ICES PGNAPES REPORT 2007 ICES RESOURCE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE ICES CM 2007/RMC:07 Ref. LRC, ACFM, ACE REPORT OF THE PLANNING GROUP ON NORTHEAST ATLANTIC PELAGIC ECOSYSTEM SURVEYS (PGNAPES) 14-17 AUGUST 2007 IJMUIDEN, THE NETHERLANDS International Council for the Exploration of the Sea Conseil International pour l’Exploration de la Mer H. C. Andersens Boulevard 44–46 DK-1553 Copenhagen V Denmark Telephone (+45) 33 38 67 00 Telefax (+45) 33 93 42 15 www.ices.dk [email protected] Recommended format for purposes of citation: ICES. 2007. Report of the Planning Group on Northeast Atlantic Pelagic Ecosystem Surveys (PGNAPES), 14-17 August 2007, IJmuiden, the Netherlands. ICES CM 2007/RMC:07. 9 8 pp. For permission to reproduce material from this publication, please apply to the General Secretary. The document is a report of an Expert Group under the auspices of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea and does not necessarily represent the views of the Council. © 2007 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea ICES PGNAPES Report 2007 | i Contents Contents ............................................................................................................................. i Executive Summary ......................................................................................................... 1 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 2 1.1 Terms of Reference 2007................................................................................. 2 1.2 List of participants........................................................................................... 2 1.3 Background and general introduction.............................................................. 3 1.4 Recommendation............................................................................................. 4 1.4.1 Practical achievements........................................................................ 4 2 Material and methods ............................................................................................. 6 2.1 Hydrography.................................................................................................... 6 2.2 Plankton........................................................................................................... 6 2.3 Fish sampling................................................................................................... 7 2.4 Acoustics and biomass estimation ................................................................... 7 3 Survey results........................................................................................................... 8 3.1 International blue whiting spawning stock survey........................................... 8 3.1.1 Hydrography....................................................................................... 8 3.1.2 Blue whiting ....................................................................................... 8 3.1.3 Deal fish.............................................................................................. 8 3.2 International ecosystem survey in the Nordic Seas ......................................... 9 3.2.1 Hydrography....................................................................................... 9 3.2.2 Zooplankton........................................................................................ 9 3.2.3 Norwegian spring spawning herring................................................. 10 3.2.4 Blue whiting ..................................................................................... 10 3.3 National surveys ............................................................................................ 11 3.3.1 Russian survey in June in the Norwegian Sea .................................. 11 3.3.2 Norwegian survey in July–August in the Norwegian Sea ................ 11 4 Discussion ............................................................................................................... 13 4.1 Hydrography.................................................................................................. 13 4.2 Plankton......................................................................................................... 13 4.3 Norwegian spring spawning herring.............................................................. 13 4.4 Blue whiting .................................................................................................. 14 5 Planning.................................................................................................................. 15 5.1 Planned acoustic survey of the NE Atlantic blue whiting spawning grounds in 2008 ............................................................................................. 15 5.2 Planned acoustic survey of pelagic fish and the environment in the Norwegian Sea and in the Barents Sea, spring/summer 2008 ....................... 15 6 Survey protocol and standardisation ................................................................... 17 6.1 Biological sampling procedure...................................................................... 17 6.2 Plankton sampling ......................................................................................... 18 6.3 Trawling ........................................................................................................ 18 6.4 PGNAPES exchange format.......................................................................... 18 7 PGNAPES database .............................................................................................. 18 ii | ICES PGNAPES Report 2007 8 Recommendations.................................................................................................. 19 9 References .............................................................................................................. 20 Annex 1: List of participants ....................................................................................... 37 Annex 2: International blue whiting spawning survey report.................................. 39 Annex 3: International survey in the Nordic Seas report ......................................... 70 Annex 4: PGNAPES ToRs for 2008 ............................................................................ 93 ICES PGNAPES Report 2007 | 1 Executive Summary This present report was prepared by the Planning Group on Northeast Atlantic Pelagic Ecosystem Surveys (PGNAPES) in Ijmuiden, the Netherlands 14–17 August 2007 and contains the results of the acoustic, hydrographic, plankton and fish sampling from two international ICES coordinated survey in 2007. The International blue whiting spawning stock survey on the spawning grounds west of the British Isles in March-April 2007 with participation of Norway, Faroes, Russia and the Netherlands along with Ireland (EU coordinated), and International ecosystem survey in the Nordic Seas with main focus on Norwegian spring-spawning herring and blue whiting in the Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea in May-June 2007 with participation of Denmark (EU coordinated), Faroes, Iceland; Russia and Norway. In addition the scientific study of mackerel, herring and blue whiting was performed in the Norwegian Sea in the July-August with the chartered commercial vessels M/V “Libas” and M/V “Eros” and a Russian survey with RV “Smolensk” in June 2007. The survey results include the distribution and the biomass estimate of spawning blue whiting in March-April west of the British Isles, and the distribution, migration and stock estimates of Norwegian spring-spawning herring and blue whiting, and the environment (oceanographic conditions and biomass of zooplankton) of the Norwegian Sea, Barents Sea and adjacent waters in spring and summer of 2007. The abundance estimates are used in the fish stock assessment of Norwegian spring spawning herring and blue whiting in ICES Northern Pelagic and Blue Whiting Fisheries Working Group (WGNPBW). The collection of environmental data further improves the basis for ecosystem modelling of the Northeast Atlantic. Unfortunately, no hydrographical or plankton expertise participated in the PGNAPES meeting this year. Broad plans for the ICES coordinated surveys for 2008 are also outlined with descriptions of the relevant protocols, preliminary participants and suggested survey designs. 2 | ICES PGNAPES Report 2007 1 Introduction 1.1 Terms of Reference 2007 The Planning Group on Northeast Atlantic Pelagic Ecosystem Surveys [PGNAPES] (Chair: A. I. Krysov, Russian Federation) will meet in Ijmuiden, the Netherlands, from 14–17 August 2007 to: ITEM TOR 2007 SECTION a) Critically evaluate the surveys carried out in 2007 in respect of their utility 3, 4 and 5 as indicators of trends in the stocks, both in terms of stock migrations and accuracy of stock estimates in relation to the stock – environment interactions b) review the 2007 survey data and provide the following data for the 3,4 Northern Pelagic and Blue Whiting Working Group: i) stock indices of blue whiting and Norwegian spring-spawning herring 3.1.2, 3.2.3-4 and 3.3.2.2-4 ii) zooplankton biomass for making short-term projection of herring growth 3.2.2 iii) hydrographic and zooplankton conditions for ecological considerations 3.2.1-2 vi) aerial distribution of such pelagic species as mackerel c) describe the migration pattern of the Norwegian spring-spawning herring 4.3-4 and blue whiting stocks in 2005 on the basis of biological and environmental data d) plan and coordinate