MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE DEROGATION OF THE GREEK PURSE SEINE FLEET FROM THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 13 OF (EC) 1967/2006

Transcription

1 MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE DEROGATION OF THE GREEK PURSE SEINE FLEET FROM THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 13 OF (EC) 1967/2006 ATHENS 2008

2 Contents 1. MANAGEMENT PLAN OBJECTIVE THE PURSE SEINE FISHERY IN GREECE General The Greek purse seine fleet Greek legislation in force EU legislation Fishing effort Landings Discarded catches from the purse seine fishery MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE SUSTAINABLE EXPLOITATION OF THE ANCHOVY AND SARDINE STOCKS Target-species of the management plan Current state of the management plan's target-stocks Landings Discards of the target-species Effects of purse seine operations to the environment Impact to the demersal stocks Impact to the sea bottom and benthos Financial impact from the application of the Reg. (EC)1967/2006 on the purse seine fishery in Greece Significant reduction of the available small pelagic fish available for fishing Increase of the fishing trip duration Reduction of the available traditional fishing grounds (by area) Reference points for the application of the management plan Anchovies (Engraulis encrasicolus) Sardine (Sardina pilchardus) MONITORING PLAN FOR THE TARGET-STOCKS AND THE REFERENCE POINTS Eco-sounding and hydroacoustic survey Landing sampling Purse seine segment landings Study of possible additional measure for the reduction of discards Time schedule of the monitoring plan for each year Administration procedures regarding the special fishing permits RESUME REFERENCES Annexes 2

3 1. MANAGEMENT PLAN OBJECTIVE The objective of the present management plan is to support derogation from the provisions of paragraph 3 of article 13 of the Reg. (EC) 1967/2006 in accordance to paragraph 5 of the same article in relation to the minimum distances and depths and other measures Article 13, paragraph 3: minimum distances and depths for the operation of fishing gears The use of purse seines shall be prohibited within 300 meters of the coast or within the 50 metres isobath where that depth is reached at a shorter distance from the coast. A purse seine shall not be deployed at depths less than 70 % of the overall drop of the purse seine itself as measured in Annex II to this Regulation. The present management plan provides specific information so that the purse seine vessels operate under the previous measure regime i.e. allow fishing with purse seines shall be prohibited within 300 meters of the coast or within the 30 meters isobath where that depth is reached at a shorter distance from the coast regardless the vertical drop size of the nets. The present management plan provides also for the issuing of special fishing permits in accordance with Regulation (EC) 1627/94 The present management plan provides: scientific evidence which prove that derogation of the provisions of article 13, paragraph 3 in relation to the purse seine gear and the traditional way of use in Greece today are substantiated information related to the purse seine fishery in Greece so that the negative effects from the application of the new measures on the fishery production and economics of the sector are recognized technical information on the use and operation of the traditional purse seine gear a detailed management plan for the management of the purse seine target species stocks in accordance to article 6, of (EC) 2371/2002 on management plans and article 19 of (EC) 1967/2006 and especially: 1. identify the target species and their ranking of priority 2. set reference points and targets for their sustainable exploitation 3. identify the fleet segment 4. elaborate the management plan in accordance to the ecosystem-based approach and precautionary approach 5. propose management measures for the protection of the stocks in accordance to article 19, (EC) 1967/2006 considering the state of stocks, the biological characteristic of the target-species, the characteristics of the fishery and the fleet and the economic effects from the application of the new measures 6. the proposal of technical measures, the technical characteristics of the gears, the areas and periods for fishing of target-species, the minimum landing sizes 7. the protection of the environment from the use of the gear 8. the proposal of indicators and indicator's monitoring plan for the control of the stocks of the target-species 9. the definition of an annual monitoring plan of the management plan's control indicators 10. the study of the selectivity of the purse seine nets 11. the procedure for the issuing of special fishing permits in accordance to the Reg (EC) 1627/1994 3

4 ΑΡΙΘΜΟΣ ΣΚΑΦΩΝ 2. THE PURSE SEINE FISHERY IN GREECE 2.1. General The purse seine fishery is especially important for the Greek fishery sector economy since it is the only gear which targets small pelagic species and especially anchovy and sardines. The purse seine is a mobile circular net which is rather selective since its operation is based on the attraction of small pelagic fish schools using low light intensity and consequently the encirclement of the schools with the net. This operation is conducted only if the fish school is of the expected size in terms of number of individuals, species and individual size as reported to the fishermen by the electronic fish finder systems on board. Another reason which justifies the fact that the gear is selective is that the net mesh is open through its operation and therefore, under sized fish may escape. The purse seine segment of the Greek fleet provides the local market with the 90% of the total anchovy and sardines landed annually since the fishing of such species using pelagic trawls is prohibited in Greece The Greek purse seine fleet There are 290 purse seine vessels in the Greek fleet in accordance to the Fleet Register of December 31, 2006 (indicative). There are also 121 vessels registered with both purse seine and trawler licenses and therefore the total number of purse seine vessels in Greece is 425 vessels. The number of the vessels (as in all other feet segments) is constantly reducing due to the decommissioning plans enforced by the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food. The age distribution of the purse seine fleet is illustrated in Figure 1. The distribution shows that most vessels are old with half of them constructed before Figure 1. Age distribution of purse seine vessels (primary gear license) Source: Fleet register December 31, 2006 In accordance to the data in the Greek National Program for Fisheries Data Collection (Data Collection Regulation) for the year 2006, the number of professional fishermen directly employed on purse seiners are 4000 and given their family status, the total population which is dependent on the purse seine segment is estimated to be persons (average 38 persons per vessel). 4

5 Αριθμός ζκαθών The main species landed by the purse seines in Greece are Engraulis encracicholus, Sardina pilchardus, Trachrurus spp, Boops boops, Spicara spp, Sardinela aurita, Scomber japonicus και Scomber scomber. The evolution of the Greek purse seine fleet is summarized in Table 1 (Fig. 2). Table 1. Evolution of purse seine fleet in Ionian and Aegean Seas Year Aegean Sea Ionian Sea Number of purse seine vessels Αριθμός ζκαθών Γρι - γρι Number R 2 = R 2 = Έηος Αιγαίο Ιόνιο Figure 2. Number of purse seine vessels (- - Aegean Sea; - - Ionian Sea) The purse seine fleet has been reducing during the last decade in the Aegean and the Ionia Seas. Almost 85% of the fleet is operating in the Aegean Sea and its distribution is not uniform since most of them operate from large harbours like Piraeus and Thessaloniki. From the total vessels, 61% operates in North Aegean Sea, 24% in the South Aegean Sea and 15% in the Ionian Sea. This reduction is owed to the success of the decommission plans applied since Greek legislation in force In accordance to today's Greek legislation not considering the EU legislation applied in Greece the management of the purse seine fishery and the management of the small pelagic stocks is conducted with the following additional local measures (national laws): 5

6 1. Purse seine (night) fishery operation is prohibited for the period December 15 and February 28 every year 2. Purse seine fishery is prohibited for 2 days before and 2 days after each full moon 3. The minimum mesh size is 16 mm for the purse seine vessels operating at night and 40 mm for the purse seines operating during daytime 4. Purse seine is prohibited within a distance of 100 m from the coastline regardless the depth 5. Purse seine fishery is prohibited in various geographic areas 6. The use of pelagic trawlers is banned while the fishing of small pelagic fish by bottom trawlers is prohibited EU legislation According to the new regulation of fishing in Mediterranean [(EC) 1967/2006], Article 13, paragraph 3: minimum distances and depths for the operation of fishing gears, the use of purse seines shall be prohibited within 300 meters of the coast or within the 50 meters isobath where that depth is reached at a shorter distance from the coast. A purse seine shall not be deployed at depths less than 70 % of the overall drop of the purse seine itself as measured in Annex II to this Regulation Fishing effort The evolution of purse seine fishing effort expressed in fishing days per year, day x GT and day x Kw indicators is summarized in Table 2 (Fig. 3) Table 2. evolution of purse seine fishing effort in the Aegean and Ionian seas. Year Fishing Days Days x GT Days x Kw Aegean Sea ,740,457 8,626, ,723,797 8,315, ,681,888 8,070, ,741,079 8,333, ,685,983 7,964, ,851,229 8,400, ,636,404 7,336, ,780,085 7,829, ,718,645 7,548,697 Ionian Sea ,534 1,176, ,334 1,211, ,622 1,235, ,053 1,160, ,732 1,251, ,338 1,212, ,194 1,194, ,578 1,188, ,793 1,109,105 6

