Spatial distribution of the fishing activity of the métier
Territorial waters of Mauritania.
Seasonal pattern of the fishing activity of the métier
The fleet is operative all the year.
There is a seasonal variability both in Sardine pilchardus (winter) and Sardinellas (summer) catches and there are clear evidence of relationship between sea surface temperature (SST) and catches for this species too. The last warm period seems to be favouring catches of Sardinella aurita (Round Sardinella). (Pascual-Alayón. P. et al., 2008).
Number of vessels involved in metier by LOA group (Appendix III EC949/2008):
6* (> 40 m)
*Only vessels that landing in Las Palmas
Total: about 23 (PL: 3; LV: 7 ; NL: 7 and LIT: 6.
Detailed gear types and selectivity devices used in métier
The bag of the pelagic or semi-pelagic trawl may be strengthened with a piece of netting with a minimum mesh size of 400 mm of stretched mesh and by straps placed at least 1,5 metres apart, except for the strap at the back of the trawl which may not be placed less than 2 metres from of the bag by any other means is prohibited and the trawl may in no case target species other than the small pelagic species authorised.
Minimum authorised mesh size: 40 mm
By-catches: 3 % of the total for the authorised target species or group of species (live weight)
Prohibited catches: Crustaceans or cephalopods except squid
Minimum sizes:
Sardinella (Sardinella aurita and S. maderensis) 18 cm
Sardine (Sardina pilchardus) 16 cm
Scads and horse mackerels (Trachurus spp.) 19 cm
Chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) 25 cm
Authorised tonnage: Nº of vessels authorised to fish at the same time 17 for a reference tonnage of 250 000 tonnes.
Main target and by-catch species for the métier
Target species: Sardine (S. pilchardus); Round sardinella (S. aurita); Flat sardinella (S. maderensis); Horse mackerels (Trachurus spp.) and Chub mackerel (Scomber colias)
Mainly by-catch: Bullet tuna (Auxis rochei rochei); Atlantic bonito (Sarda sarda); Cutlassfish (Trichiurus lepturus) and Little tunny (Euthynnus alletteratus).
Indicate level of discard of major species (mostly subset of G1 or G2 species)
Species
Level of discarding
Data not available for Spain. It is not a Spanish’s Metier.
Is significant part of the catches landed in foreign countries?
Landing country
Sampling agreement (y/n)
About 75-80% of landed are not in Las Palmas (Canary island) due to transfer on the high seas or landed at country of origin (North of Europe). Small Pelagic Trawlers that fishing in Mauritanian fishing ground mainly landed in Las Palmas (Canary Islands) but occasionally we have notice of landing of vessels (Netherlands) fishing in Morocco (under private or bilateral agreements) or Lithuanian vessels fishing in Mauritania that landed in the same port too.
NO
Sampling of the metier
Indicate if this Métier is merged with other metiers for sampling
The sampling scheme to be applied is scheme 1 during landing and transhipment operations in port.
Sampling frame and primary sampling unit for data collection
One fishing trip per quarter will be sampled on one of the vessels selected at random.
Data collected
Retained catch.
Concurrentat market
Observers at sea
NO
Self sampling
NO
Sampling landings on shore (market; landing site)
Samples on landing site.
Indicate if the Métier is associated with particular sampling problems:
The huge landing (several thousands of boxes by species and category) and the impossibility to put observers on-board (it is not Spanish fleet) make the concurrent sampling impossible. It is necessary collaboration between Member States (mainly Netherlands) through their National Programmes. With this collaboration is hoped that, quality information will be obtained on the catches, efforts and discards, as well as additional ecosystem information. Complete length distribution of the total catch (retained catch and discards) may also be obtained.
Currently samples are obtained belonging to group1 (G1), but to develop concurrent sampling (scheme 2) we must identify the species belonging to the group 2 (G2) and group 3 (G3) and obtain samples of both.
Additional remarks (historical and others):
This metier has not been incorporated into the ranking system for national metiers because it is not operated by the Spanish fleet. However, it is considered to be of great interest for sampling because it is a Community fleet with a high catch volume and landings in a Spanish port (Las Palmas, in Gran Canaria, the Canary Islands).
In the beguining of the fishery a big vessel worked in the area. (Atlantic Dawn Ireland 145 m built in 2000)
Since the beginning of fishery the number of vessels was decreases, from 9 in 2004 to 6 (2009). Some of them only have changed of fishing grounds (Morocco), and another we not to know where it is.
