Assessing changes in size at maturity for the European hake (Merluccius merluccius) in Atlantic Iberian waters

• Published in: Scientia Marina
• Main Authors: Lojo, Davinia, Cousido-Rocha, Marta, Cerviño, Santiago, Dominguez-Petit, Rosario, Sainza, María, Pennino, Maria Grazia
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas 2022
• Subjects: North Atlantic Oscillation; life history; reproductive traits; relative condition factor; southern European stock; Oscilación del Atlántico Norte; historia de vida; rasgos reproductivos; factor de condición relativa; población del sur de Europa; Hake; North Atlantic; North Atlantic oscillation
• Online Access: https://scientiamarina.revistas.csic.es/index.php/scientiamarina/article/view/1935; https://doi.org/10.3989/scimar.05287.046

European hake (Merluccius merluccius) is a commercially important resource in Iberian Atlantic waters. Despite the recovery plan implemented in 2006 and the multiannual management plan for western waters, fishing mortality is still higher than that corresponding to the maximum sustainable yield for the southern European hake stock. The biological processes underlying the dynamics of this stock and its life history traits are essential for assessing population productivity and resilience, making them basic information for management. We analysed the temporal variability of size at maturity (L50) of this species and the main factors influencing it in Atlantic Iberian waters from 1982 to 2019. The annual variability of L50 for each sex was modelled with generalized additive models, considering explanatory environmental variables (Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, North Atlantic Oscillation and sea surface temperature) and biological variables (biomass, spawning biomass at length and relative condition factor). The results showed that the L50 of males decreased by a total of 12.9 cm and L50 of females decreased by a total of 10.9 cm from 1982 to 2019. For females the significant explanatory variables were year, spawning biomass at length, biomass and the North Atlantic Oscillation, while for males only year was an explanatory variable. These results are important for understanding the status of the European hake population, signalling that L50 is a good indicator for predicting future population dynamics. La merluza europea (Merluccius merluccius) es un recurso comercialmente importante en aguas Atlánticas Ibéricas. A pesar del plan de recuperación puesto en marcha en 2006 y del plan de gestión plurianual de las aguas occidentales, la mortalidad por pesca sigue siendo superior a la correspondiente al rendimiento máximo sostenible de la población de merluza del sur de Europa. Comprender los procesos biológicos que subyacen a la dinámica de este stock y proporcionar información sobre los rasgos de la historia de ...