21/06/10. Bilbao. The results of the BIOMAN 2010 campaign, undertaken by the AZTI-Tecnalia technological centre shows a moderate recovery in the anchovy biomass, having reached 36,500 tons in the Bay of Biscay and which, for the first time since 2005, indicates that the biomass index to be above the biomass precaution level.

This data coincides with the results of the estimate of young anchovies during the JUVENA campaign, undertaken in September 2009 and which indicated that the biomass of the adult stock in 2010 could be greater than the Biomass Precaution level for the first time since the closure of the anchovy fishing grounds in 2005, a measure decreed in order to favour the recovery of the species. The results of the scientific BIOMAN -2010 campaign were based on the daily production of eggs method.

The scientific BIOMAN -2010 campaign was drawn up during the past month of May, a number of studies being undertaken and samples taken from the whole egg-laying area for this species, and which has enabled the estimate of the biomass of the species in the Bay of Biscay area.

The Minister in the Basque Autonomous Government for the Environmnt, Territorial Planning, Agriculture and Fisheries, Ms Pilar Unzalu, emphasised that these are promising statistics and point to the fact that, after five years of a fishing ban, the estimate of the biomass of anchovy could be greater than the Biomass Precaution level for the first time since this was established by the EC at 33,000 tons, and which will enable the reopening of the anchovy fishing grounds.

This relative recovery of the anchovy gave rise to the provisional opening of the fishing grounds during the first half of the year, the restricted Total Allowable Catch (TAC) proving it to have been a correct measure, enabling moderate exploitation in accord with this recovery of the resource and lifting the fishing ban which had brought the anchovy fleets involved near to bankruptcy.

After the failure of the coastal fishing season in recent years, the return to normality with the 2010 coastal match has also helped this view of the relative recovery of the resource. It now remains to see the definitive diagnosis of the state of the anchovy provided by CIEM (Consejo Internacional de Exploración del Mar) at the end of this month.

The definitive estimate of the situation of the state of the anchovy will be obtained from an analysis of all the available information, that includes the results of scientific campaigns for estimating biomass: BIOMAN -2010, carried out by AZTI-Tecnalia and the acoustic campaign undertaken by the French Institute of Research for the Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer), as well as the monitoring of catches and of the composition of the anchovies according to age.

It should be pointed out that the anchovy is a species of fluctuating abundance by nature. Its life cycle is very short, rarely more than three years, growth and survival of the young anchovies, highly affected by environmental factors, make their abundance greatly dependent on the percentage survival of each generation. To calculate or estimate these changes in abundance year by year and facilitate the management of the resource, AZTI Tecnalia is undertaking, apart from this Spring campaign, the JUVENA campaign and, thus, enable making predictions for the following year.

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