Working group on the biology and assessment of deep-sea fisheries resources (WGDEEP)

• Main Author: ICES
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: ICES 2022
• Subjects: Northeast Atlantic
• Online Access: https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00810/92227/98230.pdf; https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.pub.20037233; https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00810/92227/

The ICES working group on biology and assessment of deep-sea fisheries resources (WGDEEP) provides scientific advice on 30 assessment units including stocks of deep-water species and those on shelf areas and in deep waters. Advice is provided in time intervals of 1 to 5 years for different stocks, with 1- and 2-years intervals as the most common. First draft of advice was prepared for 17 stocks this year. Available time-series for international landings and discards, fishing effort, survey indices and biological information were updated for all stocks and are presented in Sections 3–15 of the report. In 2022 Atlantic Wolffish in ICES area 5a was included in WGDEEP as a new stock for the group. Main conclusions regarding each stock with advice in 2022 were: The advice on alfonsinos in 1-10, 12 and 14 refers to two species, Beryx splendens and Beryx decadactylus, that are often not differentiated in the reported landings. In recent years, landings of the two species have been stable. Atlantic Wolffish in 5a. As part of a harvest control rule evaluation in 2022, the basis of advice was set as a statistical catch at age model category 1 assessment. Advice was drafted for this stock for the first time at the meeting. Black scabbardfish in the Northeast Atlantic showed a slight reduction in abundance in the last three years. Fishing effort, and catches, on this species have been decreasing probably associated with the ban of trawling in deeper areas. Blackspot seabream in Subareas 6, 7 and 8 abundances strongly declined in the mid-1970’s and it is considered to be seriously depleted. Landings are mainly by-catches and surveys show persistent low occurrence of the species. Catch advice has been zero since 2017. Blackspot seabream in Subarea 9 has been assessed based on biomass index from a targeted fishery in the Strait of Gibraltar, mostly operating out of Subarea 9. Preliminary genomic studies presented to the meeting suggest genetic differentiation between the Strait of Gibraltar and locations further north in ...