Biscay Dolphin Research Programme

An Overview of Fisheries in the Bay of Biscay

Karen Stockin

BDRP Fisheries Officer

Contents

Overview Fisheries in the northern parts of the Bay of Biscay (ICES Divisions VIII a,b,d,e)

Fisheries in the Iberian region (ICES Divisions VIIIc and IX)

Details of Important Fisheries in the Bay of Biscay and Surrounding Iberian Region

Common Sole (Solea solea)

Megrim (Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis)

Megrim (Lepidorhombus boscii)

Anglerfish (Lophius piscatorius)

Anglerfish (Lophius budegassa)

Hake (Merluccius merluccinus)

Horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus)

Sardine (Sardina pilchardus)

Anchovy (Engraulis mordax)

Mackerel (Scomber scombrus)

Tuna Fisheries

Cephalopod Fisheries

Deep Sea Fisheries

References

Acknowledgements

Appendix I : ICES Fishing Areas

Fisheries in the Bay of Biscay

Overview

The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) provides

assessments and management advice for over 100 stocks or sub-stocks in the

Northeast Atlantic. Various ICES working groups annually review the majority of

these stocks. However, such reviews have often proven difficult to compile. For

example the quality of official fisheries statistics have previously appeared

questionable. Obviously this has proven a hindrance to accurate stock assessment

and fisheries management since reliable information regarding fishing activities is

indispensable to the evaluation process of an exploited stock.

ICES recognises that “changes in fisheries systems are slowly reversible, difficult

to control, not well understood, and subject to change in the environment” (FAO

1995). Therefore ICES agrees to the principles of an “precautionary approach”

when matters of applied fisheries management are required. The concept of “safe

biological limits” has a specific meaning when issued in relation to ICES advice

The Northeast Atlantic is one of the most productive oceans of the world, second

only to the Northwest Pacific in productivity. The Bay of Biscay fits into the

southern region of the Northeast Atlantic and in effect runs the entire coastline

of western France and Spain. Both the high productivity of this region coupled with

its somewhat complex political and geographic structure make comprehension of

the current fisheries a difficult task. Some of the main species associated with

this region include sardines, hake and sea breams.

The state of fish stocks in the Bay of Biscay was described as “far from

satisfactory” by delegates attending the tenth ICES dialogue meeting at Vigo,

Spain in 1995. Although certain changes have been implemented since then it may

be suggested that in actual fact little has changed. The general decline in most

stocks has still not been brought under control and competition or in certain

circumstances open conflict still exists between certain fisheries.

Oceanography plays an important role in determining the types of fisheries that

exist within and surrounding the Bay of Biscay. The currents running along the

continental shelves and the up welling in some areas modulate the production in

different areas and during different seasons. The currents also affect the

migrations and viability of larvae. This latter effect can have profound affects

upon recruitment in marine species. In this environment important fisheries

develop for pelagic (anchovy and sardine) as well as benthic (hake, anglerfish,

megrim, sole, Norway lobster) species. Other species living in the water column are

also exploited and include scad and mackerel.

Most of the demersal fisheries in the Bay of Biscay are composite, i.e. a given

resource, composed of several stocks and exploited by various gears. Fishing can

operate, according to the gear, the area or season, on different components of a

population i.e. juveniles, adults. There are several fisheries in the Bay of Biscay in

which very significant amounts of fish are discarded. Discards occur for many

reasons: there are discards if fishermen consider the transport and landing costs

incurred outweigh the selling price of their catch. This process is independent of

legislation yet is still major contributor to discard levels within this region.

Fisheries in the northern parts of the Bay of Biscay (ICES Divisions VIII

a,b,d,e)

Figure 1 : ICES Fishing Areas for Bay of Biscay and surrounding waters

The continental shelf of the Bay of Biscay offers the appropriate environment for

pelagic, demersal and benthic. Most of the demersal fisheries in the Bay of Biscay

are multispecies fisheries i.e. involve the use of various gears and capture of

several stocks. Spain, Belgium, France Ireland and the UK primarily conduct these

fisheries, whilst the principal gears involved are otter trawls and beam trawls. The

targeting of sole and plaice using beam trawls became prevalent during the mid-

1970s, leading to an increase in landings of species. Recently the gradual

replacement of otter trawls by beam trawls has now occurred in the Belgian and UK

fleets.

