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In waters off The Canary Islands, small pelagic fish are targeted by an artisanal purse seine fleet. This fishery has been monitored within the EU Data Collection Framework since 2013. The status assessment of the most important commercial species (i.e. Scomber colias, Trachurus spp, Sardinella spp and Sardina pilchardus) are included in the Fishery Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic (CECAF). However, the short time series and the limited knowledge of the life history traits of these species in the Archipelago had been considered too limited to perform any assessment exercise. In this context, a multi-model approach was attempted to assess the status of these species for the first time in the area, using the methods recommended by CECAF and the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). Time series of landings and fishing effort includes data since 2009 to 2020, being less reliable at the beginning of the series. In addition, the biological and population information needed as input data in those models, are available depending on the species, this increasing the uncertainty of these analyses. A total of six data-limited (length- and catch-based) methods was applied. Results show that a quantitative assessment of the Canaries small pelagic stocks, with the final aim of providing scientific advice for management purposes, is not yet feasible. Therefore, it is necessary and urgent to address the current uncertainties around these species and fisheries, both by improving the knowledge of their life histories and by solving the shortfalls related to the data of this artisanal and multispecific fishery.

Small pelagic fish (SPF) present relatively short life cycles, with fast growth, high mobility and plankton-base feeding. Therefore, they are highly sensitive to fluctuations in environmental conditions, including those related to Climate Change, and fishing. On the one hand, reproductive traits have been recently described for all these species in the Canary archipelago, which show a clear decreasing pattern of their sizes at first maturity during the last years (Jurado-Ruzafa et al., 2021). On the other hand, a regional increase in the sea water temperature has been observed in NW African waters during last decades (Vélez-Belchí et al., 2015). Foreseeing potential variations in the life history traits of SPF is critical for effective management measures in the current Global Warming scenario.

Le taux élevé en protéine et en graisse font de cette espèce le choix privilégié des fariniers depuis 2013. Malgré, l’augmentation de l’effort de pêche, les captures ont commencé à chuter depuis 2014 annonçant ainsi le début de la surexploitation de ce stock. Du fait de la discontinuité des séries d’indices d’abondance pour la sardinelle, le modèle de surplus de production utilisé antérieurement pour fournir un avis de gestion n’a cette année encore pas pu être appliqué. Afin d’estimer les points de référence pour la sardinelle, de donner un diagnostic sur l’état des stocks, une approche basée sur les données de captures uniquement, CMSY (Froese et al. 2017), a été considérée. Depuis 2016, le stock de la sardinelle ronde n‘a pas été évalué par le groupe COPACE faute de données. Cette situation de manque de données fait de cette espèce un stock à données limités d’où le choix du modèle CMSY.

The EU’s Regulation on the Sustainable Management of External Fishing Fleets (SMEFF, 2017) was established within the framework of the External Fisheries dimension of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Since the 1960s, Angola has been a traditional fishing ground for a Spanish fleet of deep-sea shrimp trawlers, mainly targeting Parapenaeus longirostris and Aristeus varidens. Since 2004, this fishery has been conducted through direct fishing authorizations and currently, in compliance with the SMEFF, scientific evaluations to demonstrate the sustainability of the fishery must be provided to fish in a third country with this system. Only P. longirostris has been assessed so far by the Fishery Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic (CECAF), with great limitations due to the lack of consistent fishery information and biological data. Since 2018, the IEO has implemented a scientific observer program onboard this fleet with the aim of obtaining the most reliable fishery and biological information for assessment purposes. This involves the collection of information such as: catch by species and biological data enabling the estimation of volume and length frequency of all catch fractions, biological parameters of target stocks, information for assessing the fishing impact on the marine ecosystem and detailed data on the activity of the fleet. A summary of the designed programme and the main fishery and biological information obtained during the first observed annual cycle is presented, as a starting point of a long-term monitoring program that together with other sources (logbooks, VMS) would increase the quantity and quality of the data needed for improving the assessments of these Angolan stocks.