7 Ημέρες x Kw Ημέρες x GRT Εηήζιος αριθμός ημερών αλιείας Εηηζιος αριθμός ημερών αλιείας Total number of fishing days Σσνολικός αριθμός ημερών αλιείας Γρι - γρι Annual average number of fishing days per vessel Μέζος εηήζιος αριθμός ημερών αλιείας ανά ζκάθος R 2 = Έηος R 2 = Έηος Αιγαίο Ιόνιο Αιγαίο Ιόνιο Fishing effort (days x gt) Αλιεσηική προζπάθεια Γρι - γρι Fishing effort (days x kw) Αλιεσηική προζπάθεια Γρι - γρι R 2 = R 2 = Έηος Έηος Αιγαίο Ιόνιο Figure 3. Evolution of purse seine vessel fishing effort (- - Aegean Sea; - - Ionian Sea) During the last decade, fishing effort has remained stable or slightly declining except the average per vessel number of fishing days in Ionian Sea. The purse seiners, since they can operate efficiently only when the sea weather is calm (5-6 Bf maximum) eventhough they legally operate for most part of the year - their actual operational period is not more than 5-6 months Landings The total landings from purse seine fishery range between and tonnes from the Aegean sea (subarea 3.1) and 2000 to 5000 tonnes from the Ionian Sea (subarea 3.2). From these landings, 92-98% are small pelagic (Engraulis encracicholus, Sardina pilchardus, Trachrurus spp, Boops boops, Spicara spp, Sardinela aurita, Scomber japonicus και Scomber scomber). Data on the landings from the Greek National Program for Collection of Fisheries Data in accordance to EC/1534 and EC/1639 as well as the databases kept by the Institute for Marine Biological Resources of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research are summarized in Table 3 (Fig. 4). Αιγαίο Ιόνιο 7

8 Εκθορηώζεις ζε t Εκθορηώζεις ζε t Table 3. Purse seine fleet landings from Aegean Sea and Ionian Sea (total, pelagic fish segment, demersal fish segment) Percent of purse seine landings of demersal LANDINGS Percent of total purse seine landings species to the total national demersal species landings YEAR TOTAL PELAGIC SPECIES DEMERSAL SPECIES PELAGIC SPECIES (%) Aegean Sea DEMERSAL SPECIES (%) DEMERSAL SPECIES (%) ,948 28,173 1, % 5.9% 9.00% ,646 44, % 2.1% 1.91% ,677 40,882 1, % 4.2% 2.86% ,534 40,813 1, % 4.0% 3.01% ,546 31,757 2, % 8.1% 3.71% ,590 34,896 1, % 4.6% 2.2% ,571 40, % 1.6% 0.89% ,298 44,749 1, % 3.3% 2.35% ,780 49, % 1.3% 1.05% ,851 41, % 1.3% 1.09% Ionian Sea ,644 2, % 6.1% 1.82% ,048 1, % 8.8% 3.62% ,198 2, % 8.1% 1.29% ,934 1, % 1.6% 0.19% ,325 3, % 4.2% 0.81% ,045 4, % 1.0% 0.46% ,809 2, % 7.2% 2.08% ,494 4, % 9.2% 3.28% ,927 3, % 6.3% 1.76% ,157 2, % 5.6% 0.85% The purse seine landings have not shown a declining trend over the last years. The demersal species landed as by-catch by purse seines is insignificant and 3% of the total purse seine landings annually or the 2.5% of the total national landed amounts of demersal species (from all fleet segments).it is therefore justified the fact that the purse seine as a gear does not target demersal species and does not affect demersal species ecosystems. 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 0 Αιγαίο Πέλαγος Εκθορηώζεις Γρι - γρι Έηος Σσνολικές Πελαγικά είδη Βενθοπελαγικά είδη 10,000 9,000 8,000 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0 Ιόνιο Πέλαγος Εκθορηώζεις Γρι - γρι Έηος Σσνολικές Πελαγικά είδη Βενθοπελαγικά είδη Figure 4. Annual landings of purse seine vessels ( ) from the Aegean and Ionian Seas (- - Total; - - Pelagic species; - - Demersal species) 2.7. Discarded catches from the purse seine fishery According to research projects data on purse seine fishery, the discarded catch is a very small percentage of the total landings of the purse seine fishery. (National Program for Collection of Fisheries Data in accordance to EC/1534 and EC/1639). 8

9 Table 4. Percentage of discarded catches to the total landings of the purse seine fishery in Greece Year Demersal Pelagic Species Species (%) (%) Total As summarized in Table 4, the discarded catches range between 3 and 8% with an annual average of 4.1%. The main amount is small pelagic species while the demersal species are insignificant with an annual average of 0.2% of the total discards. 9

10 3. MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE SUSTAINABLE EXPLOITATION OF THE ANCHOVY AND SARDINE STOCKS According to the regulation (EC)2371/2002, the present management plan refers to the Greek fishing vessels which have a fishing permit to use the gear 'purse seine'. In accordance to article 6 of the regulation (EC) 2371/2002, the present management plan: identifies the target-species for which a special fishing permit system is to be enforced and which are landed only with the purse seine fishing gear provides information on the present state of the target-stocks identify and describe the known effects of the purse seine fishing gear to the environment identify and describe the known effects of the application of these measures to the purse seine fishery sector set reference points for each species based on biomass, fishing mortality and exploitation rate. The evaluation of these points will be conducted on an annual basis and if the case that the values of these indicators fall below the reference points then the special fishing permits will be revoked describe the details of a monitoring plan for the above reference points which will assess the state of the stocks of the target-species in relation to the reference points 3.1. Target-species of the management plan The target species and by priority will be (1) the anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) and (2) the sardine (Sardina pilchardus). The anchovy and the sardine are the most valuable small pelagic species in Greece. They form the main amount of small pelagic landings (Table 4). Both these species in Greece are mostly fished with the purse seine fishing gear. Both these species have special characteristics which are important and should be carefully considered for their management. In particular: 1. they exhibit large biomasses due to their low position in the food chain 2. they show considerable horizontal and vertical migrations 3. they exhibit small life span. Most of the landed specimens are not older than 3 years 4. their stock status depends significantly on their annual recruitment due to their small life span and this results to significant biomass fluctuations depending on the environmental conditions 5. there exist 2 genetically separate stocks of anchovy, that of the Aegean Sea and that of the Ionian Sea. On the contrary, the sardine stock is pammictic. The anchovy and sardine are landed usually close to the areas of high productivity. These species form almost 80% of the total purse seine segment landings. The production of these species is illustrated in Figure 5. In particular during the last decade, the purse seine annual landings range between 9500 and tn for anchovy and 7000 and tn for sardines. 10

11 Εκθορηώζεις (t) Εκθορηώζεις (t) Annual anchovy landings Εκθορηώζεις γαύροσ ζύμθωνα με ηην Εθνική Σηαηιζηική Υπηρεζία Annual sardine landings Εκθορηώζεις ζαρδέλας ζύμθωνα με ηην Εθνική Σηαηιζηική Υπηρεζία Έηος Έηος Figure 5. Anchovy and sardine landings (tn; National Statistical Service) 3.2. Current state of the management plan's target-stocks Landings The total landings from purse seine fishery (all species) range between and tonnes from the Aegean sea (subarea 3.1) and 2000 to 5000 tonnes from the Ionian Sea (subarea 3.2). From these landings, 92-98% are small pelagic (Engraulis encracicholus, Sardina pilchardus, Trachrurus spp, Boops boops, Spicara spp, Sardinela aurita, Scomber japonicus και Scomber scomber). Data on the landings from the Greek National Program for Collection of Fisheries Data in accordance to EC/1534 and EC/1639 as well as the databases kept by the Institute for Marine Biological Resources of the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research are summarized in Table 5. Table 5. Purse seine vessel's landings (total and per target species) LANDINGS PERCENTAGE TO THE TOTAL PURSE SEINE LANDINGS Year Total Pelagic species Anchovy and Pelagic Species Sardines (%) Aegean Sea ,948 28,173 22, % 74.0% ,646 44,672 28, % 62.5% ,677 40,882 28, % 67.7% ,534 40,813 28, % 66.1% ,546 31,757 21, % 62.7% ,590 34,896 24, % 66.7% ,571 40,901 28, % 67.4% ,298 44,749 33, % 72.8% ,780 49,133 40, % 81.6% ,851 41,291 33, % 79.9% Ionian Sea ,644 2,482 1, % 70.8% ,048 1,868 1, % 67.4% ,198 2,941 2, % 64.2% ,934 1,903 1, % 62.6% Anchovy and Sardines (%) 11

