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 2021
• Subjects: Iceland
• Online Access: https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00810/92228/98231.pdf; https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.pub.8108; https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00810/92228/

The ICES working group on biology and assessment of deep-sea fisheries resources (WGDEEP) provides scientific advice on 29 assessment units including stocks of deep-water species and those on shelf areas and in deep waters. Advice is provided every other year for each stock, except for stocks from ICES Division 5.a (Iceland) with annual advice. First draft of advice was prepared for 13 stocks. Due to the Covid 19 disruption, the meeting was conducted entirely by web-based correspondence. 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 4–15 of the report. Due to covid19 complications in 2020 there was no survey in Azores ICES division 10a which affected the assessment of blackspot seabream. Also, there was not a full spatial coverage in the Norwegian slope survey and this to some extend affected the assessment of greater silver smelt in ICES areas 1, 2, 3a and 4. Atlantic Wolffish was introduced as a potential species to be included in WGDEEP. A benchmark is being requested for 2022. The main fishing grounds for Atlantic wolffish are in the west and northwest part of the Icelandic shelf. The catches are mainly taken in waters 0-180 m. Since 2001 the Gadget model has been used for analytical assessment of Atlantic wolffish in Icelandic waters. Main conclusions regarding each stock with advice 2021 were: Greater silver smelt in 1, 2, 3a and 4 was benchmarked in 2020. New precautionary approach was applied for the trend-based advise. While direct fisheries in 2 have decreased in later years the bycatch in are 4 has increased substantially. Greater silver smelt in 5a and 14 was benchmarked in 2020. The assessment framework has been upgraded from category 3 to category 1. The spawning stock biomass has slightly decreased from last year´s historical high level. Recruitment shows an increasing trend since 2006. Greater silver smelt in 5b and 6a was benchmarked in 2020. The assessment ...