La gamba blanca es la principal especie objetivo de la flota marisquera española en los caladeros de África occidental, entre los que destacan Mauritania y Guinea-Bissau. En este trabajo se analiza la biología reproductiva de la especie en estos dos caladeros a partir de muestreos biológicos realizados por observadores a bordo de esta flota en dos ciclos anuales consecutivos. Se muestrearon un total de 7697 individuos durante los doce meses de observación en Mauritania y 8720 individuos durante los nueve meses de observación con captura de esta especie en Guinea-Bissau. En base al porcentaje de individuos maduros por mes y lance de pesca, se han determinado para cada caladero el periodo y las principales zonas de reproducción, así como la talla de primera madurez mediante un Modelo Linear Generalizado (GLM) con errores binomiales con el paquete INBIO desarrollado en R. Prácticamente todos los machos muestreados estaban maduros a lo largo de todo el año en ambos caladeros. Se detectaron hembras maduras en la mayoría de los meses muestreados, aunque con al menos un pico de puesta durante la estación fría en Mauritania y dos picos de puesta, uno en la estación húmeda y otro en la estación seca de Guinea-Bissau. Las tallas de primera madurez estimadas para hembras de Mauritania y Guinea-Bissau fueron 23.7 mm y 23.3 mm de longitud de cefalotórax, respectivamente. Las principales zonas de puesta se localizaron al sur de cabo Timiris, en Mauritania y en la zona sur de Guinea-Bissau, ambas entre 200-300 m de profundidad.

El camarón rosado sureño es una especie de gran interés comercial para la flota marisquera española en África occidental. Se ha estudiado su estrategia reproductiva en aguas de Mauritania a partir de datos biológicos de un total de 4928 individuos muestreados por observadores científicos a bordo de esta flota a lo largo de un ciclo anual. En base al porcentaje de individuos maduros por mes y lance de pesca, se d el periodo y las principales zonas de reproducción, así como la talla de primera madurez mediante un Modelo Linear Generalizado (GLM) con errores binomiales con el paquete INBIO (R). Este estudio confirma que la especie puede reproducirse a lo largo de todo el año en aguas de Mauritania. La mayoría de los machos estaban maduros en todos los meses muestreados y desde tallas muy pequeñas, mientras que en el caso de las hembras, se detectaron dos picos de máxima actividad reproductora: a) uno de mayor intensidad en agosto-septiembre (estación cálida); b) otro en febrero (estación fría). Las tallas de primera madurez obtenidas para las hembras fueron de 29.2 mm y 31.6 mm de longitud de cefalotórax, en los picos de puesta de la estación cálida y fría, respectivamente. Se localizaron dos zonas de reproducción entre 31 y 58 m de profundidad, bien diferenciadas: una al norte del cabo Timiris y otra al sur, cerca de la frontera con Senegal, reforzando la teoría de la posible existencia de dos stocks (norte y sur) de esta especie en Mauritania.

A programme of observers on board Spanish shrimp trawlers in Angola was initiated by IEO in 2018 in order to improve the scientific information required by Sustainable Management of External Fishing Fleets (SMEFF Regulation of the EU). In this context, discard studies are considered very relevant, both for assessment purposes and for obtaining information on adverse ecological impacts in marine ecosystems. Most fishing hauls performed during the observed period November 2018 to December 2019 were carried out at depths between 384 and 649 m, with classic bottom otter trawl targeting the striped red shrimp Aristeus varidens. Discards accounted for 60% of the total catch during the analysed period. The estimated global discard rate for 2019 (2.2 discard/retained catch) indicates that 1915 tonnes of retained catch produced 4213 tonnes of discards, of which a small amount is of commercial species, as A. varidens (3.8 tonnes) and Merluccius polli (153 tonnes). A total of 131 discarded species were identified, with the highest group contribution being fish (70%), followed by crustaceans (20%). The most abundant species in discard weight were Ariomma melanum, Lamprogrammus exutus, Chaunax pictus, Centroscymnus owstonii, Hoplostethus cadenati, Lophius vaillanti, Yarrella blackfordi and Ariomma bondi (all together accounting for 55% of discards). The most frequent species were H. cadenati and L. exutus, discarded in 95% of the analysed fishing hauls. Discards estimations of commercial species obtained through a long-term observers program might result in improving the assessments of main commercial species from Angolan deep sea waters.

In the Canary Islands waters, small pelagic fish are targeted by the artisanal purse seine fleet, whose activity is monitored by the Canary Centre of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) since 2013, including the study of the most caught species (i.e. Scomber colias, Trachurus spp, Sardinella spp and Sardina pilchardus). In 2015, the status assessment of these species (which in absence of ad hoc studies are considered as single stocks) was included in the FAO Working Group on the Assessment of Small Pelagic Fish off Northwest Africa (FAO, 2016). However, the short time series and the limited knowledge of their life history traits in the Archipelago had been considered too limited to perform any assessment exercise. In this context, a multi-model approach has been attempted to assess the status of these species for the first time in the area, using both length- and catch-based methods.