Most of the demersal fisheries in the Bay of Biscay have a mixed catch. Although

it is possible to associate specific target species with particular fleets, various

quantities of cod, whiting, hake, anglerfish, megrim, sole, plaice and Norway lobster

(Nephrops) are taken together, depending on gear type. In recent years in the Bay

of Biscay there has been substantial replacement of inshore trawling by a coastal

gill-net fishery targeting sole.

A trawl fishery for anglerfish by Spanish and French vessels developed within the

bay in the 1970s and expanded until 1990. This fishery’s catch includes a large

component of juvenile fish, for which there is no minimal landing size. Nephrops are

an important component of the fisheries in this area. Landings increased initially

with effort but have stabilised or declined at continuing high effort.

These fisheries developed in 1970s and 1980s and are notorious for discard levels,

since the mesh size used for Nephrops can lead to significant by-catch of juvenile

fish, notably hake.

The fisheries in the Bay of Biscay are very similar to the fisheries in the Celtic

Sea and some of the same fleets operate in both areas. However, the technical

measures in the two areas differ. The minimum mesh sizes in the Celtic Sea are

often different from those in the Bay of Biscay. This has made management

enforcement more difficult since vessels can carry multiple mesh sizes and may

fish using the lower mesh sizes without being detected.

According to recent ICES working reports some of demersal fish stocks within the

Bay of Biscay still remain overexploited despite calls to reduce the exploitation of

juvenile fish by technical measures (gear modification) and lower current fishing

effort. The majority of fish stocks that are in this area are considered to be

outside safe biological limits i.e. catch is not balanced by recruitment. However,

there are currently no major concerns about the Nephrops stocks in this area even

though many stock units are fully exploited or overexploited in terms of yield per

recruit.

Fisheries in the Iberian region (ICES Divisions VIIIc and IX)

The Iberian region along the eastern Atlantic shelf (VIIIc and IXa) is considered

an upwelling area with high primary productivity. Consequently, this region is

characterised by a large number of commercial and non-commercial fish species. As

with the inner regions of the Bay of Biscay, fisheries in this are of a typical mixed

nature. Different types of Spanish and Portuguese fleets operate in the Iberian

region: one is the mixed trawl fleet (single, pair and crustacean trawlers) fishing

for species such as hake, blue whiting, horse mackerel, megrim, Nephrops, bib and

cephalopods. Other fleets include longliners (hake and mackerel), fixed nets (hake,

anglerfish) and purse seiners (sardine, anchovy).

The trawl fisheries for crustaceans in Iberian waters are commercially important

due to their economic value. However, the fishing effort and corresponding catch

for this fishery have proven extremely difficult to quantify primarily owing to the

high levels of discards and the multispecies aspects incurred. The number of

trawlers has decreased since the early 1980s resulting in a decreasing trend in the

overall effort in the Spanish and Portuguese fleets. Recently, the fleets operating

gillnets and longlines have also experienced a decline in number of boats. However,

this has mostly been a result of restrictive area fishing.

A Total Allowable Catch (TAC) system and technical measures manage the fisheries

within this region. Common mesh sizes for trawlers are approximately 65mm,

except for trawlers of blue whiting or horse mackerel (40mm). The major data

problems in the Iberian region are the short time series of landing statistics and

the lack of routine discard estimates. Discard levels of juvenile fish, in particular

undersize hake, is still considered a problem.

Details of Important Fisheries in the Bay of Biscay and Surrounding Iberian

Region

Common Sole (Solea solea)

Flatfishes are benthic, carnivorous, marine fishes (with a few freshwater

derivatives) that lack a gas bladder. This species of flatfish usually inhabits

coastal waters on sand or mud. Like all other large flatfish species, they too are

considered of commercial importance. The sole stock in the Bay of Biscay (VIII

a,b), as based on the stock assessment made in 1999, is currently considered to be

within safe biological limits. The exploitation pattern of this inshore stock has

improved over recent years. Catch data for this species indicate landings peaked in

1994 at 7,400 tonnes. However, in recent years landings have remained fairly

constant at levels between 6,000 and 7,000 tonnes.

