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| Marine Resource Fact Sheet |
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| Anchovy - Gulf of Lions, 2007 |
 | Engraulis encrasicolus - Gulf of Lions |
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| Main Descriptors | Considered a single stock: Yes
Spatial Scale: Sub-Regional
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| Considered a single stock: A group of individuals in a species occupying a well defined spatial range independent of other stocks of the same species. It can be affected by random dispersal movements and directed migrations due to seasonal or reproductive activity. |
| Spatial Scale: Spatial scale contains a standard term such as Global, Regional (e.g. for the whole Atlantic), sub-regional (e.g. for a part of the Atlantic), national, local (for sub-national levels). |
| Considered a management unit: An aquatic resource or fishery is
declared as [Fishery] Management Unit if it is
effectively the focus for the application of selected
management methods and measures, within the broader
framework of a management system. According to the FAO
Glossary for Responsible Fishing, "a Fishery Management
Unit (FMU) is a fishery or a portion of a fishery
identified in a Fishery Management Plan (FMP) relevant
to the FMP's management objectives." FMU's may be
organised around fisheries biological, geographic,
economic, technical, social or ecological dimensions ,
and the makeup and attribute of a fishery management
unit depends mainly on the FMP's management
objectives. |
| Jurisdictional distribution: Jurisdictional qualifier (e.g.
"shared", "shared - highly migratory") of the aquatic
resource related with its spatial distribution. |
| Environmental group: Classification of the aquatic
resource according to the environmental group (e.g.
pelagic invertebrate, or demersal fish) to which the
species belong. |
| | | | | | Habitat and Biology Climatic zone: Temperate. Bottom type: Unspecified. Depth zone: Unspecified. Horizontal distribution: Neritic. Vertical distribution: Pelagic. Geographical Distribution Jurisdictional distribution: Straddling between High Seas and EEZ Water Area Overview Spatial Scale: Sub-Regional Geo References  | | Distribution of Anchovy - Gulf of Lions
| GFCM geographical sub-areas | 7: Gulf of Lions |
| | | | | | Other georeferences
| FAO Fishing Statistical Division Areas | 37.1.1: Balearic |
| | | | | | Intersecting Major FAO areas and LME areas |
The following area codes have been found as intersecting the distribution of Anchovy - Gulf of Lions Resource Structure Considered a single stock: Yes Exploitation In the gulf of Lion, pelagic fisheries are targeted on sardine and anchovy. Fishing effort depends on market fluctuations. A mean of 50 trawler boats in the last years are targeting these pelagic species. There is also 14 purse seiners in the south of gulf of Lion that catch also these species. Some purse seine boats from Spain come in the area to fish mainly sardine. Information on Operaional Units exploiting this resource will be soon available at the following link: GSA 07 Anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus)Assessment Assessment Model Type: Others Acoustic survey Methodology The stocks of the main species of small pelagics in the gulf of the Lion are evaluated annually. The objective is to provide some advices to administrations and the profession on the state of resources in view of a durable exploitation. The pelagic species studied are anchovy and sardine in priority but also mackerels, horse mackerels, sardinella and sprat when present. The different species don't have the same biology and behaviour (life span, reproduction period, habitat,…). Also, the catches data and specific fishing effort collected by producer organisations are not sufficiently precise to permit an indirect approach of the stock assessments.
The solution chosen in the gulf of Lion is to use direct assessment method of stocks by echo - integration while completing them with indicators of the fishing activity. At this end, PELMED surveys are performed at daytime in July. Transects are prospected, perpendicular to the coast at a speed of 8 knots, from 15-20m depth until the offshore break. Pelagic and bottom trawling operations are performed to identify species met along transects. Population structures are identified by size and age. The acoustic assessment results are completed by an analysis of catches and fishing effort to improve the fisheries diagnoses.
Overall Assessment Results The global species biomass estimated during Pelmed surveys showed strong fluctuations according to years. In 2005, the level of accessible biomass of small pelagic fishes (all species) was around 472000 tons, highest level of 1993–2007 period. Mainly, the presence of a rich inshore zone of small sardines and an offshore zone of anchovy and biggest sardines was observed. But for some years this spatial distribution did not occurs.
After a downward trend from 2001 peak until 2005 (18000 MT), anchovy biomass increased again in 2006 to 26000 MT and drop down again to 18500 MT in 2007.
First results of PELMED08 survey, extended to the whole area of anchovy stock in NW Mediterranean, show that anchovy is mainly present in the south of Ebro delta, on the south of Rosas bay, more abundant in the south of the gulf of Lion and offshore of Rhône delta
The size structure from PELMED survey shows a lack in big fish in 2004, no fish from age 1 in 2005. In 2006, appears again some 1 years old fishes and situation in 2007 return to 2005 state
Scientific Advice For management considerationsAs biomass estimation for 2006 - 2007 remain lower than 2005 one, SCSA recommend to not increase fishing effort, even if it appears that there was a strong recruitment in 2008. For scientific researchAs GSA07 is closed to GSA06, a survey has been done in 2008 from the south of Ebro to the Gulf of Lion with the aim of assessing anchovy spawning stock in June-July. A second survey could be done for estimate recruitment in November-January in the same area. A strong cooperation between Spain and France to plan these survey would be encouraged. In the same way and with the aim of assess shared stocks, re-enforce the cooperation beetween Spain and France to actualise biological data as well as catches and effort one's for the boats of the two nations catching this species in the Gulf of Lion Management Management Advice Scientific advices for management consideration formulated by SCSA have been adopted by SAC. Advices and comments by SAC- The current biomass is equal to the lowest value of the historical series 2001-2006
- Preliminary results of the July 2008 acoustic survey indicate a possibly high recruitment for 2007
- Small pelagic fishery in GSA07 is multispecies and effort on anchovy and sardine should be considered together
Biological State and Trend Exploitation state: OverexploitedExploitation rate: Moderate fishing mortality
Abundance level: Low abundance The fishery is operating at or close to an optimal yield level, with no expected room for further expansion. Source of information “Stock assessment of Anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) in the Geographical Sub-Area 07 (Gulf of Lions). Stock Assessment Form” . B. Liorzou, J.-L. Bigot, D. Roos FAO-GFCM September 2008 2008 FAO  . “Report of the eleventh session of the SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE” FAO-GFCM Marrakech, Morocco, 1−5 December 2008 2008 FAO  . |
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