The impact of marine recreational fishing on key fish stocks in European waters

Marine recreational fishing (MRF) has been shown to substantially contribute to fishing mortality of marine fish. However, European MRF catches are only quantified for a small number of stocks, so it is unclear whether a significant part of fishing mortality is excluded from stock assessments. This study estimated: (i) European MRF removals, which were defined as landings plus dead releases; and (ii) impact at stock level by comparing the percentage contribution to total removal by MRF and commercial fishing. As MRF data were limited for some European countries, catches were reconstructed using a mixture of average release proportions, average fish weights, and extrapolation using the catch per fisher of the nearest country providing catch estimates. Where catch reconstructions exceeded 50%, data were excluded from further analysis. Furthermore, as MRF survey methodology can be variable, semi-quantitative estimates of bias and error were calculated for each stock. Only 10 of the 20 stocks assessed in this study had sufficient MRF data for full reliable estimates. Percentage contribution to total removals (MRF + commercial removals) by MRF ranged between 2% for Atlantic mackerel in the North Sea and Skagerrak and 43% for Atlantic pollack in the Celtic Seas and English Channel. The biomass removed ranged between 297 (± 116) tonnes (Atlantic cod in the western English Channel and southern Celtic seas) and 4820 (± 1889) tonnes (Atlantic mackerel in the North Sea and Skagerrak), but the errors were substantial. Additionally, the bias in the estimated removals was low for most stocks, with some positive biases found. The present study indicates that removals by MRF can represent a high proportion of the total removals for some European marine fish stocks, so inclusion in stock assessments should be routine. To achieve this, regular surveys of MRF are required to collect data essential for stock assessments

Report of the Working Group on Commercial Catches (WGCATCH)

The Working Group on Commercial Catches (WGCATCH), chaired by Mike Arm- strong (UK) and Hans Gerritsen (Ireland), met in ICES HQ, Copenhagen, Denmark, 10–14 November 2014. The meeting was attended by 34 experts from 21 laboratories or organizations, covering 16 countries. Currently, an important task for WGCATCH is to improve and review sampling sur- vey designs for commercial fisheries, particularly those for estimating quantities and size or age compositions of landings and discards and providing data quality indica- tors. However, the scope of WGCATCH is broader than this, covering many other aspects of collection and analysis of data on fishing activities and catches. This will be end-user driven, and coordinated with the work of other ICES data EGs such as the Working Group on Biological Parameters (WGBIOP), the Planning Group on Data Needs for Assessments and Advice (PGDATA) and the Working Group on Recrea- tional Fisheries Surveys (WGRFS) to ensure synergy and efficiency. The report of the meeting commences with background information on the formation of WGCATCH and its overall role. The remainder of the report provides the out- comes for each of the Terms of Reference (ToRs) and responses to external requests, the proposed future work plan and the ToRs for the 2015 meeting. The group formed two large subgroups to deal with the two major terms of reference which are the development of guidelines for carrying out sampling of catches on shore and the provision of advice on adapting sampling programmes to deal with the landing obligation. In order to evaluate methods and develop guidelines for best practice in carrying out sampling of commercial sampling of commercial fish catches onshore, a question- naire was circulated before the meeting. This questionnaire was structured around guidelines developed by the ICES Workshop on Practical Implementation of Statisti- cally Sound Catch Sampling Programmes (WKPICS) for best practice at each stage of the sampling process, and asked for a description of current practices at each of these stages. Based on these questionnaires, common and specific problems were cata- logued and potential solutions were identified. At the same time, the discussion of the questionnaires provided a form of peer-review of the sampling designs and iden- tified where improvements could be made. WGCATCH provided guidelines for de- signing a sampling survey and summarized earlier guidelines provided by the 2010 Workshop on methods for merging métiers for fishery based sampling (WKMERGE) The other main subject addressed by WGCATCH concerns the provision of advice on adapting sampling protocols to deal with the impact of the introduction of the land- ing obligation, which will alter discarding practices and result in additional catego- ries of catch being landed. A second questionnaire was circulated before the meeting to allow the group to identify the fleets that will be affected and possible issues that are anticipated, as well as to propose solutions to adapt existing monitoring and sampling schemes and to quantify bias resulting from the introduction of this regula- tion. WGCATCH outlined a range of likely scenarios and the expected effects of these on fishery sampling programmes, and developed guidelines for adapting sam- pling schemes. The group also explored a range of analyses that could be conducted in order to quantify bias resulting from the introduction of the landing obligation. Finally a number of pilot studies/case studies were summarized, highlighting the practical issues involve

Spanish onshore sampling of Lepidorhombus spp.

