What is the purpose of the monitoring of fishery resources carried out by ICATMAR? What is done with all the data collected? Starting in September, ICATMAR invites you to answer these and other questions by participating in the knowledge transfer sessions for the fishing sector at the main Catalan guilds.
Since 2019, ICATMAR has been conducting an exhaustive and continuous monitoring of the fishery resources along the Catalan coast. To carry this out, collaboration with the Catalan fishing sector is of vital importance. For this reason, we have decided to launch a series of talks to give back to the sector the knowledge gained on fisheries.
Starting in September, two ICATMAR members will regularly visit the ports along the Catalan coast where we conduct sampling to offer talks with information targeted at the local fishing sector. During the sessions, on the one hand, the latest results obtained by ICATMAR at the Catalonia level and at the specific port where the talk is held will be presented, and on the other hand, the assessment of the stocks of the main commercial species and other issues related to fisheries management will be discussed. After the presentations, a Q&A session will follow.
The first session was held at the Arenys de Mar guild in September. Stay tuned to find out when it will be held at your local guild. We look forward to seeing you there!
Since 2023, the ICATMAR Operational Oceanography Service has been providing reliable and up-to-date information on the state of the sea in Catalonia.
High-frequency radar of the ICATMAR Operational Oceanography Service installed at Cap de Creus.
In 2023 the ICATMAR Operational Oceanography Service was launched. The service has the main objective of measuring, analyzing, and predicting the physical characteristics of the sea, including ocean currents, water temperature and salinity, wave action, and sea level in the northwestern Mediterranean. From these measurements, oceanographic products are created to meet the needs of various marine sectors such as fisheries management, maritime rescue operations, environmental management, and climate change monitoring, among others.
To carry out its functions, the Operational Oceanography Service is deploying a network of seven high-frequency radars along the Catalan coast, which will be completed with the activation of the last two radars by the end of 2024. This radar network, owned by the Generalitat of Catalonia, provides real-time information on the direction and intensity of surface ocean currents within the coastal strip extending up to 40 nautical miles (approximately 74 km) from the Catalan coast. This information is complemented by the regular deployment of drifting buoys, fixed buoys, and other types of oceanographic instruments, which, once fully operational, will provide measurements of bottom and surface currents, surface temperature and salinity, wave action, and various atmospheric variables.
The data collected through ICATMAR’s observation network is combined with data from other agencies such as the Meteorological Service of Catalonia, EUMETSAT, and Copernicus, and integrated into oceanographic models developed by the Operational Oceanography Service. Soon, these models will offer high-resolution space-time forecasts on the state of the sea in Catalonia. This service will be a powerful tool made available by ICATMAR to the public, free of charge and easily accessible, so the maritime community of Catalonia can benefit from it for various applications. In fact, it is already possible to explore marine current data by accessing the oceanographical observations data viewer on our website.
Oceanographical observations data viewer on the ICATMAR website.
Finally, it is worth noting that our social networks (X and LinkedIn) regularly publish updated information on average surface temperature and marine heatwaves in the northwestern Mediterranean, as well as daily forecasts of water temperature along the Catalan coast. In addition, the ICATMAR website provides quick and easy access to these and other services offered by the Operational Oceanography Service:
You can now consult and download the latest reports on the state of fisheries in Catalonia in 2023 in the Publications section of the ICATMAR website.
In State of Fisheries in Catalonia 2023, Part 1: Report on the Monitoring of the Commercial Fishing Fleet, the sampling methodology for different fishing modalities used by ICATMAR for monitoring fishery resources along the Catalan coast is presented. Regarding the sampling of trawling, this edition explains the shift in approach adopted to align with the European Common Fisheries Policy. This change consists of replacing the depth stratum, previously used as a spatial sampling unit, with métier, defined as a set of fishing operations targeting a similar group of species using similar fishing gear during the same period and/or in the same area.
ICATMAR sampler measuring species on board a bottom trawling vessel.
Following this, the different sections present the monitoring results, which include the composition of the landed catches, discarded and accompanying species, and marine litter for each fishing modality. Additionally, for each modality, results are provided based on the data collected for the target species of bottom trawling (hake, red mullet, Norway lobster, blue and red shrimp, deep-water rose shrimp, spottail mantis squillid, and caramote prawn), purse seine fishing (European sardine and anchovy), and small-scale fisheries included in co-management plans (sandeels and transparent goby, common octopus, and blue crab). For each species, maps of catch distribution, biological parameters, size at first maturity, reproductive cycle, and size frequency distribution (for métiers in the case of bottom trawling) are shown.
On the other hand, State of Fisheries in Catalonia, Part 2: Stock Assessment presents the results of the stock assessments carried out by ICATMAR. Stock assessment aims to determine, through mathematical models, whether the exploitation of marine species populations is within sustainability limits. In this year’s report, assessments were conducted using two types of methodologies. On one hand, the LBSPR model (Length-Based Spawning Potential Ratio), which, considering size frequency and species biology, allows for the estimation of the reproductive capacity of populations. On the other hand, the SPiCT model (Stochastic Surplus Production Model in Continuous Time) allows for the estimation of fishing mortality and population status based on historical data on catches and biomass.
Results of stock assessment using the SPiCT model for demersal species included in the WMMAP: red mullet, hake, deep-water rose shrimp, Norway lobster, and blue and red shrimp.
Both models were used to assess the stocks of the main demersal species included in the WMMAP (West Mediterranean Multiannual Plan) of the European Union, namely hake, red mullet, Norway lobster, blue and red shrimp and deep-water rose shrimp, as well as the main small pelagic species, European sardine and anchovy. Since they are based on different assumptions and data, the two models employed, LBSPR and SPiCT, sometimes offer different perspectives on the status of the populations. Therefore, it is important that the information they provide is carefully analyzed when proposing management recommendations.
Looking to the future, ICATMAR will continue its program of monitoring fishery resources along the Catalan coast to gather long-term data, enabling the application of more complex models, such as SS3 (Stock Synthesis 3). These types of models allow for the integration of diverse information simultaneously, such as historical catch data, changes in fishing gear selectivity, or differences in population dynamics between sexes. For this reason, they provide results that are more aligned with reality and can become a powerful tool for developing management recommendations based on scientific evidence aimed at ensuring the sustainability of fisheries.
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