Bss-8ab

ICES Advice on fishing opportunities, catch, and effort
Bay of Biscay and the Iberian Coast Ecoregion
7.3.28
Published 30 June 2015
Version 2, 25 August 2015
Sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) in Divisions VIIIa,b (Bay of Biscay North and Central)
ICES stock advice
ICES advises that when the precautionary approach is applied, commercial catches should be no more than 2634 tonnes in
each of the years 2016 and 2017. All commercial catches are assumed to be landed. Recreational catches cannot be
quantified; therefore, total catches cannot be calculated.
Stock development over time
The biomass index shows an increasing trend since the mid-2000s. Commercial landings have been relatively stable over the
time series.
Figure 7.3.28.1 Sea bass in Divisions VIIIa,b. Left panel: Commercial landings (tonnes) (commercial discards are thought to be negligible
and recreational catches are unknown). Right panel: Biomass Index (kg/day) derived from French log book analysis (all
gear all statistical rectangle). The horizontal lines represent the average index values for the respective time period.
Stock and exploitation status
Table 7.3.28.1
Sea bass in Divisions VIIIa,b. State of the stock and fishery relative to reference points.
Fishing pressure
Stock size
2012
2013
2014
2012 2013
2014
Maximum
Sustainable Yield
Precautionary
approach
Management
Plan
Qualitative
evaluation
FMSY
Undefined
MSY Btrigger
Undefined
Fpa, Flim
Undefined
Bpa, Blim
Undefined
Not applicable
SSBMGT
Unknown
-
FMGT
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Not applicable
Increasing
Catch options
The ICES framework for category 3 stocks was applied (ICES, 2012a). The French lpue was applied as the index of stock
biomass. The advice is based on a comparison of the two latest index values (index A) with the three preceding values (index
B), multiplied by the recent average landings. The index is estimated to have increased by more than 20% and thus the
uncertainty cap was applied. The stock status relative to candidate reference points is unknown. Therefore, the
precautionary buffer was applied to the advice.
Commercial discarding is considered to be negligible. Recreational catch is unknown.
ICES Advice 2015, Book 7
1
Published 30 June 2015
Advice on fishing opportunities, catch, and effort
Table 7.3.28.2 Sea bass in Divisions VIIIa,b. For stocks in ICES data categories 3-6, one catch option is possible.
Index A (2013-2014)
Index B (2010-2012)
Index ratio (A/B)
Uncertainty cap
Applied
Average commercial landings (2012-2014)
Discard rate
Precautionary buffer
Applied
Commercial catch advice*
* (recent average commercial landings x cap x buffer)
1.57 kg/day
1.23 kg/day
1.27
1.2
2743 tonnes
Negligible
0.8
2634 tonnes
Basis of the advice
Table 7.3.28.3 Sea bass in Divisions VIIIa,b. The basis of the advice.
Advice basis
Precautionary approach
Management plan
There is no management plan known for sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) in this area.
Quality of the assessment
Recreational fisheries are likely to contribute substantially to fishery removals in some areas. Time-series of catches, releases,
and size/age composition are needed from this component of the fishery to improve the assessment and advice.
Stock structure remains poorly known and further studies (including tagging, genetics, or other types of markers) are needed.
Accurate estimates of growth parameters and a stock index are needed to facilitate the development of an analytical
assessment.
Issues relevant for the advice
Commercial landings are available for the assessment, which have been relatively stable over the last decade. Recreational
fisheries are thought to be significant but these are not quantified and, therefore, the advice only applies to the commercial
fishery.
Reference points
No reference points are defined for this stock.
Basis of the assessment
Table 7.3.28.4 Sea bass in Divisions VIIIa,b. The basis of the assessment.
ICES stock data category
3.2.0 (ICES, 2015a)
Assessment type
Survey trends-based assessment (ICES, 2015b)
Input data
Commercial landings, one abundance index (standardized French LPUE)
Discards and bycatch
Commercial discards are unknown, but considered to be negligible.
Indicators
None
Other information
Benchmarked in IBPNEW 2012 (ICES, 2012b).
Working group report
Working Group for the Bay of Biscay and the Iberian Waters Ecoregion (WGBIE)
2
ICES Advice 2015, Book 7
ICES Advice on fishing opportunities, catch, and effort
Published 30 June 2015
Information from stakeholders
There is no available information.
History of advice, catch and management
Table 7.3.28.5 Sea bass in Divisions VIIIa,b. History of ICES advice, the agreed TAC, and ICES estimates of landings. All weights are in
tonnes.
