ICES. 2016. Report of the Workshop on Atlantic Sardine (WKSAR), 26–30 September 2016, Lisbon, Portugal. ICES CM 2016/ACOM:41. 351 pp.

The Workshop on Atlantic Sardine (WKSAR), chaired by Alexandra Silva (Portugal) and Lionel Pawlowski (France), met in Lisbon, 26–30 September to (i) review infor-mation on stock identification, connectivity and migrations of sardine within European Atlantic waters (Area 7 to Subdivision 9.a)and, (ii) collate, standardize and analyse survey, fishery and biological data collected in the region, (iii) propose scenarios of stock structure and dynamics and (iv) methods/models for stock assessment (ToRs, Annex 5). There were 18 participants from the UK, France, Portugal and Spain, including one representative from PONG-PESCA (NGO, Portugal) and two chair-invited experts on genetics (Annex 1). A WebEx meeting was organized with stakeholders to facilitate their effective involvement in the benchmark process, clarifying what their role is, and to promote their contribution. To that purpose a questionnaire was written, translated into French, Spanish and Portuguese, and sent to stakeholders with questions regard-ing their perception of the various aspects of the Northern and Southern stocks, the fisheries, the monitoring and their management (Annex 2). Information on stock identification, connectivity and migrations has been compiled in Section 3 to be reviewed by SIMWG. The group agreed to set the deadline to compile final datasets (all) at 5th December in order for people to start running assessment in preparation for the ICES benchmark meeting in February 2017

Preliminary results of the PELACUS0316 survey: estimates of sardine, anchovy and horse mackerel abundance and biomass in Galicia and Cantabrian waters

PELACUS 0316 has been carried out between 13th March and 16th April, covering the north Spanish continental self between the Miño river (Spanish/Portuguese border) and the Bidasoa one (Spanish/French border). Unexpectedly, weather and oceanographic conditions found were those of the winter time rather than the incipient spring ones. Consecutive deep W/NW storm fronts have affected the survey plan; five days were lost due to the bad weather conditions and even during part of the survey either strong south wind (up to 45 knots) or a persistent swell of about 2-4 m height have also made problems to achieve clean echograms (i.e. without bubbles) and good performance at the fishing station. These conditions might have been also affected the availability of the fish. This seems clearer in the southern part (IXaN), where a stronger winter poleward current led the continental self almost empty of plankton and with a very scarce concentration of fish. Abundance of the main pelagic fish species was lower than that of the previous year. For sardine the abundance was very low, practically below of an acceptable threshold for an acoustic assessment. Only the presence of a very thick school with acoustic and morphological characteristics being compatibles to those of sardine, thus being possible sardine but not ground truthed. In total the assessed biomass was very low, and excluding this school only 3 thousand tons were estimated, the lowest record in the time series (13 thousand tons including this school but still at a very low level) Horse mackerel showed also an important decrease while anchovy has been mainly detected at the inner part of the Bay of Biscay, although as it was observed for sardine, the presence of thick schools in the western part, presumably being anchovy, had an important impact in the final assessment

Sardine (Sardina pilchardus Walbaum) characterisation off the Spanish Atlantic coast

In 1983 both Spain and Portugal begun to conduct acoustic surveys in the Atlantic waters of the Iberian Peninsula. The main goal for these surveys was the assessment of the main pelagic fish species, but focussed on sardine. Some years the surveyed area was extended as far as the distribution of blue whiting, but in general covering only the continental shelf. Since 1988 the Spanish surveys are undertook in spring, during the spawning period of this fish species. As most of the pelagic fish species sardine occurs in schools. From the school data base gathered during the acoustic surveys, the echo-traces were allocated into fish species following a criteria. This scrutiny is based on the fish proportion found at the fishing station, but a learning process was also used which consisted in relating school characteristics (shape and energy) and its location (geographical location, distance to the coast, sea bottom typology among others) with fish species. This paper describes the main characteristics of the sardine schools, which have been extracted manually from paper echograms from 1992 to 1997 surveys (except 1994). A series of variables for each school were obtained: position (latitude, longitude, time, distant to the next school, distant to coast, minimum school depth and total water column depth), morphologic (height, length, area and perimeter), energetic (school energy -SA value- and density -energy/ area-) and environmental parameters (temperature and salinity). These were described by box plot, scatter plot and other basic exploratory methods. From this analysis, differences among years and geographic areas have been found in sardine schools. The relation of such changes with the total sardine abundance estimates as well as the implication in the survey design were also discussed

Preliminay results of the PELACUS0314 survey: estimates of sardine abundance and biomass in Galician and Cantabrian waters.