12 Εκθορηώζεις ζε t Εκθορηώζεις ζε t PERCENTAGE TO THE LANDINGS TOTAL PURSE SEINE LANDINGS ,325 3,185 2, % 64.0% ,045 4,992 3, % 74.9% ,809 2,606 2, % 73.1% ,494 4,080 2, % 64.5% ,927 3,679 2, % 74.5% ,157 2,035 1, % 78.9% 60,000 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 0 Total Landings Aegean Sea Αιγαίο Πέλαγος Εκθορηώζεις Γρι - γρι Έηος Σσνολικές Πελαγικά είδη Γαύρος - Σαρδέλα 10,000 9,000 8,000 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0 Total Landings Ionian Sea Ιόνιο Πέλαγος Εκθορηώζεις Γρι - γρι Έηος Σσνολικές Πελαγικά είδη Γαύρος - Σαρδέλα Figure 6. Total purse seine segment landings (in tonnes) in Aegean and Ionian Seas (- - Total; - - Pelagic species; - - Anchovy, Sardine) The main volume of landings is composed of anchovies and sardines alone (63-82% of total purse seine landings for both species). The distribution of landings in Greece differs from north to south and from east to west (see also Stergiou 1997). The distribution is summarized in Table 6. Table 6. Anchovy and sardine landings in the Aegean Sea sub-areas (in tonnes) Year Aegean Sea North Aegean South Aegean North Aegean South Aegean Sea Sea Sea (%) Sea (%) % 11.00% % 12.00% % 5.71% % 5.77% % 9.08% % 6.42% % 8.60% % 8.20% % 8.79% % 7.62% The landings of both species originate mainly from the Aegean sea (93% annual average) during the last decade. In addition, landings originating from the North and central Aegean Sea form the 80% of the total national landings of these species. 12

13 % % Discards of the target-species The amounts of anchovies and sardines discarded during purse seine fishery operations are insignificant justifying the fact that the gear is highly selective. The estimated percentage of discards is summarized in Table 7. Table 7. Percent of discarded anchovies and sardines over the total landings. Year Anchovy (%) Sardines (%) The average size of the 50% of the discarded anchovies is 86,2 mm while for the sardine is mm. Almost 80% of the discarded anchovies and 60% of the discarded sardines are undersized (Fig. 7). Percent of discarded sardines per length class Ποζοζηά απορριπηομένων αηόμων ζαρδέλας ανά κλάζη μήκοσς Ολικό μήκος (mm) Total length (mm) Percent of discarded anchovies per length class Ποζοζηά απορριπηομένων αηόμων γαύροσ ανά κλάζη μήκοσς Ολικό μήκος (mm) Total length (mm) Figure 7. Percent of discarded anchovies and sardines per length class 13

14 3.3. Effects of purse seine operations to the environment The known data indicate that the use of a purse seine does not have any impact to the environment. The operation of the purse seine fishing gear has minimal impact to the demersal species and the benthos of the location of fishing as shown from the by-catches described above Impact to the demersal stocks Regarding the demersal stocks, the impact of the purse seine is minimal. According to the data summarized in Table 4, only 3% of the total landings of the purse seine fleet segment of the Greek fisheries sector comprises of demersal species. The landings of demersal species from the purse seine segment also represent only the 2.5% of the total demersal species landings of the Greek fisheries sector. Also the discards of the demersal species is minimal. According to the existing data the percentage of discards are below 0.5% with annual average 0.2% Impact to the sea bottom and benthos Regarding the impact of purse seine gear to the sea bottom and benthos, 3 comments need to be made. All 2 justify the fact that the purse seine gear with the technical characteristics and mode of use in Greece does not create any impact to the sea bottom and the benthos (details can be found in Annex IV): (a) Based on the technical characteristics and method of use of the purse seine in Greece, it is impossible that it can be used as a trawled gear (like a trawler). When the purse seine net is deployed from the fishing vessel, its hauling is conducted with the fishing vessel stationary and only with the use of the hydraulic winches. During the hauling, the operation of the engine is only to provide hydraulic power to the winches and not to move the vessel. Moreover, if the vessel moves during the hauling, this will only result to the entanglement of the net. Therefore, the opinion that the purse seine gear can be used as a mobile gear (trawling) is totally unreal and false. The hauling of the net can be carried out wither mechanically using automatic winches or by hand in the case of small fishing vessels. The material from which the net is made as well as the way the various parts of the net are sawn together does not allow it to be dragged like a trawler along the sea bottom because it will be significantly damaged. Even in the case that a fisherman would like to use it as a trawler (illegally) the damages that would be incurred to the net would be difficult to cover financially (a purse seine net costs around 40,000 the small version Central Greece - and around 60,000 the large version North Greece). (b) When a purse seine net has an official height of 120 m (measured according to the official method set by the EU i.e. stretched and wet) then the operational height of the net (the height of the net during deployment from a vessel) cannot be more than 60 m and when it closes by the use of a purse line, its depth cannot be more than 20 m. This justifies the fact that the net cannot have any impact to the sea bottom at operational depths down to 30 m as it was the limit of the legislation until today. Obviously the effects of the gear are much less when it operates at depths down to 50 m as provided by the latest regulation on the Mediterranean fisheries. (c) The operation of the purse seine net is based on the encirclement of a school of small pelagic species. The net can have a circumference of 500 m (for example in North Ionian Sea-Corfu) to 800 m (North Aegean Sea-Thermaikos Gulf). The height of the net can be 65 m (for example in North Ionian Sea-Corfu) to 120 m (North Aegean Sea-Thermaikos Gulf). The detection of the school of fish is carried out using electronic fish finders and the gathering of the fish is carried out using a light source. These light sources have special characteristics by means of intensity set by the 14

15 Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food. This are special technical measures set by the Greek administration within the framework of stock conservation and such measures are not existent in other EU member states. The high selectivity of the purse seine net is owed to the fact that these low intensity light sources attract only the small pelagic fish (which are targeted by the gear) and not any other species (like demersal etc.). The deployment of the net is carried out either using a small boat (tender) or the main fishing vessel. The deployment needs to be completed quickly (normally not more than 10 minutes) so that to avoid losing the fish. Another special characteristic of the use of the gear is that it cannot be used when the weather is bad and winds more than 4-5 Bf because the wind-driven waves will cause the entanglement of the net and the loss of the fish. There is misunderstanding regarding the use and operation of the purse seine net in Greece. Non detailed description of the fishing gear from international organizations like F.A.O. indicate that the purse seine is allowed to be fully deployed in depth and then it is hauled on board using the purse seine line. In the following picture the use of the purse seine net is illustrated in accordance to F.A.O. (fishing gear fact-sheets, Eventhough this image is good to provide a description of the parts of the net, it does not show the operation of the net and the relationship between the circumference and height of the net. The height of the net is 6-7 times less than the circumference (Fig. 8). Figure 8. Operation of purse seine net according to F.A.O. Under normal operation conditions the fish are trapped at the side part of the net and NOT the bottom as it is implied from the above image (Fig. 8; see arrow). In Figure 9, the correct deployment of the net is illustrated. During deployment the net is not allowed to be fully extended vertically. When the deployment is finished, the net is immediately hauled on board the vessel and therefore, the only part of the net that is extended is the initial part which was first deployed off the vessel. During deployment the net is fully opened from below and from below the vessel. The small time between the initiation of the deployment and the hauling is very small so that the encircled fish school does not have time to escape either from below the net or from below the vessel (see also Annex IV). 15

16 Figure 9. Position and deployment of the purse seine gear when the hauling is started (by means of a purse line) The mostly deployed part of the net is shown to the right. The movement of the vessel during the encirclement of the fish is shown (arrow) 3.4. Financial impact from the application of the Reg. (EC)1967/2006 on the purse seine fishery in Greece. The number of people directly employed in the purse seine segment is 4000 while the dependent population (number of family members) is estimated to be in Greece. Moreover it should be noted that the processing industry in Greece is mostly based to the anchovies and sardines landed by the purse seiners. Also the purse seine segment offers jobs and income to other economic sectors as well such as transportation, tourism, construction etc. The main impacts of the Reg. (EC) 1967/2006 on the purse seine segment and the Greek fishery sector are: Significant reduction of the available small pelagic fish available for fishing For the correct and beneficial application of the regulation there are several issues regarding the distribution of the anchovy and sardine stocks in the Greek seas need to be considered. The distribution of the stocks depends on the geomorphology of the coastline. According to the existing research data on the distribution of the stocks and biomass of small pelagic species it is evident that most of the known fishing grounds will not be available for fishing using the purse seine in the future. The small pelagic fish like sardines and anchovies are usually gathered at upwelling areas and areas close to eutrophic coastal waters. Contrary to what happens in other areas, in Greece the areas with high productivity are located close to the coastline and are usually connected to areas of river outflow. In addition, the Greek coastline is exhibits numerous closed gulfs which are interconnected with narrow passages. In Annex III, the description of such areas is provided for further consideration and which show extended areas in which fishing with purse seine is prohibited by the new EU regulation. 16

