Assessment of the Fish Resources of Southeast Asia, with Emphasis on the Banda and Arafura Seas*

Following a brief presentation of marine catch trends in Southeast Asia, some biological peculiarities of the stocks upon which these fisheries rely are discussed. Two empirical loglinear models are presented allowing rough estimation of potential yield of small pelagic fishes fish from primary production, and of demersal fish from mean water depth and primary production. These models are applied to the Banda and Arafura Seas, and the results compared with yield estimates from similar ecological areas, the Sulu Sea (Philippines) and Gulf of Papua. The standing stock and ecological production of mesopelagic fishes in the Banda Sea are also estimated. The implications for management of these findings are discussed, with emphasis on the strong east to west human population gradient of Indonesia.