Generally international landings and catches have gradually declined in recent years

for this particular species. Indeed, Spain and the Netherlands no longer declare

significant landings from this particular region. Since 1984 catches of sole by

French small-mesh shrimp trawlers have also decreased markedly. Instead the gill-

net fishery and trammel-net fishery now currently account for approximately 59%

of the official French landings. In the past few years’ landings made by Belgium

beam trawlers have also become relatively constant at 6-9% of the total landings

declared. Despite an increase in fishing effort by this fleet, the relative constancy

of these landings does suggest a decrease in catch per unit effort (CPUE) for this

particular stock.

Megrim (Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis)

Megrim (L. whiffiagonis) are widely distributed over the whole Biscay and Iberian

region but display higher abundance in the deeper waters of the continental shelf.

(VIIIc). It is within this region that spawning takes place between January and

April.

The current harvesting levels of this particular species within the northern Bay of

Biscay (VIII a,b,d,e) are considered to be slightly outside safe biological limits.

Primarily caught by Spanish and French vessels, this particular species has

accounted for more than 60% of the total landings in recent years. UK and Irish

demersal trawlers are involved in this particular fishery although to a much lesser

extent. Instead such fleets predominantly concentrate effort for this species in

ICES Divisions VIIe,f,g,h. For most fleets, megrim is taken in mixed fisheries for

Nephrops, cod, whiting, hake and anglerfish. Discards are estimated to be

approximately 15% of the total catches by weight and comprise fish ranging over a

large size scale.

Contrary to the northern Bay of Biscay, stocks of this species within the Iberian

region (VIIIc and IXa) are still considered to be within safe biological limits.

However, this status may only be conserved if ICES management advice is followed

and landings in 2001 remain lower than 390 tonnes.

Megrim (Lepidorhombus boscii)

Megrim species within the Iberian region are usually taken as a by-catch in mixed

fisheries by Portuguese and Spanish trawlers, and also in small quantities by the

Portuguese artisanal fleet. Within this region L. boscii accounts for approximately

80% of combined megrim landings. Like other megrim species L. boscii spawns in

the months January to April, with the peak spawning period usually occurring within

March. However, unlike L. whiffiagonis, this particular species is distributed

equally throughout the Iberian region (VIIIc and IX). Within this area, as with

other megrim species, L. boscii is considered to be outside safe biological limits.

In the northern Bay of Biscay (VIII a,b,d,e) the L. boscii stock is considered more

stable. Despite recent increases in its total landings, this particular species is still

considered to be within safe biological limits However, in order to preserve this

status ICES management advice does suggest landings in 2001 should not exceed

1,220 tonnes.

Anglerfish (L.piscatorius & L.budegassa)

Anglerfish are benthic predators that inhabit both coastal and offshore waters.

Two species of anglerfish exist within the Bay of Biscay and its surrounding

Iberian region, L.piscatorius and L.budegassa. Both species primarily feed on other

smaller fish and crustaceans and are morphologically similar. Given that these two

species are not usually sorted in the landings and that they are caught in the same

grounds by the same fleets, often management measures for both species are

considered together.

Anglerfish are an important component of mixed fisheries taking hake, sole,

megrim, plaice, cod and Nephrops. A trawl fishery by Spanish and French vessels

developed in the Bay of Biscay in the 1970s, and overall landings attained 35,000

tonnes by the early 1980s. Despite increased fishing effort until 1990, landings

decreased between 1986 and 1993. However, current landings have returned to

their former level. It was then France and Spain together reported more than 75%

of the total landings of both species combined. UK and Ireland (approximately 10%

each) and Belgium usually took the remainder (less than 5%).

In the Bay of Biscay, the spawning season extends from April to July for both

species and often occurs in close proximity to the continental shelf. Here eggs are

released in long gelatinous ribbons that can exceed 9 meters in length. Juvenile

anglerfish have been caught in both deep waters and along the shoreline. However,

to date nursery areas for these species are still yet to be identified.

Anglerfish landings from the northern Bay of Biscay (VIIIa,b) comprise of both

species. In this region both species are still considered to be within safe biological

limits. However, this is not the case for the southern Iberian stock. In this area

neither species are considered to be within safe biological limits and current ICES

advice recommends that landings in 2001 should be less than 2,800 tonnes for both

species combined.

