Estimation of by catch in the commercial fishery for Greenland halibut at West Greenland based on survey data

• Main Author: Jørgensen, Ole A.
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: Greenland; Greenland Institute of Natural Resources
• Online Access: https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/78caf13a-012a-4f1d-9f40-a52a64f1f2f0; https://backend.orbit.dtu.dk/ws/files/127344980/Publishers_version.pdf

The by catch in the commercial fishery for Greenland halibut in NAFO Div. 1CD was estimated based on information from ground fish surveys conducted by Greenland Institute of Natural Resources in the same area as the commercial fishery. The survey is conducted with a trawl with 30 mm in the cod end while the minimum mesh size in the cod end in the commercial trawls is 140 mm and the survey catches are converted to potential commercial by catches. The conversion is based on a number of assumptions and the results should be considered as indicative. The total by-catch in weight is estimated to be 13% of the total catch of Greenland halibut. Macrourus berglax is the most abundant by catch species and constituted 3.2% of the weight of Greenland halibut followed by Antiomora rostrata (2.7%), Alepocephalus agassizzi (2.0%) and Hydrolagus affinis (1.2%). None of the remaining species constituted more than 1% of the weight of the Greenland halibut catches. The impact of the fishery for Greenland halibut in Div. 1CD on the stocks of the bycatch species seems, however, to be limited. The by-catch in Div. 0B is at the same level as in Div. 1CD.