17 These characteristics of the Greek coastline result to the concentration of the stocks of small pelagic close to the coastline and not the open sea as in other areas (open sea and oceans). In Table 14, the percentage of sardine and anchovies distributed by depths is summarized (DCR reports; ). Table 14. The percent of sardine and anchovy biomass distributed among the depth zones (in m) according to ecosounding research data (summer data; ) (a) Distribution of sardines and anchovies in depth zones <15 m, m και m. (*) estimation (older legislation) Year <15 m (*) m m Anchovy Sardine Anchovy Sardine Anchovy Sardine % 22% 14% 33% 42% 45% % 23% 14% 36% 55% 41% % 19% 24% 32% 32% 49% % 14% 33% 44% 33% 42% (b) Distribution of biomass in depth zones <50 m, και >50 m (latest legislation) Year <50 m >50 m Anchovy Sardine Anchovy Sardine % 78% 44% 22% % 77% 31% 23% % 81% 44% 19% % 85% 34% 15% Moreover the sardine and anchovy populations are concentrated closer to the coastlines during the winter period (Giannoulaki et al 2003, 2005, 2006). The percentages presented in Table 14, provide a conservative view of the issue since areas with a depth less than 15 m have not been studied thoroughly. However, in any case the application of the new regulation at depths equal and below 50 m as provided by the latest regulation for the Mediterranean will allow the exploitation only of the 40% of the available stock of the anchovy and only the 20% of the available stock of the sardine. The existing legislation and policies on the purse seine fishing in Greece have taken into consideration the above special characteristics allowing for the protection of more than the 20% of the existing stock of anchovies and more than 35% of the sardine stock. The application of the technical measures provided by the Reg. (EC)1967/2006 will eventually have dramatic economic effects on purse seine fishing sector as well as the processing sector considering that less than 40% of the available fish biomass will be available for exploitation. For the above reasons and given the satisfactory state of the sardine and anchovy stocks it is evident that the technical measures that should be applied for the purse seine fishery in Greece is to be allowed to operate at depths between 30 and 50 m without any other restriction based on the net height. In the present management plan, reference points and an annual monitoring plan are described for the sardine and anchovies. Based on these reference points, the special fishing permits will be revoked if the monitoring survey shows that the current reference point's values are worse than the set reference points. 17

18 Increase of the fishing trip duration The application of the new regulation will result to the increase of the fishing trip duration since the new fishing grounds (at depths allowed by the new regulation) are located further away from the home ports and which in turn results to the increase off the coast of fishing. According to the data from the National Program for Collection of Fisheries Data in accordance to EC/1534 and EC/1639) for 2006, the fishing cost structure for the purse seine segment is: Staff (salaries and social security) 35,73% Fuel 18,68% Maintenance (vessel and gears) 10,15% Other miscellaneous 35,44% 100,00% Due to the delicate nature of the fish landed by the purse seine, the purse seine vessels cannot perform long fishing trips away from the main harbours and fish monger markets. This indicates that any change in the fishing trip and especially its duration will have a negative impact to the quality of the landed fish except the cost of fishing and thus, the economic returns in the sector. The range of the fishing trips of the purse seine vessels is not longer than nm around the home port. This is estimated considering the maximum speed of a standard vessel (around 10 knots) and considering that the trip between the fishing ground and the landing port is not more than 2 hours. The range of a fishing trip can reach even 150 nm from the home port when the vessel will move to adjacent fishing grounds from those close to the hope port. However, in that case the prerequisite is that the vessel must operate close to a official landing port. In general, the purse seine vessels operate in fishing grounds which are (a) close to official landing ports in which the prices are satisfactory and (b) the duration of the trip between the fishing ground and the landing port is not longer than 2-3 hours due to the sensitive nature of the small pelagic fish (are easily spoiled). The change of the fishing isobath which is applied through the new regulation causes the increase of the fishing trip duration. Based on the known geographic data and the known official home and landing ports, the distance of the allowed fishing grounds from the main Greek home ports is changes as follows: Thessaloniki: from 25 nm to 40; increase by 60% (15 nm) Nea Michaniona/Moudania, North Greece: from 9 nm to 23 nm; increase by 156% (14 nm) Chalkida (South Evoikos Gulf): from 15 nm to 41 nm; increase by 173% (26 nm) Stylida/Oreoi channel: from 11 nm to 27 nm; increase by 145% (16 nm) Volos: from 3.5 nm to 5 nm; increase by 43% (1.5 nm) Patra: from 0.8 nm to 4.2 nm; increase by 525% (3.4 nm) Corfu: from 1 nm to 25 nm; increase by 2500% (25 nm) The above estimations show that the application of the new regulation will result to the coincidence of the new purse seine fishing grounds with the trawler fishing grounds. It should be noted that the increase of the distance between the home ports and the fishing grounds will result to the prohibition of fishing in the main purse seine fishing grounds ie. the Thermaikos gulf and Strimonikos Gulf/Gulf of Kavala. The main reasons that the new regulation will affect the fisheries production and national economy are: 18

19 the sardine and anchovy stocks are coastal and on a seasonal basis they may gather very close to the coast the use of the purse seine gear is traditional and has not been modernized in the recent years. The purse seiners use light sources of very small intensity up to candles (regulated by law) when adjacent countries use light sources with intensities up to candles. The Greek Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food has regulated by law the maximum allowed light intensity for purse seine fishing contrary to other EU member states Reduction of the available traditional fishing grounds (by area). According to the known research data, the traditional purse seine fishing grounds are: Gulf of Corfu (range 60 nm) Pagassitikos gulf, Oreoi channel, North Evoikos Gulf to Chalkida Kavala Gulf, Ierissos, Thasos islands (range 70 nm) Argolida gulf, outer Saronikos gulf (range 120 nm) Crete, Kithira sea, central Kyklades Island's area (range 120 nm) Saronikos gulf, South Evoikos Gulf (range 12 nm) the coast from south Corfu island to Patraikos gulf (range 30 nm) Thermaikos gulf to Athos (East) and Pilion mountain (South) (range 150 nm) The changes in the existing traditional fishing grounds due to the application of the new regulation are considered significant since the Greek coastline is characterized by shallow depths. These changes are summarized below: Strymonikos gulf (Thassos island to Athos): from 2743 km² to 1773 km²; reduction κατά 35,3% (970 km²) Thermaikos gulf (from Sithonia pen. to Zagora, Pilion) from 4173 km² to 2880 km²; reduction by 30.9% (1293 km²) Pagassitikos Gulf: from 480 km² to 240 km²; reduction by 50.0% (240 km²) Oreoi channel (outer Maliakos gulf to Aegean sea exit channel): from 293 km² to 115 km²; reduction by 60.8% (178 km²) North Evoikos Gulf: from 690 km² to 384 km²; reduction by 44.3% (306 km²) South Evoikos Gulf: (outer limit of 100 m isobath) from 734 km² to 130 km²; reduction by 83.3% (604 km²) Argolikos Gulf: from 744 km² to 645 km²; reduction by 13,3% (99 km²) Patraikos Gulf (from Rion-Antirrion bridge to Ionia Sea: from 263 km² to 91.5; reduction by 62,5% (171,5 km²) Corfu gulf (from north border with Albania to south Corfu island): from 516 km² to 0 km²; total loss of the fishing ground (516 km²) The total loss of fishing grounds is estimated to be km² out of a total of km² i.e. 41,2%. It should also be noted that due to the morphology of the Greek coastline, the application of the prohibitions provided in the new regulation will transfer the fishing activities of the purse seine outside the 6 mile territorial waters limits since Greece is the only EU member state with such a small limit of territorial waters (other countries have limits of 200 nm and more). 19