Anglerfish (Lophius piscatorius)

L.piscatorius has a wide distribution from the south-western Barents Sea to the

Atlantic coast of Spain. In 1999, landings of this species in the northern Bay of

Biscay equated to 14,600 tonnes. This is the lowest level of landings recorded since

1993 when landings of this particular species fell to 13,500 tonnes in this region.

In the southern Bay of Biscay and Iberian region this species is primarily targeted

by the Spanish trawl and gillnet fisheries. In 1999 the total landings taken by both

these fisheries for this species totalled 15,558 tonnes.

Otter trawls and beam trawls are the two primary gears used in this fishery,

although gill- netters are also used to a lesser extent by the UK fleet. Otter

trawls are the main gears of the French, Spanish and Irish fleets currently

accounting for 80% of total landings. However, an expansion of the French gill net

fishery has been observed in the north of the Bay of Biscay over the previous

decade, mainly by vessels based in Spain and fishing in medium to deep waters.

Anglerfish (Lophius budegassa)

Otter trawls take 95% of total international landings of L. budegassa in Biscay and

its surrounding Iberian waters. In 1999, landings of this species in the northern

Bay of Biscay equated to 5, 168 tonnes. In 2000 ICES recommended that fishing

effort for this particular species should be further reduced, especially within this

region and specified that landings in 2001 should total less than 9, 300 tonnes for

this area.

In 1999, landings of this species in the southern Bay of Biscay equated to just 698

tonnes, whilst the Iberian region recorded landings of 1, 187 tonnes for this

particular species. These landings were primarily the work of Spanish trawlers and

the Portuguese artisanal fishery, although Portuguese trawlers did take

approximately 10% of the recorded landings for this region.

Hake (Merluccius merluccinus)

This species is usually associated with deep waters although it does move further

inshore to spawn. Spawning occurs from February through to July along the shelf

edge, the main areas extending from the north of the Bay of Biscay to the south

and west of Ireland. One of the two major hake nursery areas lies within the Bay

of Biscay, the other being the Celtic Sea. From the seasonal distribution of

catches it would appear that at 3 years of age hake begin to move into shallower

regions of the bay. As they approach maturity they are then thought to depart the

shallows and disperse to offshore regions. Feeding at night this species primarily

survives on midwater fish and squid species.

Since the 1930s hake has been the main species supporting trawl fleets on the

Atlantic coasts of France and Spain and is present in the catches of nearly all

fisheries in the English Channel and Bay of Biscay (VII & VIII). In 1999, Spain

took 60% of the landings, France 20%, UK approximately 8% and Ireland 5%. Two

hake stocks currently exist within and around the Bay of Biscay. The northern

stock, which includes the entire channel region and northern Bay of Biscay (VII)

and the southern stock, located within the southern Biscay and Iberian regions

(VIIIc and IXa). Based upon the 1999 stock assessments, it would appear both

stocks are currently outside safe biological limits, despite a decrease in fishing

mortality in the southern hake stock.

Hake is caught throughout the year, the peak landings being made in the spring and

summer months. The primary gears involved in the northern stock fishery include

lines (England, Wales and Spain), fixed-nets (England, Wales, Spain and France) and

otter trawls (all countries). However, the southern stock is primarily exploited by

Portuguese and Spanish fleets in a mixed fishery that uses trawls, gillnets and long

lines. By-catch of predominately juvenile hake is mainly the responsibility of the

Nephrops fishery in the northern Bay of Biscay. However, levels of discards in this

region have been in decline since 1985 and currently stand at less than a thousand

tonnes.

Over recent years both stocks within the Biscay region have witnessed a decline in

their total landings, although 1999 catch data for the northern hake stock in the

English Channel (VII) does show preliminary signs of recovery. In this region catch

levels rose from 18,600 tonnes in 1998 to 22.700 tonnes in 1999. However, this

trend is not mirrored within the Bay Biscay itself, as landings for northern hake in

this region fell from 20,300 tonnes in 1997 to 12,900 tonnes and 12.300 tonnes in

1998 and 1999 respectively. Landing estimates for the Iberian southern hake stock

also show a decline in process with total landings falling from 12,200 tonnes in 1995

down to 7,500 tonnes in 1999.

ICES management advice issued in relation to hake stocks within the English

Channel and Bay of Biscay recommends that the lowest possible catch should be

taken in 2001. This advice was given in light of the continued decrease in SSB and

the poor recruitment levels that have been observed since 1997. However,

compliance with technical measures including mesh size and landing size is known to

be poor so improved enforcement of management measures will be required if the

stocks are to be protected from further deterioration.

Horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus)

Otherwise known as Scad, this inshore species forms large shoals, feeds primarily

on smaller fish and invertebrates. Breeding occurs between July and August in this

species.

Southern horse mackerel is usually associated with the Iberian region (VIIIc and

IX) and is commonly associated with trawl, purse seine and artisanal fisheries.

Despite increased fishing pressure due to the depletion of other target species

e.g. sardine (Sardine pilchardus), this stock is still currently being harvested within

safe biological limits. Within the southern Bay of Biscay alone, landings for this

fishery have varied between 29,906 tonnes and 22,906 tonnes over the past

decade. In 1999, the total landings for the entire Iberian region (VIIIc and IXa)

equalled 51,921 tonnes, with Spanish fleets accounting for approximately 75% of

this catch. Other countries involved in this fishery, albeit to a lesser extent also

include the UK, France and the Netherlands. Current ICES management advice

relating to this stock recommends that catches in 2001 are limited to less than

50,000 tonnes.

Western horse mackerel is a separate stock of T.trachurus that is present in

numerous ICES divisions including the Eastern English Channel (VIIa) and Northern

Bay of Biscay (VIIIa,b,d). This stock is also considered to be within safe biological

limits, although current catch levels are not considered to be sustainable due to

the low level of recruitment in recent years. Current ICES management advice

relating to this stock recommends that catches in 2001 are limited to less than

224,000 tonnes.

Sardine (Sardina pilchardus)

Sardines are young pilchards, which inhabit warm temperate waters and are caught

in vast numbers from the Bay of Biscay south to Morocco. This species is

particularly abundant in the western English Channel where breeding occurs

between March and October.

Since the 1940s the stability of the sardine stock in the southern Bay of Biscay

and Iberian region has been extremely dynamic, with sporadic periods of high and

low landings in both areas. Spatial changes in fish distribution and the shift in

exploitation pattern towards old ages in the south of the region, have both

resulted in it being difficult to assess the state of this particular stock.

Subsequently ICES management advice concerning this stock recommends that

fishing mortality should be further reduced in order to ensure a catch of less than

88,000 tonnes in 2001 for this region.

Landings from Sub-Areas VIII and IX are made by multinational fleets including

Denmark, UK (England and Wales), France, Spain and Portugal. However, majority

of the landings taken from this stock belong to Spanish and Portuguese trawlers.

Following agreements made between the purse-seiner owner associations and the

Portuguese government the closure of purse-seine sardine fishery for one week

per month was legislated in April 1997. The closure of the trawl fisheries during 24

consecutive hours in each week was also legislated simultaneously. Current

measures also restrict sardine by-catch by other purse-seine fisheries to 10% of

the total retained catch.

Anchovy (Engraulis mordax)

This species primarily feeds on coastal planktonic and matures after a single year,

when it spawns between May and June. Two fleets operate on anchovy in the Bay of

Biscay: Spanish purse seine fleet and French pelagic trawlers. The Spanish purse

seine fleet mostly operates in spring, when 80% of the annual catches of Spain are

taken. This fishery operates at the south-eastern corner of the Bay of Biscay

(VIII b,c). The French pelagic fishery operates in the second half of the year,

usually late summer through to winter. Due to a bilateral agreement between

France and Spain, the pelagic trawlers do not presently use spring as a fishing

season. The primary fishing areas for this fleet includes divisions VIIIa and b.

ICES division VIIIc remains prohibited to the French pelagic fleet.

Due to the short life span of the anchovy, the fishery relies heavily on the

incoming year class. In view of this, ICES currently recommends that a preliminary

TAC of 18,000 tonnes is set for the current year class. Previously such quotas have

been allocated on the basis of 10% French to 90% Spanish, although this

agreement has been reviewed in recent years. Currently France receives a further

6,000 tonnes of the Spanish quota providing that French mid-water anchovy

fishery ceases during the main Spanish spring fishery.

Mackerel (Scomber scombrus)

This temperate fish is found in most Atlantic and Mediterranean waters and feeds

on planktonic crustacea and larval fish. Spawning takes place from spring through

to September and involves the production of billions of tiny planktonic eggs.

