TEMPORAL DYNAMICS OF DEMERSAL RESOURCES IN THE SOUTH OF SICILY (GSA 16) DURING THE LAST TWENTY YEARS

20 years abundance time series of bony fish, cartilaginous fish, cephalopods and crustaceans from MEDITS survey in the South of Sicily (GSA 16) were analyzed using a trend approach and short term prediction. Cartilaginous fish, cephalopods and crustaceans displayed an increasing trend both in biomass and number, whereas bony fish exhibited an oscillating pattern. The behavior of catch rates of the examined taxonomic groups seems in line with the reduction of fishing effort in the GSA 16 occurred in the last years.