Line of action:

Status:

Execution date:

General:

Estimate the survival of artisanal fleet discards in the environment of a marine protected area and identify technical improvements to minimize the impact of discarding.

Specific:

1. To assess the survival rate of target species of the artisanal fleet subject to quota and therefore affected by European regulations, and of species not subject to quota; but with a minimum legal size and/or temporary closures, which forces discarding.

2. Identify the factors related to the fishing and handling process with an impact on the recovery and survival of the discard.

3. Propose technical improvements in the operation on board (good practices) that can increase the survival of discards in artisanal fishing.

4. Dissemination of the effect of discards on coastal resources and measures to mitigate their impact on the ecosystem.

A1-Establishment of acoustic monitoring network.

A1.1 Checking, maintenance and fine-tuning of the equipment that makes up the acoustic monitoring network.

A2 – Marking campaign of discarded individuals with acoustic emitters

A2.1 Coordination meeting of the tagging campaigns with the fishing vessels of the local artisanal fleet involved in the experimental work.

A2.2 Experimental campaign to mark discarded individuals of the species under study on board fishing vessels of the local artisanal fleet operating in the study area (PNMTIAG).

A2.3 Basic analysis of the biological data of the tagged specimens.

A3-Acquisition of positioning data of marked specimens

A3.1 Downloading and saving of accumulated acoustic data.

A3.2 Obtaining the position data of the tagged specimens during the study period.

A4-Analysis of the position data of the marked specimens.

A4.1 Estimation of the survival rates of the species under study using the methodology resulting from the TAC project.

A4.2 Estimation of movement parameters that describe the individual behaviour patterns for the tagged specimens.

A4.3 Relational analysis of survival rates (4.1) and movement patterns (4.2) with environmental conditions, fishing procedure and biological traits of tagged specimens.

A5-Code of good practice to increase the survival of specimens discarded by the artisanal fleet.

A5.1 Development of a code of good practice to increase the survival of discards in the artisanal fleet.

A6 – Transfer of knowledge to the actors involved: i) fishermen’s guild and ii) marine protected area managers.

A6.1 Information day with the managing bodies of the marine protected area.

A6.2 Information day with fishermen’s guilds related to the scope of application of the project.

A7 – Communication and dissemination.

A7.1 Publication of updated information on the websites associated with the project and dissemination of the activities and results of the project through social networks.

A7.2 Participation in dissemination days within the activities of the CSIC Science Week in Vigo and visit to 2 schools.

A7.3 Press releases.

A8 – Project conclusions seminar.

A8.1 Seminar at the facilities of the research centre of the responsible team (IIM-CSIC) to disseminate the results of the project within the scientific community.

The DESTAC project gives continuity to the TAC project, executed in the 2018 call of the Pleamar Program to identify technical improvements that minimize the impact of discarding. To this end, the Department of Ecology and Marine Resources of the IIM-CSIC, in collaboration with the National Maritime Terrestrial Park of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia (PNMTIAG), has carried out experimental fishing on commercial vessels of the Galician artisanal fleet. The main study methodology was based on the individual monitoring of specimens discarded by the fleet that were marked by acoustic telemetry. For its monitoring, the fixed acoustic telemetry network installed in the archipelago of the Cíes Islands (PNMTIAG) during the TAC project, the only network in the North Atlantic marine demarcation for the monitoring of marine organisms (part of the European Tracking Network), was used.

The project focused on four elasmobranch species due to their relative importance in the artisanal fleet and their conservation interest: Scyliorhinus canicula (family Scyliorhinidae), Raja undulata, Raja brachyura and Raja clavata (family Rajidae). Five experimental fishing days were carried out on a commercial vessel of the artisanal fleet (palangrillo fishing gear). Once tagged and released, acoustic data was recorded to determine their survival based on movement patterns. High long-term survival rates (>72h – 10 days) were obtained: 100% in R. undulata and R. brachyura, ~70% in R. clavata and >90% in S. canicula. Size (higher mortality in small specimens) and time on board after capture (time on board negative effect for survival) are the factors related to the higher mortality of specimens.

These results have been transferred to the PNMTIAG through continuous interaction with the managing body. In addition, they have been communicated directly to the fishing sector (fishermen’s guilds) and other academic and management institutions (IEO-CSIC, AAPP).

With all the information collected, a guide of good practices was developed to increase the survival and recovery capacity of the discard of these species in the artisanal fleet. On the other hand, the organization of two visits to educational centers, the recording of audiovisual pieces about the project, the participation in several dissemination actions with the media and the organization of a seminar to present the results of the project stand out.