FIRMS - Marine Resource fact sheets - Greater argentine

Greater argentine - Other areas of Northeast Atlantic

Fact Sheet Title Fact Sheet

ICES Advice 2009

Greater argentine - Other areas of Northeast Atlantic

Greater Silver Smelt in Subdivisions I, II, IIIa, IV, Vb, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XII and XIV (other areas)

Owned by

International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) – ownership

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Species List:

Argentina silus

Species Ref: en - Greater argentine, fr - Grande argentine

ident Block Greater argentine - Other areas of Northeast Atlantic

Map legend

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Aq Res
Biological Stock: Yes Value: Sub-Regional Reference year: 2008

Table of Contents

Habitat Bio - Water Area Overview - Bio Assess - Management - Exploit - Aq Res State Trend - Sources

Aq Res State Trend

Aq Res State Trend
	Aq Res State Trend	Aq Res State Trend
Aq Res State Trend	Undefined	Uncertain/Not assessed
Aq Res State Trend	Undefined	Uncertain/Not assessed

The state of the silver smelt resource in other areas is unknown. Catches increased considerably in recent years, but were reduced in 2003 in some areas, partly due to introduction of TAC management in EU waters. In Subarea VI the frequency of old fish (20+) in the catches declined significantly after a few years of target fisheries. Such changes suggest high exploitation rates.

Habitat Bio

Depth Zone: Slope (200 m - 1000 m). Vertical Dist: Demersal/Benthic.

Water Area Overview

Spatial Scale: Sub-Regional

Water Area Overview

Aq Res Struct

Biological Stock: Yes

Exploit

Factors affecting the fisheries and the stock

Regulations and their effects

In 2003 quota management was introduced in EU waters. In 2008 the EU TACs are:

Subareas I and II 116 t

Subareas III, and IV1331 t

Subareas V, VI, and VII5311 t

A licensing scheme has been in place for several years in Norway and the Faroes. The licensing system regulates the number of trawlers that can take part in the directed fishery. Norway introduced a TAC in Subarea II in 2007.

Bio Assess

Assess Models

Methodology

Scientific basis

Data and methods

Landings and mean length data are the basis for the advice. Total landings by area are presented in Tables 9.4.13.2.1 and 9.4.13.2.2.

Comparison with previous assessment and advice

No significant changes to the perception of the stock. Advice is the same as in 2006.

Results

Table 9.4.13.2.1. Greater silver smelt. Other areas (I, II, IIIa, IV, Vb, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XII, and XIV). Working group estimates of total landings (tonnes).

Year	I + II	III + IV	Vb	VI + VII	VIII	XII	XIV	Total for other areas
1988	11351	2718	287	10438				24794
1989	8390	3786	227	25559				37962
1990	9120	2321	2888	7294			6	21629
1991	7741	2554	60	5197				15552
1992	8234	5319	1443	5906				20902
1993	7913	3269	1063	1577		6		13828
1994	6807	1508	960	5707				14982
1995	6775	1082	12286	6242				26385
1996	6604	3300	9498	5863		1		25266
1997	4463	2598	8433	7300				22794
1998	8261	3982	17570	5555				35368
1999	7163	4320	8214	8856		2		28555
2000	6293	2471	5209	13866			217	28056
2001	14369	2925	10081	19050			66	46491
2002	7407	1811	7471	15985	191			32865
2003	8917	1188	6549	2451	37			19142
2004	16162	1157	6451	5133	23	4		28930
2005	17093	791	7009	3808	202	322		29225
2006	21685	4016	12559	1115	0	0		39375
2007*	13273	3343	13357	223	0	0		30196
* Preliminary.

Table 9.4.13.2.2. Landings by country and area (tonnes). Greater silver smelt in I, II, IIIa, IV, Vb, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XII, and XIV. WG estimates of landings. *) preliminary.

*Greater silver smelt (Argentina* silus) I and II**
Year	Germany	Netherlands	Norway	Poland	Russia/USSR	Scotland	France	Faroes	TOTAL
1988			11332	5	14				11351
1989			8367		23				8390
1990		5	9115						9120
1991			7741						7741
1992			8234						8234
1993			7913						7913
1994			6217			590			6807
1995	357		6418						6775
1996			6604						6604
1997			4463						4463
1998	40		8221						8261
1999			7145			18			7163
2000		3	6075		195	18	2		6293
2001			14357		7	5			14369
2002			7405			2			7407
2003		555	8345		7	2	4	4	8917
2004		4601	11557		4				16162
2005			17063		16			14	17093
2006			21681		4				21685
2007*			13272		1				13273

Greater silver smelt (Argentina silus) III and IV.

