Caracterização das rejeições na pescaria de demersais nos Açores

Dissertação de Mestrado, Estudos Integrados dos Oceanos, 26 de Fevereiro de 2014, Universidade dos Açores.Desde 2004 que o Departamento de Oceanografia e Pescas da Universidade dos Açores é a instituição responsável pela implementação na Região Autónoma dos Açores de um programa de observação das rejeições da pesca comercial nas pescarias de palangre de fundo. Foram amostradas as rejeições de todas as espécies demersais de acordo com um esquema de amostragem aleatório estratificado baseado na arte de pesca e segmento de frota. O objectivo deste trabalho é caracterizar as rejeições em termos de composição específica, quantificar em número e em peso as taxas de rejeição observadas e estimar a rejeição para o total da frota de pesca de demersais com palangre de fundo. As rejeições observadas foram ampliadas por viagem para cada segmento de frota e para cada ano através de dois métodos diferentes: pela teoria da amostragem e considerando que o volume de rejeições é proporcional a uma variável auxiliar. No total, 275 viagens e 993 lances foram amostrados totalizando 1209 dias de mar. A amostra representa entre 0,5% em 2006 e 1,3% em 2007 de cobertura das viagens. Foram rejeitados em média, 117 ± 8.8 kg de pescado por viagem enquanto por lance foram rejeitados em média 32.4 ± 1.3 kg de pescado. Neste estudo foram identificadas 107 espécies diferentes das quais 94 espécies rejeitadas. As espécies que mais contribuíram para as rejeições em número foram o Helicolenus dactylopterus, Etmopterus spinax e o Beryx splendens. A variável auxiliar viagens estimou rejeições anuais que variaram entre 363 t em 2006 (CV = 38.3%) e 665 t em 2010 (CV = 21.8%). A utilização das descargas nas estimativas produziu valores de rejeição que oscilaram entre as 163 t em 2009 (CV = 40.7%) e 249 t em 2007 (CV = 26.7%). Se a variável auxiliar for o esforço (número de anzóis), os resultados variaram entre as 750 t em 2009 (CV = 7.1%) e as 1345 t em 2011 (CV = 3.8%) de pescado rejeitado. Este trabalho contribui com as primeiras estimativas de rejeições para a pescaria de demersais com palangre de fundo.ABSTRACT: Since 2004, the Department of Oceanography and Fisheries from the University of the Azores began to implement a fisheries observer monitoring program for discards in set longline. Discards from all demersal species were analysed using a stratified sampling scheme based on fishing gear and fleet segmentation. The main goal of this study is to characterize the species composition of discards, quantify in number and weight discards rates and estimate discards for the all set logline fleet. Monitored discards were raised by trip for each fleet segment and year using two methods: sample mean ratio and ratio estimator through two different auxiliary variables. Overall, 275 fishing trips and 993 sets were sampled totaling 1209 days at sea. Sampling coverage represented between 0.5% in 2006 and 1.3% in 2007 of fishing trips. On average 117 ± 8.8 kg of fish by trip were discarded while 32.4 ± 1.3 kg of fish were discarded by set. In this study, 107 species were identified of which 94 were discarded. Helicolenus dactylopterus, Etmopterus spinax and Beryx splendens were the species that contributed the most to discards. Estimates of annual discards based on trips ranged from 363 t in 2006 (CV = 38.3%) and 665 t in 2010 (CV = 21.8%), while estimates based on landings varied from 163 t in 2009 (CV = 40.7%) and 249 t in 2007 (CV = 26.7%). Estimates of discards based on effort (number of hooks) ranged between 750 t in 2009 (CV = 7.1%) and 1345 t in 2011 (CV = 3.8%). This work contributed with the first estimates of discards for the demersal set longline fishery in Azores

First record of the opal chimaera, Chimaera opalescens (Holocephali: Chimaeridae) and revision of the occurrence of the rabbitfish Chimaera monstrosa in the Azores waters

The presence of the opal chimaera, Chimaera opalescens, is reported for the first time in the deep waters of the Azores, with the capture of four specimens by fishermen and the video recording of an additional five individuals. Species identification was supported by the 646 bp sequenced fragment of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase subunit I. Because C. opalescens is a recently recognised species that had been recurrently misidentified as rabbitfish, Chimaera monstrosa, the historical data of C. monstrosa in the Azores were reviewed to assess the possible presence of both Chimaera species in the region. Although several authors have reported the occurrence of C. monstrosa in the Azorean waters since the 1800s, the majority of these are based on only three specimens caught during the late 1800s. The investigation performed using literature and examination of the museum specimens still available concluded that the most likely scenario is that C. monstrosa is absent from the Azores and past records of that species in the region are most likely misidentifications of C. opalescens.publishedVersio

