Line of action:

Status:

Execution date:

General Objective:

Adapt the trawl fleet to the European regulation on Landing Obligation by reducing the catch, assessing its operational and socio-economic impact.

Specific objectives:

1. To assess the degree of impact on the fishing fleet of the limiting species for the purposes of the Landing Obligation (OD) regulation in the scenario of “full application of the Landing Obligation in 2019”.
2. Develop and test selective fishing practices/devices to minimize unwanted catch of major limiting species.
3. Assess the operational implications of on-board handling of the remaining unwanted catch (biomass, processing, occupational health and safety).
4. To assess the socio-economic implications for the fishery resource and the fleet.
5. Disseminate and transfer results to the agents involved in the fishery.

The MENDES project has carried out a treatment of the databases of observers in fisheries, with an analysis of discard levels. The information obtained by observers on board coastal trawlers of the Marín fleet has been used, as well as data from observer shipments in commercial fishing tides in the Ondárroa coastal trawl fleet to the pair. In total, 38 tides (35 fishing days and 101 fishing sets) have been sampled, of variable duration in the period 2014-2017, with trawl gear “baca” (34) and trawl gear with “horse mackerel” net (4).

Large vertical opening (GAV) nets were used, which generated a lower number of discards than the roof rack trawl and higher than the trawl with horse mackerel net. The main species discarded have been blue whiting, horse mackerel and hake. Discards throughout the year vary depending on the species, but between July and September they are recorded in greater numbers for the baca (horse mackerel, blue whiting, roosters, hake, ochavo). During the project, it was observed that the largest amount of discard occurs in trawling with bottom racks compared to horse mackerel net trawling. Most of the reason for discarding is capture below the minimum size; in the case of horse mackerel, the price at sale and the lack of quota; and the lack of quota also in the case of mackerel.

On the other hand, a total of 34 tides (35 fishing days and 101 fishing sets) of variable duration in the period 2003-2017 have been sampled, with large vertical opening nets (GAV), and it has been obtained that the number of discards is lower than the trawling of the roof rack and higher than the trawling with horse mackerel net. The main species discarded have been blue whiting, horse mackerel and hake. Discards throughout the year vary depending on the species.

Based on technical workshops with skippers from the fishing fleet in preparation for the selectivity tests, it was agreed to use a 100 mm codend, with a 55 mm overcodification in GAV trawl and 70 mm in bottom and jack mackerel rack. The results of experimental fishing have been a decrease in both commercial and non-commercial catches (discards), which conditions financial viability. The use of a minimum mesh of 100 mm in the codend of the trawl net arose at the request of the General Secretariat of Fisheries of the MAPA, as a measure contemplated in the draft of the Community Regulation on new technical measures for the protection and sustainable management of fishery resources.

These were the conclusions after carrying out the experimental fishing tests:

• Trawl modality in solo with horse mackerel rack (Marín fleet): the 100 mm mesh generates a strong impact on commercial fishing performance in the horse mackerel fishery, without implying an effect on the level of unwanted catch of the species below the Minimum Reference Size for Conservation (TMRC); since this non-marketable catch has not been recorded with the 70 mm mesh, nor with the 100 mm mesh.

• Trawl mode in solo with bottom rack (Marín fleet): the use of the 100 mm mesh implies a great reduction in fishing yield, mainly with the rooster (83% reduction in the catch rate by weight), hake (39%) and horse mackerel (72%). The reduction in the non-marketable catch due to being smaller than the minimum allowed was very significant in the case of the megrim (90 % of the catch rate by weight) and more limited in hake (20 %), not having been recorded in the case of horse mackerel, perhaps due to the non-availability of small specimens of the species during the tests carried out.

• GAV pair trawl (Ondárroa fleet): the 100 mm mesh has a significant impact on commercial fishing performance in the blue whiting fishery, with a great reduction in the non-marketable catch of the species. In the case of hake, there is a small decrease in marketable fishing yield leading to a significant decrease in the non-marketable catch.

Finally, it is necessary to stress that the possibilities of improving selectivity, and in turn improving the financial performance of the fleet, with respect to the situation of no obligation to land, are practically nil. Therefore, the results of the MENDES project point to the need for further research in the development and evaluation of measures to minimise unwanted catch that do not have a critical impact on the levels of commercial catches of fishing fleets.