HAKE BOTTOM LONGLINES FISHERY
RCM
RCM Long Distance Fisheries
Name of métier:
LLS_DEF_0_0_0
Flag countries:
ESP
Date of update:
31- 12- 2009
Description of the métier
Spatial distribution of the fishing activity of the métier
Territorial waters of Mauritania (mainly northern area).
Seasonal pattern of the fishing activity of the métier
The fleet is operative all the year, but there are a low number of ships and its activity is very irregular and has been intermittent in recent years too.
Number of vessels involved in metier by LOA group (Appendix III EC949/2008):
6 (24<40 m)
Detailed gear types and selectivity devices used in métier
Set Longlines
Management measures
Mauritania:
Fishing zone:
North of latitude 19° 15′ 60″ N, west of the line joining the following
points:
20° 46′ 30″ N 17° 03′ 00″ W
20° 36′ 00″ N 17° 11′ 00″ W
20° 36′ 00″ N 17° 36′ 00″ W
20° 03′ 00″ N 17° 36′ 00″ W
19° 45′ 70″ N 17° 03′ 00″ W
19° 29′ 00″ N 16° 51′ 50″ W
19° 15′ 60″ N 16° 51′ 50″ W
19° 15′ 60″ N 16° 49′ 60″ W
South of latitude 19° 15′ 60″ N as far as latitude 17° 50′ 00″ N, west of the 18-mile line from the low-water mark.
South of latitude 17° 50′ 00″ N, west of the 12-mile line from the low-water mark.
The zone to the north of latitude 19°15,60’ N is more restricted during the biological recovery of cephalopod. (for coordinates see DO L 203 31 July 2008).
Authorised tonnage: 3 240 GT for Spain and per licence period.
Authorised by-catches: 50 % Fish.
Prohibited catches: Cephalopods and crustaceans.
Minimum sizes: Hake (Merluccius spp.) 30 cm.
Main target and by-catch species for the métier
Targed species: Black hakes (Merluccius polli and M. senegalensis).
By-catch species: large-eye dentex (Dentex macrophthalmus), Atlantic pomfret (Brama brama), imperial blackfish (Schedophilus ovalis), and European conger (Conger conger).
Indicate level of discard of major species (mostly subset of G1 or G2 species)
Species
Level of discarding
Merluccius spp.
(metier no selected by ranking system). Discard estimates are <10% so it would not be necessary to provide this data (Section III.B.B1.2 (a). 2008/949/CE).
Is significant part of the catches landed in foreign countries?
Landing country
Sampling agreement (y/n)
Sampling of the metier
Indicate if this Métier is merged with other metiers for sampling
NO
Justification for merging:
Sampling scheme
Type of sampling
This metier is no selected by ranking system for Sampling for this area due to its lack of activity and its small importance compared to the rest of metiers, concerning the effort as well as the amount of landing (inferior to 1% in both respects).
Sampling frame and primary sampling unit for data collection
Data collected
Observers at sea
Self sampling
Sampling landings on shore (market; landing site)
Indicate if the Métier is associated with particular sampling problems:
Acute dificulties due to the lack of availability of some of the logbooks from 2008 (13%) and the closing of the fishing Bureau (Noadhibou). Both issues increase the need for the aforementioned documents.
Few boats, irregular activity and small boats (worse living conditions for observers).
Additional remarks (historical and others):
Sampling dependent on the existence of and possibility of access to the fishery. Stocks shared with fleets of coastal and non-Community countries so that the fisheries in the CECAF area are dependent on the fishing agreements between the EU and this countries.
1
Report of the 6th Regional Coordination Meeting for the Mediterranean and Black seas (RCM Med & BS) 2009 Venice, Italy, 13 to 16 October 2009. (pag 28, section 3.3.3)
Report of the 2nd Liaison Meeting between the Chairs of the RCMs, the Chair of SGRN and the European Commission Brussels, 6-7 February 2006. (pag 3, section 2.1)
4
Report of the 5th Liaison Meeting between the Chairs of the RCMs, the chair of ICES PGCCDBS, the chair of PGMED, the ICES representative, the Chair of SGRN and the European Commission. Brussels, 26-27 February 2009. (pag. 1, section 1.1)
