This document presents sampling levels obtained with Portuguese and Spanish
Discard Sampling Programmes, both included in National Sampling Programmes, and
some preliminary results for the Iberian Southern Hake discards. These programs
consist on onboard-observer sampling schemes, with co-operative vessels, quasirandom
selected, in the ICES Division VIIIc and IXa. The methodology used to
estimate hake discards for Portugal and Spain since 2003 was based on the one
proposed in the “Workshop on Discard Sampling Methodology and Raising
Procedures” (PGCCDBS, Denmark, 2003). Spain presents results for the years 1994,
1997, 1999, 2000, 2003 and 2004. In the Portuguese Program, 2004 is the first year
with an analysis of discard data. The number of trips sampled by the Spanish program
for 2004 was 53, distributed by three trawl fleets- BACA trawl, Pair trawl and WHVO
trawl. Portuguese onboard-observers sampled 40 trips distributed by Crustacean and
Fish trawl fleets. The estimated percentages of discarded hake in relation to total catch
were of 19,9 (C.V. = 22.6%) and 46,7 (C.V. = 72.1%) for the Spanish and Portuguese
fleets respectively. The confidence interval for the Portuguese discard estimate is very
large which denotes the very low precision of the obtained value. A co-operation in the
analysis of this kind of data, between the two countries, could be the next step, since a
standardisation of the methods would be of great importance for a realistic comparison
of results obtained from both programs