The report is a result of the BIOMAN -2009 scientific campaign, based on the daily egg production method, estimates a moderate increase in the total daily production of anchovy eggs, as well as in the provisional estimate for the biomass - 28,000 tons compared to the 25,000 for the definitive estimate for 2008. This data coincides with the results of the Juvena campaign - the estimation of young anchovies undertaken in September 2008 and which showed a limited growth rate.

The BIOMAN -2009 scientific campaign was undertaken by AZTI-Tecnalia during the month of May, covering the whole egg-laying area for this population, managed to estimate the total abundance of eggs in the area of distribution of the reproductive anchovy population.

The sampling of adult anchovy was equally successful, having found positive samples of anchovy distributed through the egg-laying area.

The Vice-Minister for Fisheries Development of the Basque Government, Jon Azkue, stated that the data is good because, after the biological halt to fishing the species over the past four years, the anchovy biomass has risen from 9,700 tons in 2005 to 28,000 tons in 2009, but they say that anchovy stock is, for the moment, below that of the Biomass precautionary reference point of 33,000 tons established by the European Union, the limit which would allow the reopening of the anchovy fishing grounds.

A Spain-France Agreement at the Council of Europe, to be held 30 June in Brussels, could enable the reopening of the anchovy fishing grounds with a dedicated management plan, given that another condition be fulfilled - the anchovy biomass reaching 24,000 tons. This management plan would determine concrete measures for sustainable and responsible fishing, quantifying the maximum tonnage for anchovy fishing.

Awaiting the decision of the STECF

The updated situation of the species will be obtained from the scientific analysis of the overall information available, which includes the results of the BIOMAN 2009 campaign and those arising from the report drawn up by France, that of the IFREMER Institute. We will know this analysis on the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF), the advisory body of the European Commission.
The Basque Government's Department of the Environment, Land Planning, Agriculture and Fisheries has already remitted the AZTI scientific reports to the Secretary General of Maritime Fishing and the Federations of Fishing Guilds for the Basque provinces of Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa.

The key date will be 30 June 2009 when the Council of Europe, with the AZTI and IFREMER scientific reports, may decide to reopen the anchovy fishing grounds with a specific management plan.

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