Discarding in fisheries is believed to be a waste of natural resources, as it is the part of the total catch brought on board but then returned to the sea dead or alive for any reason. This study aims to advance knowledge of the discards associated with the deep water rose shrimp fisheries in the south-central Mediterranean Sea. We address this issue by examining the data collected within the module of commercial catch monitoring (Campbiol) of European data collection framework (DCF) between January 2009 and December 2013. Multivariate data analysis and the generalized additive model (GAMs) were used to assess the spatio-temporal composition of the discard and factors influencing its distribution. Overall, discard represented 32.9±15.4% of the total catch. Multiple analysis of variance highlighted the significant effect on discard assemblage only for the factor of depth (p-value <0.05). In general, bony fish were the most discarded organisms (23.5±14.4%). Cartilaginous fish, crustaceans and other invertebrates represented approximately 13% of the total catch. The fraction of discard in the catch presented significant variation regarding the years, depth and fishing ground. Our results showed that most of the discards in the deep water rose shrimp (DPS) fisheries are due to species that have a minimum legal size (Hake, DPS, Trachurus spp.), and are consequently subjected to the discard ban (art. 15 of the reg. EU 1380/2013). To avoid the landing of discards, specific measures aimed to minimize the unwanted catches of undersized species should be implemented.

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The Giant red shrimp (GRS, Aristaeomorpha foliacea) is a seafood product that is highly appreciated on the Italian market. This work aims at investigating whether a close relationship can be established amongst the area of origin, sex and the GRS quality.

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Summary Growth and reproduction of Chelidonichthys lucerna is reported from Tunisian waters. A total of 286 specimens was collected from landings of bottom trawlers between January 2003 and November 2004. The total length ranged from 16 to 36 cm in females and from 17 to 26 cm in males. Marginal increment analysis of otoliths showed that the translucent zone was laid from October to May and the opaque zone laid from June to September. Females were from 0.5 to 9 years and males from 1 to 7 years old. Growth parameters of the von Bertalanffy growth function were TL∞ = 40.26; K = 0.06 and t0 = −3.03 in females and TL∞ = 46.16; K = 0.059 and t0 = −1.32 in males. The coefficient of the allometric length–weight relationships differed significantly by sex. Females with mature gonads were observed between October and May, with peaks in January and February. Length at which 50% of specimens were mature was 21.6 cm TL (estimated age about 3 years) in females and 19.2 cm TL (estimated age about 1.5 years) in males.

Summary Under‐or non‐exploited areas are useful to aid in evaluating the potential productivity of fish stocks for sustainable fisheries. The Gulf of Castellammare (NW Sicily), where trawling has been banned since 1990, is a good site to study the biology and dynamics of low impacted fish populations. A total of 661 (595 female and 66 male) specimens of red mullet Mullus barbatus (95–245 mm total length, TL) obtained by monthly sampling from trammel net artisanal fishery, was collected in the Gulf of Castellammare from April 2006 to June 2007. Mature females occurred from April to September, with a peak in May. The mean Gonado‐somatic index (GSI) also showed a May peak for both sexes. From Sagittae (642) readings the age structure ranged from age class I to VII in females and I to V in males. Female growth parameters, estimated according to the classic von Bertalanffy model, were: L∞ = 221.2 ± 11.51 mm standard error (SE), ky−1 = 0.38 ± 0.09 SE, t0y = −0.94 ± 0.38 SE. The growth performance index (ø’ = 2.27) was included in the range of values obtained by hard structure readings in the Central Mediterranean. Natural mortality (My−1) of females estimated by different methods ranged between 0.62 and 0.87 (mean value = 0.71 ± 0.06 SE).

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Given its capacity to offer real-time and tested storage success, the use of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) appears increasingly attractive and of commercial global interest for (sea)foods products. Moreover, it adapts oxygen-free systems that when combined with other preservation methods show high promise to robustly tackle the overall deterioration of fishery products. In this work, freezing and oxygen-free (vacuumas well as modified atmospheres of 50% N 2 -50%CO 2 -and 100% N 2 ) packaging methods has been applied to Norway lobster (NL) (Nephrops norvegicus) and resultant data compared with conventional preservative treatment of sulphite together with control (untreated). Specifically, the objective was to evaluate differences in lipid oxidation (thiobarbituric acid {TBA}) and related flesh qualities (total volatile base (TVB) nitrogen, pH, free amino acids (FAAs), proximal composition, as well as melanosis scores) during storage period of up to 12 months. The result showed that across treatments, whilst the TBA values were little coincidental with superficial fluctuations in proximal composition and some pH differences, the TVB-N values seemed unaffected except some increases in 100 % N 2 -treated NL samples at the second half of frozen storage. Although individual FAAs statistically differed per treatment (P<0.05), trends of total FAAs seemed regular with some resemblances between treatments (P>0.05). Additionally, the treatments of 50% N 2 -50%CO 2 -and 100% N 2 -to apparently delay the melanosis formation in NL samples appears very promising replacement for the sulphite ones. Keywords:Crustacea/ Oxygen-free packaging/Freezing/ Lipid autoxidation/ Quality attributes. Practical applicationsNorway lobster (NL) is among crustacea species receiving increasing global interest given its economic value. But lipid damage together with other freshness restraints continually affects its postharvest shelf. Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) adapts oxygen-free system which when combined with other preservation methods offers real-time and tested food storage success. Amid the advances in MAP to-date, relevant information about freezing combined with oxygen-free packaging atmospheres applied to Norway lobster species has not been found. This current research was purposed to demonstrate the effect of freezing and oxygen-free packaging atmospheres on lipid oxidation and related flesh qualities of NL samples. Graphical abstractThe lipid oxidation of oxygen-free (vacuum-as well as modified atmospheres of 50% N 2 -50%CO 2 -and 100% N 2 ) packaged Norway lobster samples measured by thiobarbituric acid (TBA) and presented in mg MDA/kg in comparison to conventional preservative treatment of sulphite together with control (untreated). The image symbols include: (■) Vacuum; (▲) N 2 -CO 2 ; (Δ) N 2 ; () Sulfited; (□) Control. Image shows that lipid oxidation of NL samples, although it appears somewhat affected during the first six months of frozen storage compared to the much-reduced effects the remaining months, st...