New project on discard survival in small-scale fisheries
- SO1. Evaluate the survival rate of target species of the artisanal fleet subject to quota and therefore affected by European regulations, and of species not subject to quota; but with legal minimum size and / or temporary closures, which forces the discard.
- OE2. Identify the factors related to the fishing and handling process with an impact on the recovery and survival of the discard.
- SO3. Propose technical improvements in on-board operations (good practices) that can increase the survival of discards in artisanal fisheries.
- SO4. Dissemination of the effect of discards on coastal resources and measures to mitigate their impact on the ecosystem.
The European Union has adopted a zero discard policy that implies the obligatory discharge of the total captured of certain species, except when a high survival rate of the discard has been demonstrated. Implementing these regulations successfully requires knowing what happens with the discard. Acoustic telemetry monitoring of discarded specimens is a useful tool that provides detailed information, in the natural environment, to understand changes in behavior and infer mortalities after discarding. Artisanal fisheries are considered low-impact fisheries with lower discard levels than the industrial fleet; but they are not exempt from compliance with these regulations. The current TAC project (Pleamar 2018) makes available an acoustic monitoring network and a method of estimating mortality using telemetry ideal for assessing the survival of discards from the Galician artisanal fleet in the environment of a protected marine area.
Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IIM-CSIC)
