Proposal of a Fishery Restricted Area: Continental Slope of the Eastern Gulf of Lions (CoSEGoL) Lleonart, Salat, Olivar, Puig. ICM/CSIC Barcelona, Spain Moranta. IEO, Balearic Islands, Spain Le Corre, Sacchi. IFREMER, Sète, France Franquesa GEM, Faculty of Economics, U. of Barcelona, Spain Tudela. WWF Mediterranean Programme 9 th SCMEE, Antalya, Turkey October, 2008

Background What do we know about the Gulf of Lions demersal fishery? –Hake assessments Two countries. Four gears competing. Hake is the target species. Other species also important but not assessed. Clear growth overfishing (E MSY about 40% of current effort) Suspected recruitment overfishing (standing biomass less than 5% of estimated virgin biomass) –No other assessments

Background What do we know about the Gulf of Lions demersal fishery? –Hake assessments Two countries. Four gears competing. Hake is the target species. Other species also important but not assessed. Clear growth overfishing (E MSY about 40% of current effort) Suspected recruitment overfishing (standing biomass less than 5% of estimated virgin biomass) –No other assessments

Source: Stock assessment of the French-Spanish shared stock of hake (Merluccius merluccius) in the gulf of Lions. French-Spanish Working Group IFREMER-IEO Sète (France), 4-5 July 2006 Jadaud, Mellon, Farrugio, Guijarro, Valls, Massutí, Ordinas and Quetglas (SCSA 2006)

Background (contd.) Four fleets: –French and Spanish trawlers targeting juvenile hake –Spanish longliners and French gillnets targeting large hake Despite the heavy fishing pressure on all classes and the evidences of overfishing (both growth and recruitment), historical series of catches appear to be rather stable. Where do the recruits come from?

Source: Stock assessment of the French-Spanish shared stock of hake (Merluccius merluccius) in the gulf of Lions. French-Spanish Working Group IFREMER-IEO Sète (France), 4-5 July 2006 Jadaud, Mellon, Farrugio, Guijarro, Valls, Massutí, Ordinas and Quetglas (SCSA 2006)

Source: Aldebert, Y., L. Recasens & J. Lleonart Analysis of gear interactions in a hake fishery: The case of the Gulf of Lions (NW Mediterranean). Sci. Mar., 57(2 ‑ 3):207 ‑ 217.

Other species Bottom trawl: – European pilchard (Sardina pilchardus) – European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) – Soles (Solea spp.) – Striped mullet (Mullus barbatus) – Red mullet (Mullus surmuletus) – Angler (Lophius piscatorius) – Black-bellied angler (Lophius budegassa) – Gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) – European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) – Seabreams (Pagellus spp.) – Blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) – Poor-cod (Trisopterus minutus capelanus) – Horned octopus (Eledone cirrhosa) Gillnet: –Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) –Tub gurnard (Trigla lucerna) –Poor cod (Trisopterus minutus capelanus) –Megrims (Lepidorhombus spp.) –Small-spotted dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula) Longline : –Rockfish (Helicolenus dactylopterus) –Silver scabbard fish (Lepidopus caudatus) –Conger eel (Conger conger) –Red sea bream (Pagellus bogaraveo) –Fork-beard (Phycis blennoides) Source: Stock assessment of the French-Spanish shared stock of hake (Merluccius merluccius) in the gulf of Lions. French-Spanish Working Group IFREMER-IEO Sète (France), 4-5 July 2006 Jadaud, Mellon, Farrugio, Guijarro, Valls, Massutí, Ordinas and Quetglas (SCSA 2006)

Pilot action RAI/AP-26/2007 Experimental trawl survey in the Gulf of Lions Executer IEO Dates 24 Oct – 18 Dec, hauls

Main species SPECIESRel. Abundance % In biomass Galeus melastomus16.42% Micromesistius poutassou12.92% Lophius piscatorius11.88% Nephrops norvegicus7.56% Lepidopus caudatus5.16% Trachurus trachurus5.06% Aristeus antennatus5.03% Merluccius merluccius4.44% Helicolenus dactylopterus3.98% Chimaera monstrosa3.07% Trigla lyra2.70% Phycis blennoides2.39% SPECIES Rel. Abundance % In biomass Trachyrincus scabrus2.23% Capros aper2.19% Conger conger1.86% Caelorinchus caelorhincus1.74% Lepidorhombus boscii1.58% Centrophorus granulosus1.56% Trachurus picturatus1.01% Lophius budegassa0.55% Pagellus bogaraveo0.16% Palinurus mauritanicus0.06% Mullus surmuletus0.01% Parapenaeus longirostris0.01% Eledone cirrhosa0.01%

