1. ICES is requested to evaluate and compare the models ISVPA and SeaStar and to comment on their
6.2 Fisheries in 2002
Total catch figures in 2002 were provided by members of the WG. They were estimated to be 1 554 995 t compared to 1 780 170 t last year. Time-series with catches by nations and area are given in Tables 6.2.1-6.2.7.
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Spatial and temporal distribution of the catches of blue whiting in 2002 is given by quarter and ICES rectangles in Figure 6.2.1. The distribution of the catch by ICES rectangles for the whole year is given in Figure 6.2.2. In 2002 the catch provided as catch by rectangle represented approximately 1.52 million t (97.7%).
6.2.1 Description of the national fisheries Denmark:
The Danish blue whiting fishery was conducted by trawlers using a minimum mesh size of 40 mm in the directed fishery and in the fisheries where blue whiting was taken as bycatch, trawls with mesh sizes between 16 and 36 mm were used. The directed fishery caught 39 100 t mainly in Divisions IIa (13 600 t), IVa (20 900 t) with small catches from Divisions IIIa, Vb, VIa and VIIb. Bycatches of blue whiting (12 100 t) were caught mainly in the Norway pout fishery in the North Sea and in the Skagerrak. Some blue whiting bycatches were also taken during the human consumption herring fishery in the Skagerrak.
Germany:
No information available.
Faroe Islands:
In 2002 Faroes had no agreement with EU on blue whiting and consequently no fishery was conducted in EU waters in 2002. In January the fishery (8 combined purse seiners/trawlers) concentrated on the western and south-western part of the Faroese EEZ (ICES Division Vb). In February catches were still taken in Vb and also in the south-western part of Division VIb outside the EU zone. In March the fishery continued in VIb and XII outside the EU zone. In April catches were taken in the northern part of VIb and in the southern part of the Faroese zone (Vb). In May the fishery continued in the southern area and west off the Faroe plateau (Vb), indicating that the fish migrated west of the Faroes on their way north. The fishery moved northwest towards the Icelandic border and into the Icelandic zone (Divisions Va and Vb) in late May. In June the fishery operated in Divisions IIa and Va north of 63°N (Faroe and Iceland zones) and continued in this area, including Division Vb in July and August. The fishery continued on the Faroe-Iceland ridge (Divisions Va, Vb and IIa) throughout the rest of 2002 (i.e. September-December), gradually moving closer towards the Faroe Islands at the end of the year. All catches were taken with pelagic trawl (44 mm mesh size in the codend). The industrial fleet (3 trawlers) operated mainly in Norwegian waters (ICES Division IVa) in 2002 with some catches of blue whiting scattered throughout the year.
France:
No information available.
Iceland:
Iceland set a total blue whiting quota of 283 000 t for the Icelandic and Faroese EEZs and international waters for 2002.
Iceland and Faroes have a bilateral agreement of mutual fishing rights for blue whiting within each other´s EEZs.
A total of 19 vessels participated in the directed fishery, which started in March in international waters west of the British Isles (ICES Divisions XII, VIb) and small catches in Icelandic waters at SE-Iceland. All the catches were taken using mid-water trawls with a mesh size in the codend of 40 mm. In April the main fishery had moved further north and was largely conducted in Faroese waters SW of the Faroes, but with some catches in Icelandic waters.
In early May the fishery was mainly conducted in the Faroese zone but shifted gradually into the Icelandic zone in the latter half of May. In June part of the fleet was engaged in the fishery for NSSPH in the Norwegian Sea, but most of the blue whiting catch of 22 000 t was fished in the Icelandic area. From July to September most of the catches were taken in the Icelandic zone with a gradual increase of catches in the Faroese zone. In October about 13 000 t of a total catch of 21 000 t were taken in the Faroese zone. In November the fishery came to a halt because the quota set for the Icelandic fleet was reached. The small catch taken in November was mainly from the Icelandic EEZ. The total Icelandic catch was 286 540 t.
Iceland has set size limitations on landings of blue whiting. If the catch consists of 30% or more fish smaller than 25 cm, a temporary area closure is imposed.
Ireland:
The Irish fishery for blue whiting developed in response to severely restricted quotas for mackerel and herring in the 1990s. Catches peaked in 1998 with approximately 46 000 t landed. Since then the imposition of an EU TAC and the allocation of a low quota to Ireland have caused the fishery to contract. In 1998 seven Irish vessels were involved in the fishery. Six vessels fished the small quota of 17 165 t allocated to Ireland in 2003. Fishing takes place in February and March between the Porcupine and Rockall after the completion of the spring mackerel fishery.