Mackerel are found primarily offshore during the winter, especially in the western

channel.

Despite the fact that this species is caught in almost all areas of the Bay of

Biscay, little information is actually known about discards associated with this

particular fishery. Indeed, due to the separately described components of this

fishery (North Sea Component, Western component and Southern component) it is

difficult to fully estimate landings made of this particular species for the Bay of

Biscay alone. This is primarily due to the fact that the ICES Divisions for the Bay

of Biscay fall into both the Western (VIIIa,b,d,e) and Southern components

(VIIIc) thus making landing calculations somewhat complex.

This fishery has been pursued by several methods in the past, namely purse seiners

and mid-water trawlers. Mackerel is also a target species for the hand line fleet

during the spawning season in the Southern Component (VIIIc & IXa), during which

one third of the total catches are taken. The highest catches (87%) from the

Southern component are taken in the first half of the year, primarily from Division

VIIIc and consist of adult fish. Catches from this component have increased in

recent years, reaching 44,000 tonnes in 1999. However, the total combined stocks

from all components have recently been described as being outside safe biological

limits.

Tuna Fisheries

The European community fleets fish for all ICCAT regulated tuna species in the

Atlantic and Mediterranean. IFREMER conduct French research on temperate

tunas, which involves monitoring the fisheries and analysis of the stocks, particular

bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus thynnus). Catches of this species have shown an

increased trend in the last few years, with a 30 year historical high in the late

1990s. Most EC catches of this species in the Bay of Biscay are made by baitboats.

Atlantic black skipjack tuna (Euthynnus alletteratus) are cosmopolitan in

distribution and are caught almost exclusively by surface gears. ICCAT suggest

that only minor amounts of this species are taken as bycatch in longline fisheries.

In the Eastern Atlantic the most important fisheries of this species are purse-

seiners, particularly those of Spain, France and NEI fleets, followed by the

baitboat fisheries of Spain, Portugal and the French fleets. Little has been

confirmed about the state of this stock, although there has been a decline in catch

in recent years despite sustained fishing effort.

Albacore (Thunnus alalunga) is a temperate tuna widely distributed throughout the

Atlantic Ocean. In the Bay of Biscay traditional surface fisheries exist for this

species, including Spanish trolling and bait boats. Since 1987 drift-nets and pelagic

pair trawls have also been utilised in this fishery, namely by France although the

UK did join this drift-net fishery in the early 1990s. The current state of this

stock is unclear although recent VPA assessments indicate that this particular

northern stock is at, or above full exploitation.

Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) are caught in the Atlantic between 45o N and

40o S by surface gears (purse seine, baitboat, troll and handline) and with

subsurface gears (longline). Purse seine fisheries began operating in the Eastern

Atlantic in the 1960s and developed rapidly in the following decade. Although little

is known about the current status of this stock, production models suggest this

particular species to be below the minimum sustainable yield (MSY).

Bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) are also exploited in this area using similar fishing

gears, namely longline, baitboat and purse seine. Again Spanish and French fleets

are the primary components of this fishery, although numerous other nations do

participate in the fishery. The recent introduction of new techniques such as

artificial fish aggregation devices (FADS) has also allowed increased efficiency of

both purse seine and baitboat fisheries.

Cephalopod Fisheries

France remains the most important cephalopod-fishing nation, especially in relation

to cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) and common squid (Loligo spp.). Both the Bay of

Biscay and the English Channel are major fishing grounds for these fisheries.

During to past decade catches have varied from 4,400 tonnes to 10,800 tonnes for

cuttlefish and approximately 2,200 tonnes to 6,500 tonnes for common squid.

However, in terms of percentage landings, Spanish fleets dictate the short-finned

squid fishery (Illex coindetti, Todaropsis eblanae, Todarodes sagittatus) whilst

Portugal lands most octopodid species (Octopus vulgaris, Eledone cirrhosa, Eledone

moschata)

Other nations involved with cephalopod fisheries in the Bay and surrounding

Iberian waters include the UK, and to a lesser extent Belgium. Such fisheries are

mostly conducted by a trawl fleet, an artisanal (or multi-purpose) fleet or purse-

seine fleet. The trawl fleet mainly lands Loliginids whilst octopodids are primarily

taken by the artisanal fleet.

