SCRS SKIPJACK Report 2007

Baitboat Purse seiner Spatial distribution of the SKJ catches during the period (2000-2004) for the main fisheries and fishing gears in the Atlantic ocean.

192.000 t 137.000 t 26.000 t 110.000 t

Eastern Atlantic SKJ EU purse seiners FADs Free school Azorean baitboats Dakar based baitboats

Eastern Atlantic SKJ Regular decrease in mean weight (dominated by PS catches) until 1995 and logically regular increase in total mortality (based on Length data) until 1995 ------ but followed by a dramatic decline : moratorium effect ? decrease in fishing effort ? Z = K*( L∞ -L moy) / (L moy - L c) under …. equilibrium conditions

Western Atlantic SKJ Recent unexplained decline of Venezuelan PS CPUE, while Brasilian BB CPUEs remain “stable” Different patterns observed for mean weight Venezuelan PS index decreases continuously, while Brazilian BB index drop only in 2004 But … US LL index increases slowly

Fishery indicators 1969 1971 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 Eastern Catch + = - Z lenght Mean Weight Skewness Ind. R. Rate Catch In.   Moratorium Car. Capac. EU PS 1*1 SKJ Catch Western Catch

See you next year for my stock assessment ? YES, some guys at Corazon de Maria have proposed to evaluate how many skj we are !, how many time we move from the meeting room to the cafeteria, whether the famous FADs in Madrid (i.e., Museo del Jamon, El abuelo, etc) are still attractive for ICCAT scientists …., well you know all types of information very useful for playing with MULTIFAN CL !. CAUTION! Attending a SKJ assessment meeting is not dangerous and not cause irreversible eye damage It has been evidenced (by a Bayesian Approach) that the SKJ Rapporteur had to wear glasses BEFORE he started to work with this species.