A total of 9,023 tons of sardine (147 million fish) was estimated to be present in northwest and northern Spanish waters by the Spanish spring acoustic survey PELACUS0314, carried out from 9th March to 8th April 2014. That represents an important increase in relation to 2013 abundance and biomass, but still at the lower levels of the time series. Fish were mainly found in Cantabrian area (mainly in VIIIc East-West subdivision) and inside Rias Baixas (South Galicia, ICES sub-areas IXa-N) and was almost absent from the rest of the surveyed area. Most fish in the entire surveyed area were assigned as belonging to the age 2 (38% of the abundance and 43% of the biomass) and age 3 (24.5% of the abundance and 25.5 % of the biomass) years classes. By subdivisions, the IXaN (South of Galicia) population was dominated by age 1 fish whilst the Cantabrian area was mainly composed by a population of age 2 and age 3 individuals. The distribution of sardine eggs (obtained from the analysis of 358 CUFES stations) indicates a very coastal distribution, agreeing with that observed in previous years The percentage of positive stations was very similar in both surveys, but total number of sardine eggs detected in Spanish waters was 4214, which represents an important decrease from the 2013 value

Sampling Plan for an Acoustic Survey of Kükenthal Peak (NAFO Division 6G) to Quantify Alfonsino (Beryx splendens) Biomass, Abundance and Size Composition

NAFO Commission requested that the Scientific Council review the protocols for survey methodology, to inform the alfonsino assessment. Thus, this document presents an possible acoustic survey plan of the alfonsino population inhabiting Kükenthal Peak, located in the Corner Rise Seamount Chain, following the Commission’s request. The main objective of this survey plan will be to estimate the distribution, abundance, biomass and size composition of alfonsino (Beryx splendens) on Kükenthal Peak (NAFO Div. 6G) by conducting a hydroacoustic survey during February. Specific objectives will be: estimate the abundance (in number) and biomass (in weight) of alfonsino in Kükenthal Peak. Estimate the alfonsino size composition, length-weight relationship, sex ratio and sexual maturity characterization by sex. Collection of alfonsino gonad and otolith samples for future studies of maturity and age. And characterize the biological environment and the physical environment (Tº, S ‰,) of the pelagic habitat of this species to produce a map of these variables within the survey area in association with alfonsino abundance estimates. It is advisable for economic reasons to conduct the subject acoustic survey with a commercial vessel. Two strata with different levels of sampling effort are proposed due to the patchy distribution of alfonsino as revealed by the echograms provided by the skipper, and also the major occurrence of the species around the slope of the mountains, with little extension towards deeper water (i.e., no extension towards open waters). The survey design will consist on a systematic parallel transects with random starting point, with two different levels of sampling intensity, allocating the maximum effort in the area that historically contained the bulk of the acoustic and trawl commercial records. Transects will be placed to ensure they are perpendicular to the bathymetry of the survey area. There is some evidence that relates vertical migrations of alfonsino concentrations to the illumination of the sea (by the Sun and the Moon). The acoustic survey will carry during moon rising season in February and only collect acoustic data during the daylight hours (0800-2000 hours). Trawl hauls will be conducted only for fish identification and the collection of alfonsino length distribution and biological data. Therefore, trawl station locations will be selected according to the acoustic records.Versión del edito

Preliminary results of the PELACUS0315 survey: estimates of sardine abundance and biomass

A total of 10 384 tons of sardine (191 million fish) was estimated to be present in northwest and northern Spanish waters by the Spanish spring acoustic survey PELACUS0315, carried out from 13th March to 16th April 2015. These values are virtually identical to those recorded in 2014, which shows a stable trend at the lower level of the time series. Sardine distribution was wider than previous years, but the energy allocated to this species was in general very low. Sardine was presented throughout the whole sampled area, but the energy attributed to this species was in general very low. Higher sardine concentrations were detected in Galicia and in the Vasque Country area. Most fish in the entire surveyed area were assigned as belonging to the age 1 (29% of the abundance and 20% of the biomass), age 2 (28% of the abundance and 26% of the biomass) and age 3 (27% of the abundance and 29% of the biomass) years classes. By sub-area, IXa subdivision represents 21.1%, VIIIc West 0.3%, VIIIcEast-West 25.4% and VIIIcEast- East 53.1% of the total abundance. Galicia populations (IXaN and VIIIcW subdivisions) were dominated by age 1 fish whilst the Cantabrian area was mainly composed by older individuals. The distribution of sardine eggs indicates a coastal distribution, agreeing with that observed in previous years. Sardine eggs showed a widespread distribution in the surveyed area, with higher percentage of positive stations than in earlier years

Multidisciplinary acoustic survey PELACUS0314: preliminary results on fish abundance estimates and distribution

PELACUS 0314 was characterised by relative stable weather conditions along the surveyed area. Besides, there was an important increase in backscattering energy as compared with the previous year. This resulted in an increase of the biomass estimated for the majority of the fish species, but still sardine is at lowest productivity ever recorded. Good recruitment would be observed in horse mackerel, but for the rest of the fish species, no strong signals for age group 1 have been detected. The reasons for this increase would be related to the weather stability which could have increased the fish availability either for a change in the behaviour (i.e. spatial pattern distribution) or for an increase in the food availability. This is relevant accounting the increase of the occurrence of mackerel subsurface layers observed this year. As PELACUS is a multidisciplinary survey series (we collect environmental and biological ancillary information, stomach contents, including CTD cats, plankton tows or continuous records of plankton, eggs, S, T and flourometry), we will try to explain this change of behaviour. Our main hypothesis is that these species could follow mackerel when is undertaking vertical migration, probably related with the spawning activity, just for feeding eggs and, therefore, changing the expected schooling behaviour by the dispersed one, used during the feeding activity