Northwest Atlantic (NAFO Regulatory Area)

Fish morphology, age and physiology; Fish abundance in water bodies; Fish taxonomy-related counts; Fishery characterisation; Fishing by-catch; Fish and shellfish catch statistics

Pelagic trawl nets; cameras; manual biota samplers; optical microscopes

Due to the present FAR project no. MA.1.240, Portugal has greatly expanded its sampling at sea since 1989. During 1991 the Portuguese Sampling Programme had covered the stern and side trawl fishing in Div. 3L, 3M, 3N and 3O and the gillnet fishing in Div. 3M, 3N and 3O, through the sampling of 4 trawl and 3 gillnet trips. Most of the vessels have been sampling since 1989. All catch and effort data are made available through direct consultation with the captain's logbook records on board ship. According to the NAFO Sampling Programme, length sampling is conducted for cod, redfish, American plaice, yellowtail flounder, witch flounder and Greenland halibut. Age sampling is conducted for cod, American plaice and yellowtail flounder. Altogether, in 1991, a total of 123,157 fish were measured and 11,736 otoliths collected for age determination, corresponding to a total sampling weight of 220,157 Kg. The sampling of the redfish catches is carried out by species although almost all the catches in Div. 3L and 3M are dominated by Sedbastes mentella. For the redfish fishery in Div. 3M, catch at age is derived from the S. mentella age/length key of the annual EC bottom trawl survey. The final results are presented on a gear/division/month basis and include independent estimates of the total Portuguese effort in NAFO standard units, length and age composition of the catches, catches per unit effort in weight and in number at age, mean weights at age and by-catch rates. This information has been used regularly in the NAFO Scientific Council's assessments.

National Institute of Fisheries Research Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e das Pescas Former IPIMAR
Av. De Brasilia
Lisboa

1449-006
Portugal