Working document presented in WGCATCH.Results of Lepidorhombus spp. from the Spanish onshore sampling programme under the Data Collection Framework (2009-2014) are presented. Sampling covers two species (Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis and Lepidorhombus boscii) in ICES Subarea VI, VII, Divisions VIIIabd and Divisions VIIIc-IXa. Fishery description shows the importance of five métiers for these species and the relevance of a small group of ports. A description of the sampling level, sampling design and sampling procedures in relation to landing practices are presented, as well as a brief discussion about further developments to improve the sampling

The impact of marine recreational fishing on key fish stocks in European waters

Marine recreational fishing (MRF) has been shown to substantially contribute to fishing mortality of marine fish. However, European MRF catches are only quantified for a small number of stocks, so it is unclear whether a significant part of fishing mortality is excluded from stock assessments. This study estimated: (i) European MRF removals, which were defined as landings plus dead releases; and (ii) impact at stock level by comparing the percentage contribution to total removal by MRF and commercial fishing. As MRF data were limited for some European countries, catches were reconstructed using a mixture of average release proportions, average fish weights, and extrapolation using the catch per fisher of the nearest country providing catch estimates. Where catch reconstructions exceeded 50%, data were excluded from further analysis. Furthermore, as MRF survey methodology can be variable, semi-quantitative estimates of bias and error were calculated for each stock. Only 10 of the 20 stocks assessed in this study had sufficient MRF data for full reliable estimates. Percentage contribution to total removals (MRF + commercial removals) by MRF ranged between 2% for Atlantic mackerel in the North Sea and Skagerrak and 43% for Atlantic pollack in the Celtic Seas and English Channel. The biomass removed ranged between 297 (± 116) tonnes (Atlantic cod in the western English Channel and southern Celtic seas) and 4820 (± 1889) tonnes (Atlantic mackerel in the North Sea and Skagerrak), but the errors were substantial. Additionally, the bias in the estimated removals was low for most stocks, with some positive biases found. The present study indicates that removals by MRF can represent a high proportion of the total removals for some European marine fish stocks, so inclusion in stock assessments should be routine. To achieve this, regular surveys of MRF are required to collect data essential for stock assessments

First Assessment of the Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Marine Recreational Fisheries

