Fish productivity in the south west

Assessing small pelagic fish populations

Jeroen van der Kooij
Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science

South West Marine Ecosystems Conference 2014

Friday April 4th 2014, PML, Plymouth

Overview

What and Why?

How?
Some results
Future

Existing knowledge/data
Sprat
Lyme Bay fishery

Sardine
Herring versus sardine periods (e.g. Southward et al. 1988)
Changes in sardine spawning seasonality (e.g. Coombs et al.
2010)

Anchovy
Increase in North Sea since mid-90s (Beare et al., 2004),
increase landings in English Channel (2000s)
Northern population (Petitgas et al., 2012; genetic)

Mackerel nursery area (fishery closed in early 90s)

Horse mackerel?

Existing knowledge/data
5000000

Data:
L4
CPR
Commercial landings data
bottom trawl survey data

SPR
0

1980

1990

2000

2010

2020

10000000

5000000

PIL

1980

1990

2000

2010

2020

6000000
4000000

HER

2000000

1980

1990

2000

2010

2020

1000000
800000
600000
400000
200000

ANE

1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

POSEIDON (DEFRA MF1112)

Estimate population size of small pelagic species in SW

Explore ecological drivers of distribution and abundance
Pelagic foodweb
Five multi-disciplinary surveys (2012-2016)

Pelagic fish:
Acoustics

Multifrequency
60
40
20
0
18

38

70

120

Frequency (kHz)

Herring

200

90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Echo strength

80

Echo strength

Echo strength

100

4
3
2
1
0

18

38

70

120

Frequency (kHz)

Mackerel

200

18

38

70

120

Frequency (kHz)

Krill

200

364

 Small pelagic fish

Zooplankton
Phytoplankton

Oceanography
Satellite

Top predators

Some results - fish

Small pelagic fish

o Sprat (assessment)
o Lyme Bay (~30 kt)
o Bristol Channel -overwintering
juveniles (100 kt)

o Anchovy in eastern part of

western Channel
o Sardine along coast in survey
area
2013
o Sprat up
o Mackerel

Ichtyoplankton

Sardine spawning
2012

2013

eggs
larvae

Oceanography
2012

2013

MarineLife:
Marine mammals and birds

Summary
Rich species mix in coastal waters
Habitat niche
Importance of physical
environment
timing autumn bloom,
frontal areas

Hotspots

Future work
Population size (continued)
Habitat
Foodweb

NERC/Defra MERP project