFisheries #carcharhinuslimbatus