20 3.5. Reference points for the application of the management plan Within the framework of the present management plan regarding the state of stocks of sardines and anchovies in the Aegean Sea, the reference points were set based on the National Program for Collection of Fisheries Data in accordance to EC/1534 and EC/1639 data derived from ecosounding research and fish plankton studies. In addition, the present management plan includes also the description of a monitoring plan of the target species (see Chapter 4) Anchovies (Engraulis encrasicolus) The anchovy belongs to the family of Engraulidae. Their maximum length reaches 20 cm and the average age in the landed amounts is up to 3 years. It feeds on plankton and its spawning period is between April and November. Reproduction peak is observed between June and July (Somarakis et al. 2002, 2004, 2006, Stergiou et al 2002). The length at first spawning is 10.5 cm (Somarakis 2004, 2006, Stergiou et al 2002). The minimum landing size is 9 cm. The anchovy stock in the Greek territorial waters is composed of 2 genetically distinct groups: the Aegean Sea group and the Ionian Sea group Total biomass The total biomass of the anchovy was estimated with acoustic surveys during the period June and July for the years 2003 to 2006 within the National Program for Collection of Fisheries Data in accordance to EC/1534 and EC/1639. These surveys cover the North and Central Aegean Sea in which the 90% of the anchovy biomass is located and from which the 80% of the landed amounts is derived. The methodology of estimation is provided in detail in Annex I. The results are summarized in Table Spawning biomass Table 7. Total biomass for the anchovy stock in the Aegean Sea based on ecosounding surveys Year Biomass (t) CV The spawning biomass was estimated using the Daily Egg Production Method DEPM from plankton research surveys during the period June-July of the years within the National Program for Collection of Fisheries Data in accordance to EC/1534 and EC/1639; see details in Annex II). The results are summarized in Table 8. Table 8. Spawning biomass of anchovy stock in Aegean Sea (DEPM method) Year Spawning Biomass (t) CV

21 Βιομάζα (t) Biomass, t Έτος Fishing mortality Γαύρος: Αναπαραγ. Βιομάζα Γαύρος: Ολική Βιομάζα Figure 10. Anchovy biomass estimates based on eco-sounding and plankton research data The estimation of the fishing mortality and the exploitation ratio was based on the Integrated Catch Analysis-ICA method (Patterson 1998). For the application of the method, the following data are required (National Program for Collection of Fisheries Data in accordance to EC/1534 and EC/1639) (Table 9): a) total biomass b) number at age in the stock c) spawning biomass d) number at age in the spawning stock e) landings f) landings per age Table 9. Annual fishing mortalities per age of anchovy Age Average (Ages 1-3+) Exploitation rate - - Total Biomass, - - Spawning Biomass The data on exploitation rate are summarized in Table

22 Table 10. Exploitation rate of anchovy Age Average (ages 1-3+) Reference points for the management of anchovy Based on the above the initial reference points for the management of the anchovy will be: Minimum total biomass (June): tonnes Minimum spawning biomass (June): tonnes Maximum fishing mortality: 1.2 Maximum exploitation rate: 0.4 The reference point regarding the total biomass and spawning biomass were based on estimated minimum amounts from eco-sounding surveys in the Aegean Sea since 2003 increased by 10% to cover the areas and landings not yet covered by research. The maximum fishing mortality and exploitation rate values are slightly lower from the values derived from the application of the ICA methodology. Its must be noted that the proposed exploitation rate is in accordance to the standard exploitation rate for small pelagic species proposed by Petterson (2002). The reference points will be reviewed on an annual basis based on the results of the monitoring survey for the target stocks. The monitoring survey will cover the whole geographic area in which the target species are fished and the data of these surveys will lead to more accurate estimated of the reference points Sardine (Sardina pilchardus) The sardine belongs to the family of Clupeidae. The maximum length reaches 25 cm and the age in the landed amounts is up to 4 years. It is a pelagic species with a high commercial value. The spawning period in the eastern Mediterranean extends between October and April with a peak during December-February. The length at first spawning is 11.5 cm (Stergiou et al 2002, Somarakis et al 2006). The minimum landing size is 11 cm. It is sold as fresh or processed (canned etc.) Total Biomass The total biomass of the sardine was estimated through acoustic surveys during the period June and July for the years 2003 έφς 2006 within the National Program for Collection of Fisheries Data in accordance to EC/1534 and EC/1639. These surveys cover the North and Central Aegean Sea in which the 85% of the sardine biomass is located and from which the 75% of the landed amounts is derived. The methodology of estimation is provided in detail in Annex I. The results are summarized in Table

23 Βιομάζα (t) Table 11 Total biomass for the sardine stock in the Aegean Sea based on ecosounding surveys Year Biomass (t) CV Σαρδέλα: Ολική Βιομάζα Έτος Fishing Mortality Σαρδέλα: Ολική Βιομάζα Figure 11. The state of biomass of sardines in Aegean Sea (eco-sounding surveys) The estimation of the fishing mortality and the exploitation ratio was based on the Integrated Catch Analysis-ICA method (Patterson 1998). For the application of the method, the following data are required (National Program for Collection of Fisheries Data in accordance to EC/1534 and EC/1639) (Table 9): a) total biomass b) number at age in the stock c) number at age in the spawning stock d) landings e) landings per age Table 12. Fishing mortality per age for sardine stock. Age Average ( Ages 1-3+) Exploitation Rate - - Sardine: Total Biomass (t) 23

24 The data on exploitation rate are summarized in Table 13. Table 13. Exploitation rate of sardine Ages Average (Ages 1-3+) Reference points for the management of sardine Based on the above the initial reference points for the management of the sardine will be: Minimum Total biomass: tonnes Maximum fishing mortality: 1.1 Maximum exploitation rate: 0.4 The reference point regarding the total biomass were based on estimated minimum amounts from eco-sounding surveys in the Aegean Sea since 2003 increased by 10% to cover the areas and landings not yet covered by research. The maximum fishing mortality and exploitation rate values are slightly lower from the values derived from the application of the ICA methodology. Its must be noted that the proposed exploitation rate is in accordance to the standard exploitation rate for small pelagic species proposed by Petterson (2002). The reference points will be reviewed on an annual basis based on the results of the monitoring survey for the target stocks. The monitoring survey will cover the whole geographic area in which the target species are fished and the data of these surveys will lead to more accurate estimated of the reference points. 24

25 4. MONITORING PLAN FOR THE TARGET-STOCKS AND THE REFERENCE POINTS According to the present plan, the monitoring of the state of the stocks in relation to the reference points will be conducted on an annual basis. In the case that the current values of the reference points exceeds from above or below the maximum or minimum values set above, the special fishing permits will be revoked. The monitoring plan includes eco-sounding surveys for anchovy and sardine and monthly monitoring of the landings and the biological characteristics of the landed individuals. The proposed monitoring plan covers both the 2 genetically different stocks of anchovy (Magoulas et al 2006) existing in the Greek waters (Aegean Sea stock and Ionian Sea stock) as well as the whole stock of sardines 4.1. Eco-sounding and hydroacoustic survey The stocks of both target species will be estimated through annual hydroacoustic surveys during the 2 nd and 3 rd quarter of every year in 2 phases: the Aegean Sea survey and the Ionian Sea survey (fig. 12 and 13) 41 o 40 o 39 o 38 o 22 o 23 o 24 o 25 o 26 o Figure 12. Illustration of hydroacoustic survey transects in Aegean Sea Figure 13. Illustration of hydroacoustic survey transects in Ionian Sea 25

26 The survey transects will be perpendicular to the coastline and the inter-transect distance will be10 miles. The hydroacoustic surveys will provide the following data: a) Total biomass of anchovies and sardines b) Age structure of the populations c) Average length at age keys d) Weight and length relationships In addition spawning biomass of anchovy will be estimated in Aegean Sea, through ichthyoplankton survey based on the DEPM, and since the survey period coincides with the peak of the reproduction period of the species. The detailed methodology is provided in Annex I. The methodology and survey protocol will be the same used in the National Fisheries Data Collection program Landing sampling Within the framework of the monitoring plan the systematic sampling of landings is planned. The sampling will be conducted on a monthly basis at the 4 main geographic regions where the purse seine fishery is focused: 1. Thracean Sea Strymonikos Gulf (Kavala region) 2. Thermaikos Gulf (Michaniona region) 3. Evoikos Gulfs Saronikos Gulf (Chalkida region) 4. Ionion Sea (Paatra region) The sampling will be conducted on a monthly basis and will cover 1 sample of 50 fish per 200 kg of landed amount in accordance to the protocol followed for the DCR regulation. In every sample a length frequency analysis and age determination will be preformed. Every month 5 samples will be taken from the landings derived from 5 different vessels. The profile of the annual landings will be determined after integration of the data from every station and year quarter in accordance to the protocol proposed by ICES (2005). The above data will aid the determination of the state of sardines and anchovies. The hydroacoustic surveys will result to the collection of the following data: 1. Total biomass 2. Length distribution of stocks 3. Number at Age of stocks From the landing samples, the following data will be derived: 1. Length distribution of landings 2. Number at Age of landings With the integration of the data from both samplings and the application of the ICA method and/or other integration methods, the evaluation of the state of the stocks and the reference point values will be estimated. In particular, the estimation of the spawning biomass of the anchovy will be conducted in the Aegean Sea using the Daily Egg Production Method during the peak of the stock spawning (See Annex II). 26

