No abstract

The distribution of egg and larvae of mackerel, horse mackerel, sardine, hake, megrim, blue whiting and anchovy along the European Atlantic waters (south Portugal to Scotland) during 1998 is described. Time of the year, sea surface temperature and bottom depth are used to define the spawning habitat of the different species. Mackerel, horse mackerel, and sardine eggs and larvae presented the widest distribution, whereas megrim and anchovy showed a limited distribution, restricted to the Celtic Sea and the Bay of Biscay respectively. Correspondingly mackerel, horse mackerel and sardine showed the highest aggregation indices. Blue whiting larvae were found at the lowest temperatures, whereas anchovy eggs and larvae were found in the warmest waters. The analysis is a basis for evaluation of ongoing changes in the pelagic ecosystem of the north-east Atlantic.

Strehlow, H. V., Schultz, N., Zimmermann, C., and Hammer, C. 2012. Cod catches taken by the German recreational fishery in the western Baltic Sea, 2005–2010: implications for stock assessment and management. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 69: 1769–1780. Next to the commercial fishery, the recreational fishery plays an important role in the removal of biomass from fish stocks. In this study, we present estimates of German recreational cod (Gadus morhua) catches in the western Baltic Sea between 2005 and 2010. Fishing effort was estimated using a stratified mail survey and annual sales of fishing licences. Catch per unit effort was estimated by stratified random sampling of access points and interviews about completed trips. Length distributions of cod catches were acquired by sampling recreational cod catches from charter boats and data from community fishing events. Estimates of the total cod biomass removed by the recreational fishery fluctuated between 2159 t in 2009 and 4127 t in 2005. Annual recreational fishery cod harvests accounted for a significant share of the total landings, with a yearly variation from 34 to 70% of the German commercial cod landings from the western Baltic Sea. The majority of recreational fishery cod catches were taken from private boats and charter vessels. Because of the amount and specifically the variability of the recreational catches, they are important for the assessment and management of the resource and, therefore, need to be surveyed annually.

What is left? Macrophyte meadows and Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) spawning sites in the Greifswalder Bodden, Baltic Sea

Most deep-water fish species are long-lived, slow growing and have low reproductive capacity. These stocks are highly vulnerable to exploitation and can be rapidly depleted with recovery being very slow, often taking decades. In the Northeast Atlantic, a diversity of deep-water fisheries exists for a variety of finfish and shellfish species. The major characteristics of these fisheries are described and the available fisheries, biological and life history data are reviewed. Surplus production and DeLury models are the principal methods currently used in assessing the stocks, although agebased methods, stock reduction models and life history models are likely to be used once sufficient biological data become available. Most of the deep-water fisheries in the Northeast Atlantic have been completely unregulated; the latest stock assessments indicate that nearly all exploited deepwater species are being harvested "outside safe biological limits" and that immediate reductions in catches are needed to avoid stock depletion. Various approaches for managing deep-water fisheries resources are discussed, including the need to harmonize conservation and enforcement measures across management jurisdictions for straddling stocks.