Results of most relevant commercial species on the 2021 Northern Spanish Shelf groundfish survey

Abstract

This working document presents the results of the most relevant commercial species captured on the 2021 Spanish Groundfish Survey on Northern Spanish shelf. Biomass, geographical and length distributions are analyzed for European hake (Merluccius merluccius), four-spot megrim (Lepidorhombus boscii), megrim (L. whiffiagonis), black-bellied anglerfish (Lophius budegassa), white anglerfish (L. piscatorius), sole (Solea solea) and Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus). Information on the scarce species i.e. seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax), pollack (Pollachius pollachius) and whiting (Merlangius merlangus) requested in ICES DCF Data Call is also presented. The increase of the total catch this last survey is not reflected in the biomass of most commercial species, except for anglerfishes and four-spot megrim, that increased slightly. Sole decreased substantially both in standard hauls and in additional hauls shallower than 70 m. A slight increase of megrim and anglerfish recruits was found while for the rest of the species considered, recruits have declined. Nevertheless due to the breakage of the vessel and the change of the usual vessel in the second part of the survey, some results may underestimate the abundance of recruits, specially in the case of megrims.