Aran, Galway Bay and Slyne Head Nephrops Grounds (FU17) 2015 UWTV Survey Report and catch options for 2016

Abstract

This report provides the main results and findings of the fourteenth annual underwater television 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, fishing, CTD and other ecosystem data. In 2015 a total of 44 UWTV stations were successfully completed, 34 on the Aran Grounds and 5 on each of the Slyne Head and Galway Bay patches. The mean burrow density observed in 2015, adjusted for edge effect, was medium at 0.38 burrows/m². The final krigged burrow abundance estimate for the Aran Grounds was 480 million burrows with a CV (or relative standard error) of 6 %. The final abundance estimate for Galway Bay and Slyne Head was 56 and 20 million burrows with CVs of 15% and 4% respectively. The total abundance estimates have fluctuated considerably over the time series. The 2015 abundance estimate was 42% higher than in 2014 and at 556 million and is just above to the new MSY Btrigger (540 million). Using the 2015 abundance estimate and updated stock data implies catch of 991 tonnes and landings of 915 tonnes in 2016 fishing at Fmsy (assuming all catch is landed). Virgilaria mirabilis was the most common of the two sea-pen species observed on the UWTV footage. Pennatula phosphorea was observed at one station on the Slyne Head Nephrops ground. Key words: Nephrops norvegicus, stock assessment, geostatistics, underwater television (UWTV), benthos, CTD. Suggested citation: