Northern Shrimp (Pandalus borealis) on Flemish Cap Surveys 2013

• Main Author: Casas-Sánchez, J.M. (José Miguel)
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) 2013
• Subjects: Lofoten; North Atlantic; northern shrimp; Northwest Atlantic; Pandalus borealis
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10508/1712

A stratified random bottom trawl survey on Flemish Cap was carried out from June 26th to July 23th 2013. The area surveyed was extended up to depths of 800 fathoms (1450 meters) following the same procedures as in previous years. This year a total of 181 valid hauls were made by the vessel R/V Vizconde de Eza with the usual survey gear (Lofoten), 120 up to 730 meters depth. The surveyed area has properly prospected the 32 strata planned. The general indexes for shrimp were estimated taken into account the traditional swept area (strata 1-19, up to depths of 730 m.) and the total area surveyed (strata 1-34, up to depths of 1450 m.). As the last years the strata 26 and 27sited in the southeast of the bank with depths from 600 to 800 fathoms (1100-1400 m.) will not be surveyed due to the presence in the bottoms of great quantities of mud and sponges. The results concerning shrimp are presented and compared to those from previous years of the same series. The biomass and abundance in 2013 decreased since 2012 (20 % and 21% respectively), and again they were the lowest values recorded in the EU survey series. The youngest specimens (age 1) were present in the catch but at very low level, and they were weakly presents in the small mesh size bag attached to the cod-end of the main gear, suggesting the absence of any strong year classes since 2003. Unlike other years, the decline of shrimp biomass in Flemish Cap in 2013 was not associated with the increase of the cod stock biomass.