Second Workshop on Atlantic chub mackerel (Scomber colias) (WKCOLIAS2)

The Atlantic chub mackerel Scomber colias has become an increasingly important commercial species in the European Atlantic waters in the last 10–15 years, probably through an expansion process from NW African waters and due to market needs. However, at present there are no assessment or advice requirements. In the WK framework, available information of the species in the West Atlantic waters has been compiled in order to evaluate possible geographical differences and trends, and the feasibility to describe its population structure. Though the Atlantic chub mackerel is not routinely included among the target species in the acoustic surveys performed in the Atlantic Iberian waters and the Mediterranean Sea, a synoptic overview of the species is possible over all its West Atlantic distribution. Moreover, the data available have indicated latitudinal trends, mainly in the landings’ length composition, L50 and the spawning periods. Nevertheless, even if some degree of connectivity likely exists and migrations are occurring between adjacent areas, some subunits could be considered for management purposes. From the assessment models’ trials carried out, the results or reference points obtained for the European fisheries cannot be retained at present. Therefore, continuing collating information from fisheries and biological sampling of the species, obtaining reliable biomass estimations from scientific surveys and identifying management units seem the main priorities to address in future research work and in case of assessment requirements

Línguas e Educação: orientações para um projecto colaborativo

Este projecto estuda as comunidades de trabalho colaborativo, na área da Educação em Línguas, formadas por professores do 1º Ciclo do Ensino Básico e professores de línguas dos Ensinos Básico e Secundário, formadores e investigadores empenhados num diálogo sobre a possibilidade de repensar as práticas. A constituição de comunidades educativas é fundamental para um sistema educativo orientado para o sucesso escolar, sobretudo tendo em conta a sua importância na formação de professores. Estas comunidades contribuem para que aqueles que nelas participam vivam de uma forma crítica as suas práticas de ensino, de formação e de investigação. Pretende-se, concretamente, estudar a construção de conhecimento profissional no seio de Comunidades de Desenvolvimento Profissional associadas ao domínio da Educação em Línguas, envolvendo actores de diferentes contextos, já referidos, que constituirão grupos de trabalho. Elege-se, deste modo, como objecto de estudo, a construção partilhada de conhecimento em Educação em Línguas, visando a melhoria da interacção entre educação, formação e investigação

WORKING GROUP ON BIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS (WGBIOP)

The main objective of the Working Group on Biological Parameters (WGBIOP) is to review the status, issues, developments, and quality assurance of biological parameters for use in assess-ments and management that are in line with the requirements of end-users. In this final year of the three-year term, WGBIOP operated under challenging circumstances due to COVID-19 measures. The initial action plan was replaced by a more flexible one, where online plenary and subgroup meetings were spread over the year with intersessional work to finalize the proposed deliverables. WGBIOP continued the review of past exchanges and workshops under the remit of the working group. Since 2019, these calibrations on age, maturity, and larvae identification have been carried out in SmartDots, an online platform for sharing images and facilitating the reading of otoliths, staging of gonads, and identification of early life stages. Developments are underway to include an improved calculation of modal age and error matrices in the SmartDots standard report. WGBIOP investigated ways to incorporate error matrices into assessments and studied the effect of this inclusion together with stock assessors. Requests for new exchanges and workshops were reviewed, with a focus on stocks to be bench-marked in the coming years. Issue lists were scrutinized, problems identified, and information provided to stock coordinators via regular channels and through the Stock Identification Data-base (SID). Despite close cooperation with stock assessors and continued efforts, it has not been possible to further streamline the WGBIOP workflow with the benchmark process. This will be addressed with the Advisory Committee. The need for validation studies was stressed by the repeated low levels of agreement between readers of some stocks and recurring issues and recommendations to WGBIOP. Lack of resources is the main obstacle. As a first step for measures to prioritize validation studies, WGBIOP iden-tified precision, trueness, and feasibility of validation methods (as well as the urgency for the assessment). WGBIOP continued investigations into new life-history parameters for integrated assessment and advice in cooperation with end-users (Working Group on Integrative, Physical-biological and Ecosystem Modelling-WGIPEM and Regional Coordination Groups-RCGs). This included a standardization and quality assurance action plan for stomach sampling. Efforts have also been taken to streamline data and workflows across databases and groups. A step has been taken in the standardization of quality assurance procedures at the regional level. Institute-level overviews of methods and quality assurance protocols used for ageing and maturity are now available. Also, a new method for quality grading was developed, tested, and implemented in SmartDots