This work is the result of an international research effort to determine the main impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on marine recreational fishing. Changes were assessed on (1) access to fishing, derived from lockdowns and other mobility restrictions; (2) ecosystems, because of alterations in fishing intensity and human presence; (3) the blue economy, derived from alterations in the investments and expenses of the fishers; and (4) society, in relation to variations in fishers? health and well-being. For this, a consultation with experts from 16 countries was carried out, as well as an international online survey aimed at recreational fishers, that included specific questions designed to capture fishers? heterogeneity in relation to behavior, skills and know-how, and vital involvement. Fishers? participation in the online survey (5,998 recreational fishers in 15 countries) was promoted through a marketing campaign. The sensitivity of the fishers? clustering procedure, based on the captured heterogeneity, was evaluated by SIMPER analysis and by generalized linear models. Results from the expert consultation highlighted a worldwide reduction in marine recreational fishing activity. Lower human-driven pressures are expected to generate some benefits for marine ecosystems. However, experts also identified high negative impacts on the blue economy, as well as on fisher health and well-being because of the loss of recreational fishing opportunities. Most (98%) of the fishers who participated in the online survey were identified as advanced, showing a much higher degree of commitment to recreational fishing than basic fishers (2%). Advanced fishers were, in general, more pessimistic about the impacts of COVID-19, reporting higher reductions in physical activity and fish consumption, as well as poorer quality of night rest, foul mood, and raised more concerns about their health status. Controlled and safe access to marine recreational fisheries during pandemics would provide benefits to the health and well-being of people and reduce negative socioeconomic impacts, especially for vulnerable social groups.Fil: Pita, Pablo. Universidad de Santiago de Compostela; EspañaFil: Ainsworth, Gillian B.. Universidad de Santiago de Compostela; EspañaFil: Alba, Bernardino. Alianza de Pesca Española Recreativa Responsable; EspañaFil: Anderson, Antônio B.. Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo; BrasilFil: Antelo, Manel. Universidad de Santiago de Compostela; EspañaFil: Alós, Josep. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados; EspañaFil: Artetxe, Iñaki. No especifíca;Fil: Baudrier, Jérôme. Institut Français de Recherche Pour l’Exploitation de la Mer; FranciaFil: Castro, José J.. Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; EspañaFil: Chicharro, Belén. No especifíca;Fil: Erzini, Karim. Universidad de Algarve; PortugalFil: Ferter, Keno. No especifíca;Fil: Freitas, Mafalda. No especifíca;Fil: García-de-la-Fuente, Laura. Universidad de Oviedo; EspañaFil: García Charton, José A.. Universidad de Murcia; EspañaFil: Giménez Casalduero, María. Universidad de Murcia; EspañaFil: Grau, Antoni M.. No especifíca;Fil: Diogo, Hugo. Universidade Dos Açores; Portugal. Direção de Serviços de Recursos; PortugalFil: Gordoa, Ana. No especifíca;Fil: Henriques, Filipe. Universidad de Algarve; Portugal. Universidad de Coimbra; PortugalFil: Hyder, Kieran. University of East Anglia; Reino UnidoFil: Jiménez Alvarado, David. Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; EspañaFil: Karachle, Paraskevi K.. No especifíca;Fil: Lloret, Josep. Universidad de Girona; EspañaFil: Laporta, Martin. No especifíca;Fil: Lejk, Adam M.. No especifíca;Fil: Dedeu, Arnau L.. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto de Ciencias del Mar; EspañaFil: Sosa, Martín Pablo. No especifíca;Fil: Martínez, Lllibori. No especifíca;Fil: Mira, Antoni M.. No especifíca;Fil: Morales Nin, Beatriz. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Mediterráneo de Estudios Avanzados; EspañaFil: Mugerza, Estanis. No especifíca;Fil: Olesen, Hans J.. Technical University of Denmark; DinamarcaFil: Papadopoulos, Anastasios. No especifíca;Fil: Pontes, João. Universidad de Algarve; PortugalFil: Pascual Fernández, José J.. Universidad de La Laguna; EspañaFil: Purroy, Ariadna. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto de Ciencias del Mar; EspañaFil: Ramires, Milena. Santa Cecília University; BrasilFil: Rangel, Mafalda. Universidad de Algarve; PortugalFil: Reis Filho, José Amorim. Universidade Federal do Pará; BrasilFil: Sánchez Lizaso, Jose L.. Universidad de Alicante; EspañaFil: Sandoval, Virginia. Universidad de Murcia; EspañaFil: Sbragaglia, Valerio. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto de Ciencias del Mar; EspañaFil: Silva, Luis. No especifíca;Fil: Skov, Christian. Technical University of Denmark; DinamarcaFil: Sola, Iván Daniel. Universidad de Alicante; España. Universidad de Playa Ancha; ChileFil: Strehlow, Harry V.. No especifíca;Fil: Torres, María A.. No especifíca;Fil: Ustups, Didzis. No especifíca;Fil: van der Hammen, Tessa. No especifíca;Fil: Veiga, Pedro. Universidad de Algarve; PortugalFil: Venerus, Leonardo Ariel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos; ArgentinaFil: Verleye, Thomas. No especifíca;Fil: Villasante, Sebastián. Universidad de Santiago de Compostela; EspañaFil: Weltersbach, Marc Simon. No especifíca;Fil: Zarauz, Lucía. No especifíca