Catch Per Unit Effort by the Joint Venture (Irish-Spanish) Fleet from 1985 to 1992

Abstract

The formation in 1979 of the joint venture (Irish-Spanish) fishing fleet, Eiranova, introduced to the industry in Ireland a range of target species and fishing grounds on which the Irish demersal fishery has subsequently expanded. From the second quarter of 1985 the European Communities' Logbook has provided a format on which landings and details of fishing effort have been recorded. This leaflet reviews the catches of various species per effort expended by joint venture demersal trawl and long-lining vessels for the eight years documented by the Logsheets. The high value components of the trawl fishery are the prime fish (hake, monkfish and megrim) which are exported fresh to Spain. Hake is the principal target of long-liners. The fishery is concentrated in ICES statistical Divisions VIIb and VIIj. Since 1985, the CPUE of all species has declined by 39% and the trend in prime fish landings runs in parallel with this, mainly because of the reduction in hake landings. CPUE indices for all other species which are consistently recorded are given. Some comparisons are made among CPUE indices in Divisions VIlb, j and adjoining areas. However, these indices depend much on the exploited size range of a target species and the area in which fishing effort is concentrated and the bulk of the data are presented without further comment. A brief glossary of Spanish terminology is appended.