Stock Assessment Form version 0.9 (Adapted to the data of Ukraine, which does not use GFCM standards) Stock Assessment Form Small Pelagics - Anchovy 2012-2013 Based on the research of YugNIRO of anchovy in the Sea of Azov and the Ukrainian sector of the Black Sea in 1992-2013. Catch, population parameters, natural mortality and length composition for two stocks (Azov anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus maeoticus and Black Sea anchovy E. e. ponticus) were presented separately. For Azov anchovy stock assessment and short-term predictions, the data of lampara surveys were used. Status of the Azov anchovy is rated as “ Moderately exploited ”. Stock Assessment Form version 0.9 Stock assessment form for Anchovy 1 Basic Identification Data ............................................................................................................. 3 2 Stock identification and biological information .......................................................................... 3 2.1 Stock unit .............................................................................................................................. 3 2.2 Growth and maturity ............................................................................................................. 4 3 Fisheries information ................................................................................................................... 5 3.1 Description of the fleet ......................................................................................................... 5 3.2 Historical trends .................................................................................................................... 7 3.3 Management regulations ....................................................................................................... 8 3.4 Reference points ..................................................................................................................11 4 Fisheries independent information ............................................................................................ 12 4.1 Acoustic surveys ................................................................................................................. 12 4.2 Egg production surveys ...................................................................................................... 14 4.3 Lampara surveys ................................................................................................................. 14 4.4 Sampling of research surveys and commercial fisheries .................................................... 14 4.5 Biological data .................................................................................................................... 14 5 Ecological information .............................................................................................................. 17 5.1 Protected species potentially affected by the fisheries ....................................................... 17 5.2 Environmental indexes ....................................................................................................... 18 6 Stock Assessment ...................................................................................................................... 19 7 Stock predictions ....................................................................................................................... 19 7.1 Short term predictions ......................................................................................................... 19 7.2 Medium- and long-term predictions ................................................................................... 20 8 Draft scientific advice ................................................................................................................ 20 2 1. Basic Identification Data Scientific name: Common name: ISCAAP Group: Engraulis encrasicolus Anchovy 35 (Herrings, sardines, anchovies) Geographical sub-area: GSA 29-30 Country: Ukraine Stock assessment method: direct Lampara survey Authors: Vladyslav SHLYAKHOV and Alexander MIKHAYLYUK, YugNIRO, Ukraine Affiliation: none 2 Stock identification and biological information 2.1 Stock units The Black Sea has two subspecies (geographical races) of the European anchovy – the Black Sea anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus ponticus Aleksandrov and Azov anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus maeoticus Pusanov (Aleksandrov, 1927; Puzanov, 1936; Svetovidov, 1964). Anchovy is a pelagic planktivorous fish. A summer area of Azov anchovy is the Sea of Azov (GSA 30), and an area of the Black Sea anchovy is the Black Sea (GSA 29). Winter areas of both subspecies are located in the Black Sea and overlap – in the East in the waters of Georgia, in the West – in the waters of Ukraine. These subspecies are different units of the stock, and their regulation and recording to national statistics in Ukraine, as well as in the Russian Federation, are made separately. Azov anchovy spawns and fattens in the Azov Sea and migrates into the Black Sea in the winter. Azov anchovy stock is traditionally exploited by Ukraine and the Russian Federation, and it is present as by-catch in the waters of Georgia. Its Ukrainian fishing is exercised during wintering migrations to the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait, in the Black Sea region of Kerch and Feodosiya, as well as during wintering near the Southern coast of Crimea. During the most powerful wintering migrations in Ukrainian waters, wintering habitat of the Azov anchovy expands to Cape Tarkhankut. The anchovy that winters in the west of the Chersonese Cape does not return to the Sea of Azov in spring and spawns in the North-Western part of the Black Sea. Black Sea anchovy is a fish with short lifespan, mainly maturing and beginning to spawn in less than one year of age. Its entire life cycle takes place in the Black Sea, the main wintering area is located in the waters of Turkey and Georgia; the area of the Southern coast of Crimea (the Ukrainian waters) is less important. The Black Sea anchovy is represented by a single population, which is used for fishing by all the Black Sea countries (Prodanov et al, 1997). Advanced research works of 1980th and 1990th concern the discovery of hybridization between the Black Sea and Azov anchovy populations (Сhashchin, 1985, 1998; Kalnin et. al, 1985). Moreover, migrations of Azov and/or hybrid types were established through electrophoretic and morphometric studies along the Bulgarian coast, primarily during autumn and winter (Mikhailov and Dobrovolov, 1991). 3 2.2 Growth and maturity Azov anchovy matures and spawns in the second year of life. Black Sea anchovy also mainly spawns at age 1 +. A small part of each new generation of the Black Sea anchovy reaches sexual maturity and spawns two-three months after hatching, at the end of the spawning season. Table 2.2 -1: Maximum size, size at first maturity and size at recruitment of Azov anchovy Somatic magnitude measured – FL, cm* Unit** Sex Fem Mal Both Unsexed 1 Maximum size observed Reproduction May-July 14.0 (historical) season Size at first maturity Reproduction Sea of Azov 6.5 areas Recruitment size 6.5 Nursery areas Sea of Azov * Fork length ** Azov anchovy (E. e. ponticus) Table Error! No text of specified style in document. -2: Maximum size, size at first maturity and size at recruitment of Black Sea anchovy Somatic magnitude measured – FL, cm* Unit** Sex Fem Mal Both Unsexed 2 Maximum size observed Reproduction May-August 20.0 (historical) season Size at first maturity Reproduction Black Sea 6.0 areas Recruitment size 6.0 Nursery areas Black Sea * Fork length ** Azov anchovy (E. e. maeoticus) Table Error! No text of specified style in document. -3: Growth and length (FL, cm) weight model parameters of Black Sea anchovy Sex Unit* female male both unsexed L∞ 2 13.9 K 2 0.985 Growth model t0 2 -0.74 Data source Shlyakhov et al., 1990 Length weight a relationship b M (vector by length or 0.82 age) sex ratio (% females/total) 55.0% * Black Sea anchovy (E. e. ponticus) 4 3. Fisheries information In Ukraine, the data on fisheries activities are collected by Basin fisheries inspections under the aegis of the State Agency of Fisheries of Ukraine. Ukrainian classification of fishing vessels differs significantly from the International Classification of ships. Statistics (official) for most components of fishing effort (number of fishing days by fishing gear, the number of trips to fish, catch per unit effort, etc.) is either missing or incomplete, or strongly distorted. For harvesting of fish and other Marine Living Resources in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov almost all major types of gears are used: purse seine, pound nets, trawls, gill nets, dredges, hook gears (Long- & Hands-Lines). Information on their actual dislocations and the actually used amount of gears is very difficult to obtain, as it is officially reported missing. For this reason, we included the fisheries information, except appropriate tables from “Stock Assessment Form version 0.9’, to the additional tables. 3.1 Description of the fleet A common classification of fisheries on a board of the Black Sea fishing vessels implies its division into small-size vessels (bot, bajda, boat, yawl, etc.), small-tonnage vessels (SCHS, MRST, MRTK, PTR, RS, etc.) and medium-tonnage vessels (MPTP, TKHS, SRTM-K, etc.) (Commercial fisheries description, 1988; Shlyakhov et al, 2009), table 3.1.1. Table 3.1 -1: Description of operational units in the stocks of anchovy Group of Fishing Country GSA Fleet Segment Target Species Gear Class