ACTION 1

Analysis and characterisation of the present discards situation on the target fisheries and fleets.

BEGINS: Month 1 (January 2010) ENDS: Month 18 (June 2011)

OBJETIVE: To analyse the selected fleets in order to obtain a complete scheme of the actual status of the discards issue: main problems and actual alternatives/solutions. Integral by-catch composition and distribution on trawl fisheries in ICES areas will be studied, and diffused to all stakeholders present in the fishing sector (fleets, ports, industries, etc.), this aiming to the minimisation of by-catch caught.

TASKS: 1.1. Determination and selection of the target fisheries based in analysis of the total catch composition of on board information obtained from European projects and “ICES Spanish Discarding National Program” (SDNP) data: 1.2. Analysis of the obtained “total catch-métiers” in order to understand their spatial-temporal behaviour which could be used as base to forecast their catch supply along the year. 1.3. Analysis of the current status concerning the discards issue on the selected fisheries/fleets. Definition of efficient, integral and innovative strategies and solutions on board to reduce the discards. 1.4. Analysis of the capabilities and possibility of application of the proposed solutions to reduce discards on selected fisheries/fleets. 1.5. Analysis of the capabilities and possibility of application of the proposed solutions to reduce discards on other fisheries/fleets.

RESPONSABILITIES: IEO will be the lead partner, with the participation of IIM-CSIC, APV for the Spanish fleet and IPIMAR for the Portuguese fleet.

EXPECTED RESULTS: 1. Selection of target fleets/fisheries. 2. An atlas of trawl fleet characterisation in ICES areas based on total catch composition. 3. A Good Practice Manual containing strategies and solutions on board (trawlers fleets) to reduce the discards. 4. Mapping of fishing activities and fishing impacts for the selected fleets in a métier based approach for fish and shellfish stocks. 5. Characterisation of considered ICES zones based on principal species presents in the ecosystem.