The fishery is prosecuted by Refrigerated Sea Water trawlers fishing large single trawls that have been specially modified to take bulk catches from deep water. Circumference of the gear may be as great as 1700 m with a brailler mesh of 35 to 40 mm. While the vast majority of Irish landings of blue whiting are for fishmeal production, trials in 1997 and 1998 showed that fish of human consumption standard could be landed. In 2001 approximately 500 t were block frozen by Irish fish processors.
Netherlands:
Fishing directed to blue whiting takes place by Dutch pelagic trawlers mainly in areas VIa and VIIc in the 1st and 2nd quarter of the year using mesh size of 40 mm. The total catch in 2002 was restricted by a share in a TAC set by the EU.
All catches are landed frozen for human consumption. The total quota for the Netherlands in 2002 was 27 044 t.
Norway:
Norway set a blue whiting quota of 250 000 t for the Norwegian EEZ, Jan Mayen zone and international waters for 2002. In addition, through international agreements, 120 000 t in the EEZ of EU and 35 000 t in the Faroese zone were made available to the Norwegian fishery. The mixed industrial fishery in the North Sea/southern Norwegian Sea was allowed to take 79 396 t. The total quota for Norwegian vessels in 2002 was 484 396 t.
In June-August 2002 an experimental fishery, regulated by specific vessel quotas, was arranged in the Norwegian zone north of 65ºN. Participating vessels were obliged to report certain biological data to the Institute of Marine Research.
The total catch from this fishery was about 36 000 t, mostly from the area immediately north of 65ºN.
The main Norwegian fishery is a directed pelagic trawl fishery, regulated by vessel quotas, and is carried out on and west of the spawning areas west of the British Isles. The Norwegian fishery in 2002 started at the beginning of February in international waters off Porcupine Bank, then moved northward toward the Rockall area. At the end of March/beginning of April the main fishery took place off the Hebrides area. From there the fishery moved into Faroese waters. The Norwegian fishery in the spawning area was stopped on 5 May when the quota in the EU zone was taken.
Young blue whiting were fished in the North Sea and in the southern Norwegian Sea (areas south of 64ºN) in the mixed industrial fishery targeting blue whiting and Norway pout. An estimated catch of approximately 98 000 t was taken in this fishery in 2002. More information on this fishery is in Section 1.5 (see also Heino et al., WD a).
Portugal:
In the Portuguese fisheries, blue whiting is a bycatch in the trawl fishery. Most of the landings come from bottom fish trawlers, but a small percentage also comes from crustacean trawlers. Artisanal fisheries (small purse seines and gillnets) reported a small percentage (less than 5% of the total Portuguese landings) in the last 5 years.
Russia:
The Russian blue whiting fishery in 2002 continued from January to December in different NEA areas. In January and February fishing took place mostly in the Faroese EEZ (Vb1). Further, following spawning migrations, the fishing fleet displaced southwards and operated in international waters to the west of the British Isles (XII) until the middle of April.
At the end of April, following blue whiting feeding migrations, Russian fishing vessels moved to the Faroese and Norwegian EEZs and international waters in the Norwegian Sea (Vb1, IIa) and fished there till the end of September.
From October to December a Russian fleet operated mostly in international waters and in the Faroese zone (IIa, Vb1).
The directed blue whiting fishery occurred in all seasons by large fishing vessels using trawls with mesh sizes of 35 to 40 mm.
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Spain:
The Spanish blue whiting fishery is carried out mainly by bottom pair trawlers in a directed fishery and by single bottom trawlers in a bycatch fishery, both using a minimum mesh size of approximately 55 mm. The pair trawler fleet landed 16 352 t, taken mainly on the border between Divisions VIIIc and IXa. Bycatches of blue whiting (1 134 t) were caught mainly in the bottom trawl fishery in Spanish waters in Divisions VIIIc and IXa, small quantities (20 t) were also caught by longliners. These coastal fisheries have trip durations of 1 or 2 days and catches are for human consumption.
Thus, coastal landings are rather stable due mainly to market forces.
Sweden:
No information available.
UK (Scotland):
No information available.
6.3 Biological Characteristics