1. Case Study 1c. Directed single-species fishery – less vulnerable – southern blue ling (Molva dypterygia) in Vb,VI, VII & XIIb.

2. Blue ling Age up to 30yrs Age of maturity 6-7 yrs
Spawns in N. Atlantic in April/May
High fecundity - millions of eggs.

3. Blue ling Found between 400-1200m, most common at around 1200m.
Spawning aggregations targeted by fisheries

4. Cumulative historical landings circa 500,000 t
Historically mainly a French trawl fishery with catches from a wide range of countries, but now mainly France, Faroes and UK(Scotland)

5. Assessments & advice
Latest ICES advice (2008) based on time-series LPUE data from French reference fleet

6. Assessments and advice
“There should be no directed fisheries for blue ling in Subdivisions Vb, VI, and VII and measures should beimplemented to minimize bycatches in mixed fisheries. Blue ling is susceptible to sequential depletion of spawning aggregations and closed areas to protect spawning aggregations should therefore be maintained and expanded where appropriate.”
Exploratory assessments using stock reduction and CSA

7. Deliverables Review of development of fishery, catches and fleets
Review of LHCs, stock structure and status
Review of assessment methods used thus far
Inventory of fisheries, biological, biodiversity,VME and socio-economic data.
Impacts of fishery on biodiversity
SWOT analysis of current historical management & monitoring procedures

8. Development of fishery, catches and fleets
Spatial pattern in catches – at higher resolution.
French & Irish VMS and observer data
UK data already available

9. LHCs, stock structure & status
LHCs and status straightforward
Stock structure – review current work

10. Assessment methods used thus far
Full description of methods
Literature search focusing on use of stock reduction models for orange roughy stocks off NZ and past applications of CSA

11. Inventory of fisheries, biological, biodiversity,VME and socio-economic data.
Fisheries data – focus on developing final iteration of French abundance indices.
How we incorporate haul by haul data available from Industry
Biological, biodiverisity and VME data – observer reports?
Socio-economic data – considerable challenge
Approach UK and French Fishing Companies/POs
May have to focus on data available in public domain
DCR?

12. Impacts of fishery on biodiversity
Evaluate potential effects based on composition of commercial catches inc discards
Focus on continental slope off NW Scotland – generic study.

13. SWOT analysis of current historical management & monitoring
EU Sampling plans and observer data
Stock identity
Ageing
Nursery areas and recruitment processes
Monitoring effects of protection areas on abundance indices and F (POORFISH studies)
HCRs and BRPs
Length-based assessment methods
Life history models – Gulland, Beddington and Cook, Kirkwood models - estimate of B0