Predicted catch
Year ICES Advice
corresponding to
Agreed TAC
Official landings **
ICES landings
advice
2000* none
2147
2362
2001* none
2091
2309
2002* No increase in effort or F
none
2113
2392
2003* No increase in effort or F
none
2931
2616
2004* No increase in effort or F
none
2657
2380
2005* none
3258
2796
2006* none
3488
2877
2007* none
3060
2769
2008* none
1653
2745
2009* none
2534
2279
2010* none
2489
2231
2011* none
2607
2576
2012* No increase in catch
none
2330
2554
20% reduction in catches (last 3-year
2013*
< 6000^^
none
2685
2685
average)
20% reduction in catches (last 3-year
2014
< 1890
2991
2991
average) ^
2015 Same advice as last year^
< 1890
2016 Precautionary approach
< 2634
2017 Precautionary approach
< 2634
* The advice for 2014 is the first time that ICES has provided specific advice for sea bass in Divisions VIIIa,b. Prior to the 2014 advice, ICES
advice was provided for European sea bass in the Northeast Atlantic.
** Official landings were extracted from the ICES Official Statistics webpage for BSS and Divisions VIIIa and VIIIb. The difference between
Official and ICES landings values are mainly due to the French landing data that come from a separate analysis of logbooks, auctions, and
VMS data from 2000 onwards. From 2011 onwards, data from this method are reported as official landings.
^ Advice for sea bass in Divisions VIIIa,b.
^^ Version 2: Value corrected.
History of catch and landings
Table 7.3.28.6
Total catch
(2014)
2991 t
Sea bass in Divisions VIIIa,b. Catch distribution by fleet in 2014 as estimated by ICES.
Commercial landings
38%
Nets
27%
Lines
ICES Advice 2015, Book 7
19%
Bottom
trawl
7%
5%
Pelagic
Danish
trawl
seine
2991 t
Commercial discards
4%
Others
1%
Unknown, considered to
Purse seine
be negligible
Recreational
catch
Unknown
3
Published 30 June 2015
Advice on fishing opportunities, catch, and effort
Table 7.3.28.7
Sea bass in Divisions VIIIa,b. History of commercial catch and landings, both official and ICES estimated values are
presented by area for each country participating in the fishery.
Official landings*
ICES estimates
Year
France
Spain
Total ICES estimated
Belgium France Spain
Netherlands United Kingdom Total
**
landings#
2000
0
2080
67
0
0
2147
2295
67
2362
2001
0
2020
68
3
0
2091
2238
68
2309
2002
0
1937
176
0
0
2113
2216
176
2392
2003
0
2812
119
0
0
2931
2497
119
2616
2004
0
2561
96
0
0
2657
2284
96
2380
2005
0
3184
74
0
0
3258
2722
74
2796
2006
0
3318
168
0
2
3488
2707
168
2877
2007
1
2984
74
0
1
3060
2677
90
2769
2008
0
1508
145
0
0
1653
2600
145
2745
2009
1
2339
194
0
0
2534
2152
126
2279
2010
0
2322
165
0
2
2489
2089
140
2231
2011
1
2295
311
0
0
2607
2297
278
2576
2012
0
2325
0
5
2330
2348
201
2554
2013
0
2532
153
0
0
2685
2532
153
2685
2014
0
2900
91
0
0
2991
2900
91
2991
* Official landings were extracted from the ICES Official Statistics webpage for sea bass (BSS) for the ICES Divisions VIIIa and VIIIb.
** French ICES landing data come from a separate analysis of logbook, auction, and VMS data from 2000 onwards. From 2011 onwards,
data from this method are reported as official landings.
# The total ICES estimated landings is equivalent to the official data from Belgium, Spain, Netherlands, and the United Kingdom with the
ICES estimated landings from France. See ** footnote for further information on the French data.
Summary of the assessment
Table 7.3.28.8 Sea bass in Divisions VIIIa,b. Sea bass in Divisions VIIIa,b. Assessment summary. The biomass Index (all annual indices are
expressed as a ratio, using the geometric mean over years 2006 and 2007 as the denominator).
Year
Biomass Index (kg/day)
ICES estimated landings (tonnes)
2000
1.66
2362
2001
1.84
2309
2002
1.27
2392
2003
1.37
2616
2004
1.55
2380
2005
0.86
2796
2006
0.85
2877
2007
1.18
2769
2008
0.93
2745
2009
1.2
2279
2010
1.19
2231
2011
1.2
2576
2012
1.3
2554
2013
1.52
2685
2014
1.61
2991
4
ICES Advice 2015, Book 7
ICES Advice on fishing opportunities, catch, and effort
Published 30 June 2015
Sources and references
ICES. 2012a. ICES Implementation of Advice for Data-limited Stocks in 2012 in its 2012 Advice. ICES CM 2012/ACOM:68. 42
pp.
ICES. 2012b. Report of the Inter-Benchmark Protocol on New Species (Turbot and Sea bass; IBPNEW 2012), 1–5 October
2012, Copenhagen, Denmark. ICES CM 2012/ACOM:45. 239 pp.
ICES. 2015a. Report of the Working Group for the Bay of Biscay and the Iberian Waters Ecoregion (WGBIE), 6–12 May 2015,
ICES Headquarters, Copenhagen, Denmark. ICES CM 2015/ACOM:11.
ICES. 2015b. Advice basis. In Report of the ICES Advisory Committee, 2015. ICES Advice 2015, Book 1. In preparation.
ICES Advice 2015, Book 7
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