GFCM priority species SPECIESRel. Abundance % In biomass Galeus melastomus16.42% Micromesistius poutassou12.92% Lophius piscatorius11.88% Nephrops norvegicus7.56% Lepidopus caudatus5.16% Trachurus trachurus5.06% Aristeus antennatus5.03% Merluccius merluccius4.44% Helicolenus dactylopterus3.98% Chimaera monstrosa3.07% Trigla lyra2.70% Phycis blennoides2.39% SPECIES Rel. Abundance % In biomass Trachyrincus scabrus2.23% Capros aper2.19% Conger conger1.86% Caelorinchus caelorhincus1.74% Lepidorhombus boscii1.58% Centrophorus granulosus1.56% Trachurus picturatus1.01% Lophius budegassa0.55% Pagellus bogaraveo0.16% Palinurus mauritanicus0.06% Mullus surmuletus0.01% Parapenaeus longirostris0.01% Eledone cirrhosa0.01%

Lophius piscatorius

Aristeus antennatus

Nephrops norvegicus

Merluccius merluccius

What is the problem? A zone Slightly exploited With a mature demersal community A refugium of significant biomass of large spawners … …. of species of commercial interest … …. likely supplying recruits to the nearby fishery Is in danger of being exploited

Area definition AB CD A 43º00’N 4º20’E B 43º00’N 5º00’E C 42º40’N 4º20’E D 42º40’N 5º00’E Depths: 100 – 1500 m Surface 598 n miles km ha Distance to the coast (in NM) Comparative surface with the approved FRAs (in km 2 )

20 NM < ~ 30 NM Grand Rhône Petit Rhône Marti

Objective To protect this zone, in order to conserve: –A demersal community that is currently only slightly exploited –Populations of spawners and “mega spawners” of some species of commercial interest –Biotic and abiotic habitats where these communities live –Trophic webs

Justification Protect juveniles or spawners? –Equilibrium between the two Caddy’s paradigms –The three Froese’s “simple indicators”

Caddy’s paradigms Source: Caddy, J.F Options for the regulation of Mediterranean demersal fisheries. Natural Resource Modeling, 4: 427–475.

Source: Froese R Keep it simple: three indicators to deal with overfishing. Fish and Fisheries. 2004, 5, The Froese’s “three simple indicators” Let them spawn Let them grow Let the mega-spawners live

Source: Froese R Keep it simple: three indicators to deal with overfishing. Fish and Fisheries. 2004, 5, 86-91

Why mega spawners? large females are much more fecund because the number of eggs increases exponentially with length in most species; their eggs also tend to be larger, thus giving a greater chance of survival to larvae reaching old age is usually a sign of overall individual fitness and thus these mega-spawners are reservoirs and distributors of desirable genes; and extending longevity and prolonging the reproductive phase can be viewed as a natural safeguard against subsequent recruitment failure Source: Froese R Keep it simple: three indicators to deal with overfishing. Fish and Fisheries. 2004, 5, 86-91

Justification Effect of protecting the spawners in the proposed FRA on coastal fishing (system of currents in the G of L) –Supply of recruits of main target species: Merluccius merluccius, Lophius piscatorius, Nephrops norvegiculs, Aristeus antennatus –Conserving accompanying species (maintaining the trophic web) Micromesistius poutassou Lepidopus caudatus

Currents in the Gulf of Lions

Justification In accordance with EAF, a total protection of the demersal environment will maintain: –Biotic and abiotic habitats –Trophic webs

Consequences of the protection Since the area is currently only slightly exploited, fishermen would not lose catch (both short and long term). This represents the status quo strategy. Ensure the protection and thus, persistence of spawning stocks

The community of large spawners is under risk of being rapidly exploited as soon as fishermen are able reach it easily and legally Very high risk of increase of recruitment overfishing affecting the subregional fishery with danger of collapse of several very valuable species A few fishermen would get huge short term gains, but the whole fishery would be at stake at medium and long term periods Consequences of no protection

Legal status International waters: outside of the Spanish fishing protected area (1997) Distance of point C (42º40’N 4º20’E) to the Spanish coast: 49.5 NM, to the French coast : 43.2 NM

Legal status Inside of the French “zone de protection écologique”

Management measures proposed Prohibit any kind of demersal fishing, towed or not, including trawl gears, bottom and midwater longlines, bottom nets (gillnets, trammelnets), traps, etc.