27 4.3. Purse seine segment landings In order to fulfill the objectives of the present monitoring plan other data will be required. These data will be derived from the National Program for Collection of Fisheries Data in accordance to EC/1534 and EC/1639) which covers 30 landing ports (Fig. 14). Porto Lagos Alexandroupolis Kavala Fanari Katerini Mihaniona Moudania Ierisos Kerkira Igoumenitsa Volos Alonisos Perveza Mytilini Lamia Lefkada Mesologi Chalkida Hios Patra Korinthos Piraias Samos Nafplion Kythnos Naxos Kalamata Rhodos Chania Iraklion Sitia Figure 14. Sampling stations (ports) The exploitation of the existing network of data collection will aid the collection of the following information: 1. estimation of monthly fishing effort (days at sea, days at sea x kw, days at sea x gt) 2. daily landings 3. annual landings in Aegean and Ionian Sea 4. social and economic parameters The above are required to estimate the mortality levels and the exploitation rates Study of possible additional measure for the reduction of discards 27

28 The target small pelagic species exhibit significant population fluctuations which depend on the environmental conditions which affect the recruitment of the species. The fact that the small pelagics depend on their recruitment is owed to their small life span (almost all landed fish are 1 or 2 years of age with older fish very rare). The fish landed by purse seiners are usually only 2 years old uniform production) One of the aims of the present monitoring plan is to study the possibility to propose additional technical measures to reduce catches of undersized fish which usually are discarded Time schedule of the monitoring plan for each year According to the management plan, one survey will be carried out every year between June and September. Additionally, the monitoring of the amount and composition of the landings will be carried out from March to December 15 i.e. during the period which the fishing with purse seine is allowed by law. The results on the state of stocks of anchovy and sardine in relation to the reference points will be submitted to the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food until February 15 of every year. In the case that the state of stocks is out of the limits set by the reference points, the special fishing permits will be revoked before the start of the purse seine fishing period (March 1 st ). The annual time schedule of the monitoring plan and administrations procedures is illustrated in the following figure: 4.6. Administration procedures regarding the special fishing permits Within the present management plan, the issuing of special fishing permits is planned for fishing vessels that carry professional license for purse seine fishing and at the same time, satisfy the provisions of Reg. (EC)1967/2006 i.e. they have a proven record in fishing with this particular year of more than 5 years. 28

29 Immediately after the approval of the management plan, the following administration procedure will be followed on behalf of the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food: 1. Issuing of a Minsterial Decree, following an approval by the Fisheries Council, for the adoption of the derogation within the framework of the following clauses: a. paragraph 2, of the article 9 of the Law 2732/1999 regarding the professional unions and jurisdiction issues of the Ministry of Agriculture (O.J. 154 A) b. article 90 of the Legislation Codex for the Government and the Government Agencies as ratified with article 1 of P.D. 63/2005 regarding the codification of legislation for the Government and the Government Agencies The Misterial Decree will also provide for the issuing od special fishing permits for the derogations 2. Issuing of a special fishing permit for the fishing vessels willing to apply the derogation and which will allow fishing with a purse seine gear from the 30 m isobath and further or from a distance of 300 m and further regardless the height of the net. These permits will be valied for 1 fishing period (1 year) 3. At the same time, the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food will select a suitable research Institute or agency which will undertake the scientific monitoring of the stocks in order to fulfill the requirements of the Regulation for the submission of reports every 3 years with the first report's deadline not after July 31, The monitoring plan will have an annual duration and will provide all the required scientific information for the assessment of the state of the target-species stocks for the issuing or revocation of the special fishing permits which will be applied in the next fishing period. 29

30 5. RESUME With the present management plan the need for the issuing of special fishing permits for the Greek purse seine is justified, considering that due to the provisions of article 13 par. 3, of the Reg. (EC)1967/2006, as well as the special characteristics of the Greek coastline (ch. 3), most of the traditional purse seine fishing grounds are excluded from fishing. In addition, the fact that purse seine fishery is targeting sardines and anchovies and, based on the current Greek legislation, the fishing of small pelagic with trawls is strictly prohibited, this will lead to the dramatic reduction of the production of sardines and anchovies increasing at the same time the needs for imports. The present management plan is in accordance to the Reg. (EC)2371/2002 and refers to the purse seine fishing vessels only. Within the present management plan and in accordance to the provisions of article 6, Reg. EC)2371/2002: 1. the defined target species are the anchovy and the sardine. These species are the almost 80% of the species landed by purse seiners and 95% of the amounts landed by the purse seiners 2. the state of the stocks is evaluated 3. reference points are set for every species. If the estimated values exceed the reference points then the special fishing permits will be revoked. The reference points are based on 4 different biological criteria: the total biomass (anchovy and sardine), the spawning stock biomass (anchovy), the fishing mortality (anchovy and sardine) and the exploitation rate (anchovy and sardine) in accordance to Reg. (EC)2371/2002, article the impact of the purse seine gear to the environment is analysed. In accordance to the known data the Greek purse seine does not have any impact to the demersal species, exhibits low discards and it does not affect the sea bottom 5. the economic impacts from the application of the regulation is described In addition and in accordance to the regulation, an annual monitoring plan of the state of the stocks and the levels of the reference points is described. 30

31 TABLE OF CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE REGULATION'S REQUIREMENTS AND CLAUSES AND THE PRESENT MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING PLAN Provision/clause in Regulations Information proving that a derogation from Reg. (EC)1967/2006 is justified Description of the state of the purse seine segment and the impacts of the new measures to the sector Technical information on the use and operation of the purse seine gear Target species Reference in present management plan 1. The stocks of anchovy and sardine does not show a reduction which would justify the application of more strict technical measures and prohibitions (chapter 2) 2. The reduction n of the traditional fishing grounds and the increase of fishing trips creates increased fishing costs (chapter 3.4.) 3. The geographical distribution of the stocks does not coincide with the new fishing grounds leaving almost 80% of their biomass unexploited (Annex ΙΙΙ) Chapters 2, 3.3., 3.4. and ΑNNEX ΙΙΙ ANNEX IV Chapter 3.1. The species are the anchovy and sardine with the same ranking order of priority Chapter 3.5. Reference pints for the sustainable management of the target stocks ANCHOVY Minimum total biomass (June): tonnes Minimum spawning biomass (June): tonnes Maximum fishing mortality: 1.2 Maximum exploitation rate: 0.4 SARDINE Minimum total biomass (June): tonnes Maximum fishing mortality: 1.1 Maximum exploitation rate: 0.4 Fleet and distribution Chapter 2 Application of the precautionary approach Technical description and characteristics of the gear Biological characteristics of target species Characteristics of the fishery Chapter 4 Annex ΙΙΙ Chapter 3.1. Chapter 2 Characteristics of the fleet Chapter 2 31

32 Economic impact from the application of the regulations Chapter 3.4. Reduction of discards Chapters 2.7, 3.2. Control of fishing effort The present management and monitoring plan aims to the control of fishing effort by means of special fishing permits Definition of fishing areas and seasons Annex III Minimum landing size Covered by the Reg. (EC)1967/2006. No changes are included in the present management plan Chapter 3.3. Environmental protection 1. It is proved that the use of the current gear does not affect the demersal stocks 2. The use of the gear at the designated depth limits with its current technical specifications does not have an impact to the sea bottom and the benthos Monitoring plan Chapter 4 Time period until the successful completion of the monitoring plan and time schedule Chapter 4.5 Annual 32

