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Aran, Galway Bay and Slyne Head Nephrops Grounds (FU17) 2025 UWTV Survey Report and catch scenarios for 2026
Doyle, Jennifer Rapp, Tobias Molloy, Ronan Opanowski, Artur Coupeau, Yann Dower, Ciara Dowdall, David Joyce, Haleigh
Doyle, Jennifer
Rapp, Tobias
Molloy, Ronan
Opanowski, Artur
Coupeau, Yann
Dower, Ciara
Dowdall, David
Joyce, Haleigh
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Date
2025
Publisher
Marine Institute
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Abstract
This report provides the main results and findings of the 23rd annual underwater television
survey on the Aran, Galway Bay and Slyne Head Nephrops grounds, ICES assessment area;
Functional Unit 17. The survey was multi-disciplinary in nature collecting UWTV, CTD and
other ecosystem data. In 2025 a total of 43 UWTV stations were successfully completed, 33
on the Aran Grounds, 5 on Galway Bay and 5 on Slyne Head patches. The mean burrow density
observed in 2025, adjusted for edge effect, was medium at 0.23 burrows/m². The final kriged
burrow abundance estimate for the Aran Grounds was 278 million burrows with a CV
(Coefficient of Variance; relative standard error) of 3%. The final abundance estimate for
Galway Bay was 13 million and for Slyne Head was 8 million, with CVs of 2% and 3%
respectively. The total abundance estimates have fluctuated considerably over the time
series. The 2025 combined abundance estimate (299 million burrows) is 34% lower than in
2024, and it is below MSY Btrigger (540 million burrows). Using the 2025 estimate of abundance
and updated stock data implies that catches in 2026 should be between 251 and 288 tonnes,
according to the EU MAP and ICES MSY approach and assuming that discard rates and fishery
selection patterns do not change from the average of 2022–2024. Virgularia mirabilis was the
only sea-pen species observed on the UWTV footage. Trawl marks were not recorded at any
of the Aran stations surveyed.
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Doyle, J., Rapp, T., Molloy, R., Opanowski, A., Coupeau, Y., Dower, C., Dowdall, D., and Joyce, H. (2025). Aran, Galway Bay and Slyne Head Nephrops Grounds (FU17) 2025 UWTV Survey Report and catch scenarios for 2026. Marine Institute UWTV Survey report.