Line of action:

Marine ecosystems

Status:

Finalizado

Execution date:

2024

End date:

2026

Project web page:

https://www.programapleamar.es/proyectos/garraf-en-mar-evaluacion-del-estado-de-salud-de-los-recursos-pesqueros-y-caracterizacion

The main objective of the project is to carry out the assessment of the state of health of fisheries resources and the ecological characterisation of the Marine Space (MS) of the Garraf and Plana del Foix Coasts, both in the coastal area and in the platform and canyon area, in order to draw up a Strategic Plan for Sustainable Fisheries (FIFS) jointly between the fisheries and scientific sectors. The results will serve to give a boost to the blue economy, and design indicators for work in fisheries co-management, which will also serve for other areas.

To this end, five specific objectives have been proposed:

• Establish a framework (working committee). In this project it is vital to work side by side with the fishing sector. To this end, a working committee will be created with the agents involved (administrations and brotherhoods).
• To carry out a diagnostic study of the state of health of the fishery resources of the marine coast (30-50 m) (artisanal and purse seine), and the characterization of habitats of the coastal zone.
• To assess the state of health of the fisheries resources of the MS in the area of the Plana del Foix and canyons and the ecological status of their seabeds.
• To evaluate the study area in an integrated manner and to design the Strategic Plan for Sustainable Fisheries (FIF) of the Garraf and Plana del Foix Coasts. The results of the coastal and deep zone (A14.1) will be integrated, and the overall results will be discussed with the working committee (A14.2). Finally, with the committee, the FIFO will be designed.
• To provide a transfer of results to all the agents involved in the territory and dissemination to the general public through a dissemination plan, including dissemination and dissemination activities of the FIFO prepared.

Working meetings have been held with the fishing sector and with the different administrations to define the actions within the framework of the project. In addition, the exploration area has been designed in the Marine Area of the Garraf Coasts and in the Baix Llobregat-Garraf Marine Area together with the artisanal fishing, purse seine and trawling sector. The target species of the project have also been defined with the sector, which have been the following: amberjack and sole, alacha, black monkfish, canana and white prawns.

The data obtained under the initiative allow for an accurate assessment of the health status of important fishery resources in the area, as well as a characterization of habitats associated with the species targeted by the project.

The analysis of the information obtained indicates a good condition of amberjack, alacha, black monkfish and white prawns. In the case of these species, it is considered that the state of health is optimal and that consumption by humans is, in general, safe. The data allow us to make some recommendations for its management and consumption.

As for the data related to the biodiversity (including commercial fishing and discards) present in the explored areas, they allow observations to be made on measures to be taken into account for the exploitation of resources or areas of special interest for the biology of local species, among others.