Evidence of difference in landings and discards patterns in the English Channel and North Sea Rajidae complex fishery

Type Article
Date 2021-10
Language English
Author(s) Amelot MorganeORCID1, 2, Batsleer JurgenORCID2, Foucher EricORCID1, Girardin RaphaelORCID1, Marchal PaulORCID1, Poos Jan JaapORCID3, Sys Klaas4
Affiliation(s) 1 : IFREMER Centre Manche-Mer du Nord, France
2 : Wageningen Marine Research, PO Box 68, 1970 AB, IJmuiden, the Netherlands
3 : Wageningen University & Research, the Netherlands
4 : ILVO, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Animal Sciences Unit – Fisheries and Aquatic Production, Ankerstraat 1, 8400, Oostende, Belgium
Source Fisheries Research (0165-7836) (Elsevier BV), 2021-10 , Vol. 242 , P. 106028 (11p.)
DOI 10.1016/j.fishres.2021.106028
WOS© Times Cited 4
Keyword(s) Retention patterns, Vulnerability, Discards, Rajidae, Multi-species production model
Abstract

Bycatch species such as skates and rays are for most of them not subject to analytical stock assessment. However, their life history characteristics increased their vulnerability to fisheries. In the English Channel and North Sea area, the three main landed Rajidae species are Raja clavata, Raja brachyura and Raja montagui. The current management measure is a global TAC, common for all Rajidae species. Data to process analytical stock assessment are not available for these species, particularly discards data. A Bayesian multispecies biomass production model, following separately the landings and discards was applied to these stocks. This model provided proxies of reference points (MSY and BMSY) per species. All stocks were depleted in 1990 and are now rebuilding. However, rebuilding speeds are different within the complex, R. clavata being the fastest and R. brachyura the slowest. Furthermore, the proportion of the discards and landings to biomass differ between species, highlighting species specific fishing strategies. Differences in vulnerabilities within the Rajidae complex might be caused by the variability of life history parameters between species as well as landings and discards pattern differences. This second factor, usually not considered for data limited stock assessment, is particularly relevant for highly discarded chondrichthyans species, and might be considered when choosing new methodology to asses Rajidae stocks.

Full Text
File Pages Size Access
11 3 MB Access on demand
26 479 KB Access on demand
6 5 MB Access on demand
4 129 KB Access on demand
Author's final draft 21 1 MB Open access
Top of the page