The Spanish shrimp trawlers is one of the most important fleets operating in Mauritania. They target 3 species: -Penaeus notialis (at 20-80 m depth) -Parapenaeus longirostris (at 100-350 m depth) -Aristeus varidens (at 400-800 m depth) in 3 types of fishing operations that can be carried out during the same day. A critical challenge is to define suitable metrics of effective fishing effort since logbooks only provide information of catches by day. Accurate CPUE obtained from these vessels could be considered good abundance indices of its target stocks, which is of paramount importance for assessment purposes. The objective of this analysis was to use Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) information to robustly infer fleet activity as well as estimate units of effort directed to each of the three target species of the Spanish trawlers operating within the EEZ of Mauritania. The estimates of trawling effort by target species obtained from VMS data show consistency in both values and temporal trends with those registered by observers on-board. The adoption of a consistent method for analysing VMS data will help to ensure that calculations of trawling effort are repeatable and comparable among studies.

Overexploitation and climate change are increasingly causing unanticipated changes in marine ecosystems such as higher variability in fish recruitment or shifts in species dominance and distribution that alter the productivity of fish stocks. This study analyses how external and internal drivers influence population dynamics of hake (Merluccius merluccius), white anglerfish (Lophius piscatorius), four-spot megrim (Lepidorhombus boscii), and horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) of Iberian Peninsula waters of the Northeast Atlantic across different spatiotemporal scales. Available spawning stock biomass and recruitment have been used as biological data, whereas fishing mortality, demographic data as well as climatic and oceanographic data have been used as drivers. The obtained results indicate that population dynamics of these species are mainly driven by oceanographic variability at regional scale along with fishing pressure and demographic factors, while the impact of large-scale climate indices was minimal. The identified variables represent relevant oceanographic regional processes candidate to be potentially integrated into the stock assessment models and management procedures of these important fishery resources

Monitoring plays a key role in all aspects of fisheries management, including those related to sustainable management of resources, the economic performance of the fishery, and the distribution of benefits from the exploitation of the fishery and environment. In this manuscript, an electronic device (the iObserver) is described, which aims to improve fisheries monitoring by identifying and quantifying fishing catches on board commercial vessels. This device is located over the conveyor belt in the fishing sorting area to automatically take pictures of the entire catch during fish separation. Each picture is analyzed using open source image recognition software to identify the number of individuals, the species and length of each individual based on skin descriptors (color, texture), and shape. The iObserver is equipped with a graphical and user-friendly interface. The information provided by the iObserver is sent to the RedBox software, where it is aggregated and augmented with vessel instrumentation data, such as location, velocity, and course. Then, the data are sent to a shore-based center to be used for different purposes, including the following: feeding mathematical models describing stock evolution; identifying those regions with a large presence of individuals below a Minimum Conservation Reference Size (MCRS); and supporting administrative decisions about a given fishing region.

The Working Group on Southern Horse Mackerel, Anchovy and Sardine (WGHANSA1) met by correspondence from 3 to 7 June 2019, and in Madrid from the 25 to the 28 of November 2019, and was chaired by Alexandra Silva (Portugal). There were 13 participants from France, Portugal, Spain and UK. The main task of WGHANSA was to assess the status the stocks of sardine in the Celtic Seas and English Channel (pil.27.7), sardine in the Bay of Biscay (pil.27.8abd), sardine in the Cantabrian Sea and Atlantic Iberian waters (pil.27.8c9a), anchovy in the Bay of Biscay (ane.27.8), anchovy in Atlantic Iberian waters (ane.27.9a; components west and south), horse mackerel in Atlantic Iberian waters (hom.27.9a) and jack mackerel in the Azores (jaa.27.10). Assessments and short-term forecasts were updated according to the stock annexes. There is no assessment method adopted for pil.27.7 due to the lack of data. The stock of pil.27.8abd was assessed as category 1 for the first time, following an interbenchmark. Recruitment has been above the average, the spawning–stock biomass declined and fishing mortality steeply increased in 2010–2012. SSB is fluctuating above MSY Btrigger and F2018 is above FMSY and below Fpa. This year, the DEPM datapoint for 2017 was included in the pil.27.9a assessment for the first time, following a revision of the survey data. The stock has decreased since 2006 and stabilized to a historical low since 2012. The biomass of age 1 and older fish has been decreasing since 2006 and reached the lowest historical value in 2015. It has since increased slightly but is below Blim since 2011. Recruitment has been below the time-series average since 2005. Recruitment in 2018 was around the geometric mean of the last five years. Fishing mortality has been decreasing from a peak in 2011. In 2018, it was the lowest in the time-series and below Fpa and Flim. The stock size indicator for anchovy in 9a.west decreased 90% from 2018 to 2019 (4129 t), after a period of an increasing tre

