Trends In Biomass And Changes In Spatial Distribution Of Demersal Fish Species In Kattegatt And Skagerrak Between 1981-2003 ...

• Main Authors: Casini, Michele, Vitale, Francesca, Cardinale, Massimiliano
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: ASC 2003 - Q - Theme session 2024
• Subjects: Fisheries and aquaculture; Pressures, impacts, conservation, and management; North Atlantic
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.17895/ices.pub.25348840.v1; https://ices-library.figshare.com/articles/conference_contribution/Trends_In_Biomass_And_Changes_In_Spatial_Distribution_Of_Demersal_Fish_Species_In_Kattegatt_And_Skagerrak_Between_1981-2003/25348840/1

No abstracts are to be cited without prior reference to the author.Overfishing and slow recovery of depleted fish stocks are currently a major global concern as they jeopardize the biological diversity of many marine ecosystems in major fishing areas. Accordingly, we analysed trends in biomass and changes in spatial distribution of 33 demersal fish species in a heavily exploited area, the Kattegatt and Skagerrak, between 1981 and 2003 using IBTS (International Bottom Trawl Survey) data. As in other exploited areas of the North Atlantic, the biomass, calculated as Catch Per Unit of Effort (CPUE), of round fishes (cod, pollack, hake and common ling) decreased drastically during this period possibly due to fishing pressure. However, other commercially important fish species (e.g. flat fishes) showed in this area a constant or increasing trend during the same period. Non-commercial species showed no or an increased trend in biomass (as much as 40 times in hagfish). Furthermore, a preliminary analysis of the ...