On the estimation of marine resource distribution of Timor-Leste by data fitting

Abstract

Tracking fishing activities is a measure to understand the distribution of marine biology, the abundance of resources, and the living conditions of fishers. This research uses experiences from the voyage data recorder (VDR) project of Taiwan to map the distribution of marine resources of Timor-Leste, an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia. Like many tropical islands, it should have an abundance of marine resources to feed its people and should be researched. Small scale fishing activities of Timor-Leste is collected by the Pelagic Data System (PDS) system. By correlating the written logbooks of catches, we can make the best matches to the PDS and map the distribution of resources. Currently, the activities of approximately 350 fishing boats are observed. Since the total number of fishing vessels is much larger than this number, by understanding the distribution of known fishing vessels, the results in this research can then be used to approximate the total marine resource of Timor-Leste more accurately.