Year	Denmark	Faroes	France	Germany	Netherlands	Norway	Scotland	Sweden	Ireland	TOTAL
1988	1062			1		1655				2718
1989	1322				335	2128	1			3786
1990	737			13		1571				2321
1991	1421		1		3	1123	6			2554
1992	4449			1	70	698	101			5319
1993	2347				298	568	56			3269
1994	1480					4	24			1508
1995	1061					1	20			1082
1996	2695	370				213	22			3300
1997	1332			1		704	19	542		2598
1998	2716			128	277	434		427		3982
1999	3772		82		7	5	452		2	4320
2000	1806		270			32	78	273	12	2471
2001	1653		28			3	227	1011	3	2925
2002	1161					1	161	484	4	1811
2003	1119				42	6	20		1	1188
2004	1036			4	42	17	12		46	1157
2005	733			1	28	11			18	791
2006	548					3468				4016
2007*	243					3100				3343

Table 9.4.13.2.2. Continued. Greater silver smelt (Argentina silus) Vb.

Year	Faroes	Russia/USSR	UK (Scot)	UK(EWN)	Ireland	France	Netherlands	Norway	TOTAL
1988	287								287
1989	111	116							227
1990	2885	3							2888
1991	59		1						60
1992	1439	4							1443
1993	1063								1063
1994	960								960
1995	5534	6752							12286
1996	9495		3						9498
1997	8433								8433
1998	17570								17570
1999	8186		15	23		5			8214
2000	3713	1185	247			64			5209
2001	9572	414	94		1				10081
2002	7058	264	144				5		7471
2003	6261	245	1				42		6549
2004	3441	702	42				2266		6451
2005	6939	59					11		7009
2006	12524	35							12559
2007*	13354	3						32	13357

Greater silver smelt (Argentina silus) VI and VII.

Year	Faroes	France	Germany	Ireland	Netherl	Norway	E & W	Scotland	N.I.	Russia	Spain	TOTAL
1988				5454		4984						10438
1989	188			6103	3715	12184	198	3171				25559
1990	689		37	585	5871			112				7294
1991		7		453	4723			10	4			5197
1992		1		320	5118			467				5906
1993					1168			409				1577
1994			43	150	4137			1377				5707
1995	1597		357	6	4136			146				6242
1996			1394	295	3953			221				5863
1997			1496	1089	4695			20				7300
1998			463	405	4687							5555
1999		21	24	394	8025			387		5		8856
2000		17	482	4703	3636			4965		29	34	13866
2001		12	189	7494	3659			7620		76		19050
2002			150	7589	4020			4197		29		15985
2003			164	95	1933			89		163	7	2451
2004		147	652	46	3731			526		12	19	5133
2005	103	10	131	1	3465			75		4	19	3808
2006	53				1062							1115
2007*	220					3						223

Table 9.4.13.2.2. Cont’d. Greater silver smelt (Argentina silus) VIII.

Year	Netherlands	TOTAL
2002	191	191
2003	37	37
2004	23	23
2005	202	202
2006
2007*
SPA WG data zero in all years 97-2001

Greater silver smelt (Argentina silus) XII.
Year	Faroes	Iceland	Russia	Netherlands	TOTAL
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	6				6
1994
1995
1996	1				1
1997
1998
1999
2000		2			2
2001
2002
2003
2004			4		4
2005				322	322
2006
2007*

Greater silver smelt (Argentina silus) XIV.
Year	Norway	Iceland	TOTAL
1988
1989
1990	6		6
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000		217	217
2001	66		66
2002
2003
2004
2005
2007*

Figure 9.4.13.2.1. Greater silver smelt. Other areas (I, II, IIIa, IV, Vb, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XII, and XIV). Working group estimates of total landings (tonnes).

Sci Advice

Single-stock exploitation boundaries

Due to its low productivity greater silver smelt can only sustain low rates of exploitation. Fisheries on such species should always be accompanied by programmes to collect data on both target and bycatch fisheries. The fishery should not be allowed to expand unless it can be shown that it is sustainable.

Management

Advice

Management considerations

Greater silver smelt can be a very significant discard of the trawl fisheries of the continental slope of Subareas VI and VII, particularly at depths of 300–700 m. The existing knowledge base is insufficient to determine whether the current exploitation is sustainable.

The variability in the catches appears to reflect market demand.

In 2002, ICES expressed concern about the apparent increase in the directed fishery in several Subareas and especially the increased landings in Subarea VI. It was noted that the age range had been truncated, which suggested high levels of exploitation. Mean length and age in the landings in Division Vb have decreased since 1995. No new data could be used to determine whether these trends have continued.

Sources

ICES.2009.Report of the ICES Advisory Committee, 2009. ICES Advice, 2009.

Fisheries and Resources Monitoring System