33 6. REFERENCES Draper N.R. and H. Smith, Applied regression analysis. Ed. John Wiley and Sons, N.Y., 407 p. Giannoulaki M, Machias A, Somarakis S, Tsimenides N The spatial distribution of anchovy and sardine in the northern Aegean Sea in relation to hydrographic regimes. Belgian Journal of Zoology 135 (2): Giannoulaki M., A. Machias, C. Koutsikopoulos, J. Haralabous, S. Somarakis, N. Tsimenides The effect of coastal topography on the spatial structure of the populations of small pelagic fish. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 265: Giannoulaki M., Machias A., Koutsikopoulos C. and Somarakis S The effect of coastal topography on the spatial structure of anchovy and sardine. ICES Journal of Marine Science, ICES Journal of Marine Science, 63(4): Hunter J.R. and B. Macewitz, Measurement of spawning frequency in multiple spawning fishes. In: Lasker R. (Ed.). An Egg Production Method for Estimating Spawning Biomass of Pelagic Fish: Application to the Northern Anchovy, Engraulis mordax. NOAA Technical Rep. NMFS 36: Hunter J.R., Preservation of Northern Anchovy in Formaldehyde Solution. In: Lasker R. (Ed.). An Egg Production Method for Estimating Spawning Biomass of Pelagic Fish: Application to the Northern Anchovy, Engraulis mordax. NOAA Technical Rep. NMFS 36: ICES, Workshop on Sampling Design for Fisheries Data (WKSDFD), ICES CM 2005/ACFM 11 MacLennan D. and Simmonds E.J Fisheries acoustics. Chapman & Hall, London, 325p. Magoulas, A., Castilho, R., Caetano, S., Marcato, S. and Patarnello, T., Mitochondrial DNA reveals a mosaic pattern of phylogeographical structure in Atlantic and Mediterranean populations of anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus). Mol. Phylogenet Evol 39 (3): Patterson K., Fisheries for small pelagic species: an empirical approach to management targets. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 2, Patterson K.R Integrated catch-at-age analysis, v.1.4. Aberdeen, Marine Laboratory. Somarakis S., Palomera I., Garcia A., Quintanilla L., Koutsikopoulos C., Uriarte A., Motos L., Daily egg production of anchovy in European waters. ICES Journal of Marine Science 61: Somarakis, S, C. Koutsikopoulos, A. Machias and N. Tsimenides Applying the Daily Egg Production Method to small stocks in highly heterogeneous seas. Fish. Res., 55: Somarakis, S., Ganias, K., Siapatis, A. Koutsikopoulos, C., Machias, A., and Papaconstantinou, C Spawning habitat and daily egg production of sardine in the eastern Mediterranean. Fisheries Oceanography 15 (4): Spanakis, E., Tsimenides, N. and Zouros, E., Genetic differences between populations of sardine, Sardina pilchardus, and anchovy, Engraulis encrasicolus, in the Aegean and Ionian seas. J. Fish. Biol., 35: Stergiou KI, Somarakis S and Machias A Anchovy and Sardine in Greek waters: a review of biological, ecological and fisheries aspects related to environmental variability. Environmental variability and small pelagic fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea. Copemed:

34 ANNEX Ι Stock assessment of the anchovy and sardine stocks using hydroacoustic methods Acoustic echoes will be registered continuously along 70 pre-defined transects in the study area with a Biosonics Split Beam 38 khz DT-X. The partitioning of integrated deflection will be done by comparing the echogram at corresponding times. Echograms will be examined in order to identify school marks that characterize anchovy and sardine (MacLennan and Simmonds, 1992). Acoustic survey will cover a total area of Km 2 of echo-integration acquisition. 41 o 40 o 39 o 38 o 22 o 23 o 24 o 25 o 26 o Figure Ι.1. The preselected profiles in the Aegean Sea. In order to estimate anchovy and sardine s biomass, the weight-length relationship is required as well as species length frequency distribution per area. Therefore, a number of pelagic trawls (at least 30) will be held along transects in the positions of high fish concentrations. The density of targets (F) from the observed echo integrals will be estimated according to the equation F= (K/<σ>)E, were K is the calibration factor, <σ> is the mean cross-section and E is the Echo integral after partitioning (MacLennan and Simmonds 1992). The <σ> will be calculated for the mean total fish length of each area according to the equations <σ>= 4π 10 TS/10 f i, where f I ι is the corresponding length frequency as deduced from the fishing samples. The abundance Q will be estimated separately for the eastern and the western part of the study area. The abundance Q in each elementary statistical sampling area will be calculated from the average density within each sub-area according to the equation: Q Ak Fi / Nk, i where F I is the I sample; A k is the area of each elementary statistical sampling area and N k is transects in A k. The variance V will be estimated as V= (AF I -Q) 2 /[N r (N r-1-1)] i The data will be log transformed and the means and variances of F will be estimated according to the following equations: F=exp(m)G N [0.5 S/(n-1); V=F 2 -exp(2m) G N [S(n-2)/(n-1) 2 ]; where m = average (lnf); S= variance (lnf) and n = independent observations of F The total abundance Q t and its variance will be obtained by summing the results for each region Q t =Q 1 +Q 2 +, and V t =V 1 +V 2 +. Standard error of Q t is the square root of V (MacLennan and Simmonds 1992). 34

35 ANNEX ΙΙ Eggs and larvae sampling and the application of the Daily Egg Production Method for the estimation of anchovy spawning stock biomass Ichthyoplankton samples will be obtained over a grid of 205 sampling stations with a WP2 sampler (mouth opening: m 2, mesh-size: mm). Tows will be made from within 5 m of the bottom to surface or from 200 m depth to surface at deep stations. All samples will be preserved, immediately after collection, in 10 % borax-buffered formalin. Anchovy eggs and yolk sac larvae, at each developmental stage (Somarakis et al. 2002) will be counted and their abundance standardised to number per square meter. Adult samples will be collected onboard of the research vessel "PHILIA" by means of a pelagic trawl. Additional samples will be obtained onboard the commercial purse seine fleet. Fish will be fixed immediately after collection with 10% buffered formalin (Hunter, 1985) for laboratory analysis. Spawning frequency (S), i.e. the fraction of mature females spawning per night will be estimated using the postovulatory follicles (POFs) method (Hunter and Macewicz 1985) Parameter estimation generally will follow procedures described in Picquelle & Stauffer (1985) and Somarakis et al. (2002). Age of eggs will be calculated based on a temperature dependent model of European anchovy developmental rate, the station surface temperature (5m), peak spawning time (midnight), and time of tow (Somarakis et al. 2002). The survey area will be post-stratified into positive and negative area. The estimate of daily production of eggs in the positive area will be derived by regressing the counts of embryos (eggs and yolk sac larvae) on their age using the exponential mortality model: Ρ t = Pe -Ζt where Ρ t = number of embryos (eggs or yolk-sac larvae) at age t produced per day per m 2 t = age in days. P = daily egg production per m 2 Ζ = daily rate of instantaneous embryonic mortality We will use two yolk-sac larvae stages (YSI and YSII) and will calculate their duration and their age from fertilization from laboratory derived temperature dependent curves, assuming station surface temperatures (5m) as the yolk-sac larvae incubation temperatures. Stage durations will be used to calculate the daily production of YSI and YSII larvae (Somarakis et al. 2002). The technique to estimate P and Z will be weighted non-linear least squares regression. Station weighting factors will be proportional to the station representative area. The sum of weighting factors will equal the total number of stations in the corresponding stratum. We will use the ratio estimator (Picquelle & Stauffer, 1985) for adult parameters W, R, F, and S: y i n 1 n m y i m with sample variance i 1 i i (1) 35

36 Var ( y) n i 1 n i m ( y y) i i mi n 2 n n 1 where y n y i m i y ij m i j 1 y ij m i = estimate of the population mean, = number of stations, = mean of the ith station, and = number of fish sampled from the ith catch. = value for the jth female in the ith sample Data on the number of eggs per batch ( F ij ) and the ovary free weight (W ij * ) recorded for the hydrated females will be used to fit a linear model: * F a (2) ij bw ij The variance estimator of the batch fecundity will be: Var( F) where F F i i n 1 m F F 2 ( i ) i n 1 s n 2 2 h i n 1 h mi n ( W W ) Var( b) 2 n * * i h (Draper & Smith, 1966) : the estimate of batch fecundity for the whole population of mature females, : average batch fecundity of the ith sample, mi F i : F / m where F ij is the estimated batch fecundity for the jth female in the ith j 1 ij i sample, 2 s h : variance about the regression (Equation (2), n h : number of hydrated females used to fit the regression (Equation (2), W i * W h * : average ovary-free weight of the ith sample, : average ovary-free weight of the n h hydrated females, and Var( b) : variance of the slope of the regression (Equation (2). The results of the DEPM as well as information on plankton and adult samples will be estimated separately for the eastern and the western part of the surveyed area. The total stratified biomass estimate (eastern + western part), will be the sum of the regional biomass estimates. 36

37 ANNEX III Geographic areas excluded from fishing with purse seine 1. Gulf of Corfu According to bathymetry, all area between Corfu and mainland Greece is not available for purse seine fishing 37

38 2. Patraikos Gulf According to bathymetry, only a small part is available for purse seine fishing 38

39 3. Thermaikos Gulf This is the most important and traditional fishing ground for small pelagic fish. The internal Thermaikos gulf is not available for fishing and the average fishing trip for the isobath of 84 m has tripled 39