[Resumen] El objetivo de este trabajo es presentar el iObserver: un dispositivo electrónico diseñado para: identificar las especies de peces que aparecen en la captura de los barcos comerciales, estimar la longitud de cada individuo, y cuantificar la biomasa por especie. Dicho dispositivo realiza de forma automática la adquisición de imágenes durante el transcurso del triado (tarea en la que se separan los peces por especies). Cuando una fotografía está disponible la analiza para identificar el número de ejemplares y la especie a la que pertenece cada uno de ellos. Para ello se basa tanto en descriptores de la piel (color, textura) como en su forma. Esta información se incorpora a los datos suministrados por la instrumentación del barco (posición, velocidad, rumbo, etc.) y se envía en tiempo real a un centro en tierra para su análisis., [Abstract] The aim of this work is to present the iObserver: an electronic device able to: idenfitify the fish species in the catch of commercial vessels; estimate the length of each individual; and quantify the biomass. Such device, which is located over the conveyor belt, automatically takes pictures during the fish separation taks in the haul. When a picture is available, the iObserver analyze it in order to identify the number of individuals and the species of each individual based on skin descriptor (color, texture) and shape. This information is collected, together with vessel instrumentation data (location, velocity, course, etc.), and it is send to an inland center to be used for different purposes, such as: feeding the mathematical models describing the evolution of stocks; showing those regions with large presence of individuals below minimal legal size; or for administrative decisions about a given fishing region.

Hydroclimatic variability is one of the main factors that drives inter-annual changes in fish migration patterns. This study analyses the relationship between climate- oceanographic factors and migration of the Atlantic pomfret (Brama brama) in NE Atlantic waters. Geo-referenced catch data from logbooks of longliners operating in European Atlantic waters from 2002 to 2013 were linked to environmental indices at different temporal and spatial scales. Our results point to a strong influence of temperature at 200 m depth as the key factor along with the upwelling in the Galician (NW Iberian) waters. However, sea surface temperature (SST) indirectly affects the geographical display of Atlantic pomfret migration, and large migrations are observed in scenarios of high SSTs in the migratory area (c. above 14.7°C). Migrations are constrained during years when temperatures are below this threshold. A longer time-series of annual landings (1950–2013) supports this evidence and highlights the significant influence of temperature at 200-m depth along with the landings of the previous year. Length frequency distributions suggest an increase in size between consecutive seasons supporting the hypothesis that migration is a feeding strategy and a return to tropical waters of origin for spawning. Our study shows that the temperature of intermediate waters is a key variable in determining the northward migration of the Atlantic pomfret whereas density-dependence and surface climatic conditions trigger secondary effects on the migration pattern of this species.

Discards estimates from Spanish bottom otter trawl of anglerfish, Lophius budegassa (black anglerfish) and L. piscatorius (white anglerfish), in Northeast Atlantic Ocean (ICES Sub-areas VI, VII and Divisions VIIIabd) are presented in this paper. Information was obtained by observers on board in different discard programs carried out by Spanish Research Institutes. Total discards obtained by the different raising procedures were very similar and total discard raised by effort (number of trips) as a simple estimator was assumed as the adequate value. Values in weight range from 4 t to 590 t, and from 4 t to 320 t for white and black anglerfish respectively in Sub-areas VI and VII. Length distributions of discarded anglerfish (Sub-areas VI and VII) show that most of the specimens are juvenile individuals. Discards estimations show a high variability in weight and number along the period studied. Yearly abundance of juveniles in the area is a factor to understand the variability of discard quantities. This trend in Sub-areas VI and VII is reflected by similar pattern between juveniles (length < 31cm) discards estimations and recruitment indices (age 0) obtained by French (FR-EVHOES) for black anglerfish, and Irish (IR-IGFS) for white anglerfish. Inter-annual variation may also be explained by legal restriction on minimum weights (DCR) laid down in 2000 due to change in onboard sorting procedures.

A Spanish Discard Sampling Programme is being carried out in Divisions VIIIc and IXa North since 1993. The series provides information on discarded catch in weight and number and length distributions for Southem hake. Spanish sampling was used for years 1994, 1997, 1999- 2000 and 2003-2007. The number of trips sampled by the Spanish program was distributed by three trawl fleets: Baca otter trawl, Pair trawl and HVO trawl. Effort (trips number), hake landings and target species landings were the three variables tested to raise the Spanish discard, and the total effort by fleet gave the best results and hence it was used to estimate total discards. Hake discards for the Spanish fleet were estimated to vary between 240t (C.V. = 22.3) and 2 650t (C.V. = 24.3%). Estimated percentages of discarded hake in relation to total catch ranges between 9% and 31% in weight and 50% and X9% in number. As the Spanish estimated discard sampling is not based on yearly information, the relationships with Spanish survey (SP-GFS) abundance indices of age O was used to estimate discard abundanccs in those years were discard sampling was not performed. First ages (0, 1) were assumed to be discarded, and used in the estimates.