| Summary: | The Spanish fleet has, at least, four different fisheries in NAFO Regulatory Area (NRA) Subarea 3. The Spanish fleet effort in depths more than 700 m. with 130 mm mesh size is mainly directed to Greenland halibut (mostly in Div. 3LM) , the effort with 280 mm mesh size in depth less than 200 meters is directed to skates (Div. 3NO), the effort with 40 mm mesh size in depth between 200-700 meters is directed to shrimp fishery (Div. 3LM) and the effort in depths between 200-700 meters with 130 mm mesh size is mainly directed to redfish (Div. 3O and 3M). Surveys analyzed in this document cover quiet good all area where the Spanish fleet carries out their fisheries. The level and the spatial covertures of the samples taken by scientific observers are quite good for all fisheries in the studied period, except in 2008 where there are not samples in the shrimp fishery. The spatial and the level coverage of Scientific Observers information are reasonably good and we can considerer this information representative of the Spanish fisheries in NRA Subarea 3. Based on Spanish commercial catch rates collected by the scientific observers, we update with the 2007 and 2008 data the linear regression model applied by Fernandez et al. in 2007 to standardize the Greenland halibut CPUE indices. Results show that the Greenland halibut CPUE has fluctuated through time, with no clear trend till 2004. Since then a clear increasing trend can be observed, reaching a level of double, compare with 1992 level, in the last two years (2007-2008).
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