Resources

RV Belgica 2017-26

Cruise plan

Cruise Info. 
Ship name (ship code)RV Belgica (11BE)
Cruise identifier2017-26
Cruise period2017-08-28 — 2017-09-08
StatusCompleted
Port of departureZeebrugge, Belgium
Port of returnZeebrugge, Belgium
PurposeResearch
ObjectivesSurvey of the adult flatfish stocks in the southern North Sea as part of the North Sea Beam Trawl Survey. Since 1985, the ILVO‐Fisheries Research Group on Fisheries Biology performs fishery‐independent surveys of the adult flatfish stocks (primarily plaice and sole) in the southern North Sea. Each year, 62 stations are sampled. All invertebrates and fish are sorted by species, and then counted. The commercial species and non‐commercial fish are also measured for length. For plaice, sole, turbot, brill and cod, otoliths are taken for age determination (for each species 3 otoliths per cm size class in 14 separate geographical units). Since 2012 marine litter is also documented. On an annual basis, the data are exchanged at the Working Group on Beam Trawl Surveys (WGBEAM), a group which is coordinated by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), and they are uploaded in the ICES‐database DATRAS (http://datras.ices.dk) from 2012 onwards. The survey is a compulsory part of the Belgian National Data Gathering Program, in fulfilment of the requirements of EC Regulation no. 199/2008.
Chief scientistEls Torreele (Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research, Ostend), Loes Vandecasteele (Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research, Ostend)
Coordinating bodyInternational Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)
NPRCRV Belgica 2017-26 NPRC belgica_2017-26.pdf (0.26 MB) 
Ocean/sea areas 
GeneralNorth Sea
SpecificBelgian, French and UK Continental Shelves.