Deep Water Fisheries

The term deep-water is often defined to include waters of depths greater than

400m. During the last few decades a certain amount of research and exploratory

work has been undertaken on deep-water resources. However, experience in other

parts of the world has indicated that fisheries on deep-sea species can develop

rapidly and that resources that they exploit may be especially vulnerable to

overfishing.

In the Bay of Biscay there is a longline fishery that targets mainly greater

folkbeard (Phycis blennoides). There is also a trawl fishery that targets species

such as hake, anglerfish, megrim and Nephrops that have a by-catch of deep-water

species. These include ling (Molva molva), folkbeards, red sea bream (Pagellus

bogaraveo), bluemouth (Helicolenus dactylopterus), wreckfish (Polyprion

americanus) and Beryx spp.

In the Iberian Region some deep-water species are also a by-catch of the trawl

fisheries for crustaceans. Typical species include bluemouth, conger eel (Conger

conger), blackmouth dogfish (Galeus melastomus), Kitefin shark (Dalatias licha) and

leafscale gulper shark (Centrophorus squamosus). In this area there is a directed

longline fishery for black scabbard fish (Aphanopus carbo) with a by-catch of the

gulper shark (Centrophorus granulosus). There is also an artisanal longline fishery

for the red seabream. Other shark species to be exploited with this region include

the Portuguse dogfish (Centroscymnus coelolepis), backmouth dogfish (Galeus

melastromus) and kitefin shark (Dalatias licha).

ICES landing data does exist for all sub areas and divisions. However, regular

sampling of commercial landings does not exist. Consequently, basic statistics on

catches and effort are of poor quality. Information regarding the biology of these

species, especially growth and age is also severely limited. Experience shows that

deep-sea stocks can undergo rapid depletion and that recovery, if at all possible, is

an extremely slow process. The survival rates of discards and of fish which

encounter gears yet escape the nets are still unknown. However, many species are

expected to be very vulnerable to injury which would suggest a large proportion of

those that do escape the meshes still do not survive.

Key species that are commercially exploited within the Bay of Biscay and

surrounding Iberian region include red seabream, black scabbardfish and Ling.

Black scabbardfish are primarily targeted by Portuguese fleets, although French

and Spanish fleets have been involved in this fishery to a lesser extent. The total

1999 landing figures for this species were estimated at 2,511 tonnes within this

region. Red seabream are targeted by French and English vessels but are

predominantly caught by Spanish fleets. The total 1999 landings of this species

within the Biscay region were estimated to be just 18 tonnes. This is an extremely

low figure in relation to the early 1990s when the same species were being landed

in hundreds of tonnes. The Spanish and the English also target Ling, although

French vessels primarily land this species. In 1999 the total catch of this species

equalled just 675 tonnes, less than half that recorded in 1996-1998.

References

ICES Co-operative Research Report No. 227. (1995)

Tenth ICES Dialogue Meeting (Fisheries and Environment in the Bay of Biscay

and Iberian Region: Can the living resources be better utilised?

ICES Co-operative Research Report No. 229 Part I (1998)

Report of ICES Advisory Committee on Fishery Management 1999

ICES Co-operative Research Report No. 229 Part II (1998)

Report of ICES Advisory Committee on Fishery Management 1999

ICES Co-operative Research Report No. 236 Part I (1999)

Report of ICES Advisory Committee on Fishery Management 2000

ICES Co-operative Research Report No. 236 Part II (1999)

Report of ICES Advisory Committee on Fishery Management 2000

ICES Co-operative Research Report No. 242 (2000)

Report of ICES Advisory Committee on Fishery Management 2001

Report of the Working Group on the Assessment of Southern Shelf Demersal

Stocks, September 2000 (ICES CM 2001/ACFM:05).

Report of the Working Group on the Assessment of Mackerel, Horse Mackerel,

Sardine and Anchovy, September 2000 (ICES CM 2001/ACFM:06).

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to thank ICES for allowing fisheries data relating to the Bay of

Biscay to be summarised for the purposes of this internal report. Special thanks

are owed to David Griffith and Mette Bertelsen. The author would also like to

thank Graham Pierce, Begonia Santos, Julio Portela, Inaki Artetxe, Ignacio Olaso,

Mario Rassero and Paco Sanchez for their kind assistance with this report.