Analysis of the handline fishery targeting mackerel (Scomber scombrus, L.) in the North of Spain (ICES Division VIIIbc)

• Published in: Fisheries Research
• Main Authors: Punzón, A. (Antonio), Villamor, B. (Begoña), Preciado, I. (Izaskun)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Centro Oceanográfico de Santander 2004
• Subjects: North Atlantic; Northeast Atlantic
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10508/7257; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2004.05.002

This paper analyses and describes the handline fishery aimed exclusively at mackerel (Scomber scombrus) in ICES Divisions VIIIc and VIIIb (Spanish waters). This fishery takes place during the mackerel spawning migration in spring from the Northeast Atlantic to the southern spawning grounds. Specimens exploited are mainly those aged over 2 years. No differences were found between the southern area of Divisions VIIIb and VIIIc in the pattern of exploitation. For the temporal treatment of the catch series, ARIMA univariate models were applied to monthly time series, and the result was a random walk. The fleet was classified by means of a non-hierarchical cluster (partition around medoids) into three types as a function of size. Catch per unit effort (CPUE) was standardised using the GLM model using data from one of the most representative ports where the handline fleet lands catches (Santoña). The year, fortnight, gross tonnage and year*fortnight were the main explanatory variables and about 45% of the overall deviance was explained. 2