40 4. Saronikos Gulf Saronikos Gulf has a special geomorphology. Eventhough the depths are enough for the legal use of purse seines, fishing is prohibited in various regions of the gulf due to special measures (shipping lines, Naval weapons testing sites etc.). 40

41 5. Pagassitikos Gulf, Maliakos Gulf and Oreoi channel A large part of Pagassitikos gulf and almost all Of the Oreoi channel is not available for purse seine fishing. Also the available regions are not areas in which anchovies and sardines can be found. 41

42 6. Strymonikos Gulf, Gulf of Ierissos and gulf of Kavala The shelf at this area is steep close to the coastline but after that the sea bottom is almost level. Therefore, the isobath of 50 m is very close to the coastline while again the distance until the isobath of m is long and the reduction of the available fishing ground significant. 42

43 ANNEX IV Technical and geometrical description of the use and operation of the purse seine gear IV.1. General On November 25, 2007 an experimental use of the purse seine net was carried out in the area of Pagassitikos gulf and at the GPS fix location Ν Ε The duration of the haul was 33 minutes in total. During the haul the net deployment was recorded as well as several geometric and mechanical observations regarding the operational use of the gear were made. IV.2. Net deployment procedure use of purse seine net The fish school is located by the use of electronic echosounder and fish finder instruments which are among the standard electronic equipment of a purse seine vessel. The identification species, the size of the individuals and the size of the school are all based on the vessel captain experience. If the size of the school is big enough to attempt the initiation of the fishing procedure, the vessel crew immediately deploys a floating light source (robot, see Figure IV.1) which will aid the gathering of the school close to the sea surface as well as mark the spot where the fish schools is located. This is the only way that a purse seine vessel can catch fish by attracting them close to the sea surface and around the light source. In addition, only the small pelagic fish are attracted to the light while all the other species are repelled by the light and move away. At the same time the crew deploys a small tender boat with one crew member. The small boat remains always close to the floating light source so that he can check whether the fish school still remains in the area using his own fish finder device. In addition, by using VHF communications he is in constant contact with the purse seine vessel captain in order to provide him with information regarding the state of the fish school and the surface water currents. Thisway the purse seine captain can position his vessel correctly in relation to the fish school and the net when the hauling begins. If the fish are still in the area of the light source, then the deployment of the net is initiated with the purse seine vessel performing a cyclical move around the light source (Fig. IV.2.). The hauling of the net using a purse line starts immediately when the purse seine vessels completes its cyclical movement around the fish school. This results to the fact that (a) at the end of this maneuver the purse seine net is not deployed vertically in full and (b) the fishing vessel remains adrift. For these reasons, the net needs to be hauled immediately after the cyclical maneuver because the opening of the net below is so great that the fish may escape very easily. This proves that because of operational restrictions the net cannot be deployed vertically in full and reach 120 m depth. The hauling of the net on board is carried out by simultaneous hauling of the purse line using the mid-section hydraulic winch and the surface line by means of the front and aft hydraulic winches. The hauling is conducted carefully so that the fish are trapped at the upper right or left part of the net (Fig. IV.8). 43

44 Fish attraction device using light source (robot) Figure IV1. Fish attraction device 1: switchbox 2: fuse and batteries, 200V rectifier 3: floats 4: common household light bulbs 220 V (4 lamps, ~ candles) 5: buoy for lifting the robot out of the water 6: sampani, a piece of rope which is attached to the robot. Its free end shows the fishermen the direction and strength of the surface currrents 44

45 Figure IV.2. The deployment of the purse seine net at the point of the initiation of the hauling (arrows: direction of surface currents) 45

46 IV.3. Geometry and technical characteristics of the purse seine nets Technical specifications for the construction of the net A typical purse seine net exhibits a length m and a height m. These dimensions are measured in accordance to the EU regulations as stretched and wet. In order the net to reach these dimensions it needs to be composed of net sheets with a length of m each and a height of 400 m each and a rhomboidal mesh of 16 mm. Operational dimensions (during the operation; Fig. IV.3) The length of the purse seine net depends on the length of the float line (a thick rope without any elongation tolerance). The net sheets - which are used for trapping the fish (16 mm mesh) are sawn on the float line so that the length of the sheet is 1.15 times longer from the float line. Thisway the mesh of the fishing net is always open and there is no possibility to be stretched and close. The height of the net also depends on the side net sheets ('fani'). These sheets are made of thick line and exhibit a mesh of 44 mm. Every net has 2 side sheets from both sides if its height is around 100 m and 3 sheets if the height is 120 m. The total height of the 2 side sheets is 400 mesh x 44 mm per mesh x 2 sheets = m or in the case of 3 side sheets, it is m. The meshes of the fishing net part (central; Fig. IV.3.) are sawn on the side sheet meshes with a ration of 1:8 (8 fishing net meshes on 1 side sheet mesh; Fig. IV. 5). Therefore, even if the net has a height of 100 or 120 m, its actual height during its use cannot be more than m or m. From the operational point of view this way of constructing the net is required so that the fishing net mesh (central part) is always open. Moreover, due to the surface currents and the positioning of the purse seine vessel the net is 'inflated' outwards creating an upward movement of the net (Fig. IV.4). When the hauling of the net with the purse line is started then the shape of the net takes the profile shown in Figure IV.4. FOR ALL THE ABOVE REASONS IT IS PROVED THAT THE PURSE SEINE NET CANNOT BE DEPLOYED VERTICALLY IN FULL AND DURING ITS OPERATION IT MAY REACH A DEPTH (IF ALLOWED THE TIME TO DEPLOY) WHICH IS ALMOST HALF THE ACTUAL HEIGHT OF THE NET. float line side net ('fani') 44 mm 400 mesh in height 2 sheets fishing net - part of the net that traps the fish lead line rope with weights Figure IV.3. Overall purse seine net layout 46

47 Figure IV.4. Profilee of the net during hauling ΦΑΝΙ SIDE NET ΓΙΦΤΥ FISHING NET CENTRAL PART Figure IV.5. Detail of the sawing of the fishing net and the side net Another way to prove that the purse seine net CANNOT reach in size during the operation of the height of m is the following: the fishing net is sawn on the float line with a ration of 1:

48 so that the mesh is always open. Since the mesh of the fishing net (wet and stretched is 16 mm, then its actual horizontal dimension is 16 mm/1.15 = 13.9 mm when the net is used (Fig. IV.6). Then by simply using the Pythagorean theorem, the vertical half dimension is (8²-6,95²) = 3,96 mm or the mesh is 7,92 mm vertically. (Fig. IV.6) mm 8.00 mm 6.95 mm 3.96 mm 7.92 mm Figure IV.6. True mesh dimensions of the purse seine net It is obvious that the vertical dimension of the mesh is 7.92 mm and NOT 16 mm (wet and stretched) i.e. on the vertical scale it is always the 7.92/16=49.53% of the official net height. Therefore, a net with 100 m height (wet and stretched) has a height of m during operation or m when the net exhibit a height of 120 m. During the hauling, the angles of the purse line are as seen from above and on the vertical scale. The hauling speed of the purse line is m./sec (Fig. IV. 7). 48

49 Eικόνα IV.7. Όυη από το κατάστρφμα και πλάγια όυη θέσης σσρματόστοινοσ στίγγας κατά την ανάσσρση τοσ διττσού 49

50 Figure IV.8. Purse seine net parts

51 IV.4. Timing of the net hauling The timing of the purse seine hauling procedure is summarized in the following table. Time Diameter of float line around the fish school (Df) Diameter of the purse line around the fish school (Dps) Comments 0 min 180 m 170 m Start of purse line hauling 5 min 120 m 80 m 10 min 55 m 0 m The first lead weights appear by the vessel 28 min 30 m 0 m All lead weights are on board 33 min 0 m 0 m min 0 m 0 m min 0 m 0 m Most of the net is on the deck while the part of the net which traps the fish is by the boat the fishermen are ready to start fishing the fish using hand nets All gears and nets are on board and ready for the next hauling. The vessel moves to the next fishing location. The selection of the fish, their grading and the packing of the fish in iceboxes is finished. Legend 51

52 PHOTO GALLERY 1. Lead weight line's rings. The purse line passes through those rings. Blue net: parts of the lead weight line 2. Side net ('fani') 3. Aft winch 52

53 4. Side winch for the purse line 5. Fishing line (center) and float line (up and right) The capacity of the fishing net to stretch horizontally is shown 53

54 6. Connection (stitch) between the side nets ('fani') and the fishing net The stitching ratio of 1:8 is visible 54