Stock Assessment Form of Saurida undosquamis (Demersal sp.) in GSA 26. Reference years: 2011-2012-2013 Reporting year: 2014 The assessment of Saurida undosquamis in 2011 and 2012 were discussed and endorsed in GFCM working groups meeting (2011 & 2012) in Split and Bar and in the sub-committee meetings. In the present working group the assessment of this species has been conducted using 2013 data. Brush tooth lizard fish, Saurida undosquamis is considered one of the most important demersal target species of the commercial fishery in Egypt (GSA 26). It represented about 70% (575 tons) of the total landing of the family Synodontidae during 2013. The size of the fish samples ranged between 11 and 32 cm and the information used for the assessment of the stock consisted of catch length structure, length weight relationship, Von Bertalanffy growth parameters, Sex ratio, the values of total (Z) and fishing mortalities (F), length at first sexual maturity, yield per recruit, biomass per recruit and biological reference points. The vector of natural mortality by age was calculated from Caddy s formula, using the PROBIOM Excel spreadsheet. Length cohort analysis and Beverton & Holt Yield per recruit analysis were performed in order to estimate the limit and target reference points. (FiSAT, LFDA, Vit 4 win & ProdBiom, 2009). According to the results obtained the current fishing level of the lizard fish is higher than the biological reference points (F 0.1 & F max) which shows that the lizard fish Saurida undosquamis resources in GSA 26 is in a state of high overfishing (according to GFCM recommendations 2012). Based on the fact that the length at first capture (L c= 14.25 cm) is almost equal with the length at first maturity (L 50= 15 cm), it seems that fishery is focused on spawners.
Stock Assessment Form version 1.0 (January 2014) Uploader: Hatem Hanafy Mahmoud Stock assessment form 1 Basic Identification Data Scientific name: Common name: ISCAAP Group: Saurida undosquamis Brush tooth lizard fish 1 st Geographical sub-area: 2 nd Geographical sub-area: 3 rd Geographical sub-area: [GSA_26] 1 st Country 2 nd Country 3 rd Country Egypt Stock assessment method: (direct, indirect, combined, none) Indirect Methods (VPA with Vit and yield per recruit model) Authors: Mahmoud, H.H.*, EL Haweet, A.A.K.* and Dimech M.** Affiliation: * College of Fisheries Technology and Aquaculture, Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime transport Alex., Egypt. ** FAO-EastMed Project. 1 Androu street, 11257 Athens, Greece 1
Description of the fisheries The fishing grounds along the Egyptian Mediterranean coast are divided into four regions; Western region (from Alexandria to El-Salloum), Nile Delta region, Damietta region and Eastern region (From Port Said to Rafah). The continental shelf is narrow in the western region comparable to the wider delta and Damietta and its eastern regions. Fish production in this area is low due to the nature of the bottom (mostly rocky) and the limited fishing grounds for trawling. The main fishing grounds used by the Egyptian vessels are on the continental shelf off the Nile delta; recently extend to the eastern side off Sinai peninsula and seasonally to the western side of Alexandria. The seabed along the middle and eastern area is flat, mostly muddy to sandy and is suitable for trawling. There are nine official main landing centers (Fishing harbors) most of them are located along the Nile River Delta region as shown in the following figure. Rashid Burollus Marsa Matrouh Abu Qir Alex. Maadiah Damietta Port Saaid Arish Map of the Egyptian Mediterranean coast represents the main fishing ports (GSA 26). 2
Data and parameters: Monthly samples were collected from landings during the period from January 2011 till December 2012 and during 2013 in bimonthly basis within a fisheries data collection system supported by the FAO EastMed project. The length frequency was constructed and modal analysis was followed by the use of the Bhattacharya method. The growth parameters were estimated by the Ford & Walford method for the sexes combined. The length-weight relationship, the maturity ogive with Lm50%, and the sex ratio were also studied. The vector of natural mortality by age was calculated from Caddy s formula, using the PRODBIOM Excel spreadsheet (Abella et al., 1998), while LFDA was used for age slicing (Kirkwood et al., 2001). Assessment method: VIT software was used for pseudo cohort analysis (Lleonart and Salat, 1992). In addition, the yield per recruit analysis from the VIT software was applied to calculate the reference point F0.1. 3
Abundance % Stock unit Growth and maturity Table 0.2-1: Maximum size, size at first maturity and size at recruitment. Somatic magnitude measured (LT, LC, etc) Units Sex Fem Mal Combined Reproduction season All the year Maximum size observed 32 cm Recruitment season Size at first maturity 15 cm Spawning area Recruitment size to the fishery 12.45 Nursery area 50.00 40.00 30.00 20.00 10.00 0.00 0 1 2 3 4 Age (year) 5 Age composition of Saurida undosquamis in 2013. 4
Table 0-2.2: M vector and proportion of matures by age Age Natural mortality Proportion of matures 0 1.25 0 I 0.39 0.30 II 0.24 0.95 III 0.19 1 IV 0.17 1 V 0.15 1 5
2 1.8 1.6 1.4 1.2 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 2013 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 F M Fishing and natural mortalities for each age group of Mullus surmuletus in GSA 26. 6
Table 0-3: Growth and length weight model parameters Sex Units female male Combined Years L 41.765 2013 Growth model K 0.232 t 0-0.589 Data source Length frequency Length weight relationship a 0.0074 b 2.9789 sex ratio (% females/total) 0.536 7
Fisheries information Table 0.1-1: Catch, bycatch, discards and effort by operational unit in the reference year Operational Units* Fleet (n of boats)* Catch (T or kg of the species assessed) Other species caught (names and weight ) Discards (species assessed) Discards (other species caught) Effort (units) 1091 (2011) 1660 Tons (2011) Trawl 1098 (2012) 912 Tons (2012) Fishing trips 1084 (2013) 575 Tons (2013) 8
Catch (Tons) Historical trends 2500 Landings of Lizards fish 2000 1500 1000 500 0 Year Management regulations The fisheries management tools for the Egyptian Mediterranean coast are limited (for example, there is no minimum landing size); the only effective management tools are to freeze the fishing licenses and to implement a closed fishing season (May to June) for all the fishing gears in the Egyptian Mediterranean coast. 9
Biological reference point: 12 10 2013 8 6 4 2 0 F0.1 Fcur 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 Factor Biomass per recruit and SSB: 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 B/R SSB 20 10 0 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 10
Reference points Criterion Current value Units Reference Point 2011 B/R 56.669 F cur 0.588 Year - Y/R 32.657 1 B/R 0.1 = 170.22 B/R max = 124.848 F 0.1 = 0.29 F max = 0.44 Y/R 0.1 = 36.316 Y/R max = 37.979 Criterion Current value Units Reference Point 2012 B/R 17.395 F cur 0.537 Year - Y/R 10.361 1 B/R 0.1 = 35.98 B/R max = 25.693 F 0.1 = 0.247 F max = 0.365 Y/R 0.1 = 10.399 Y/R max = 10.82 Criterion Current value Units Reference Point 2013 B/R 15.514 B/R 0.1 = 29.6 B/R max = 21.851 F cur 0.659 Year -1 F 0.1 = 0.297 F max = 0.442 Y/R 10.236 Y/R 0.1 = 10.243 Y/R max = 10.677 11
Reference points 2011 Trend F cur / F 0.1 = 2.02 Diagnosis The stock of Saurida undosquamis in GSA (26) is in high overfishing 2012 Trend F cur / F 0.1 = 2.17 Diagnosis The stock of Saurida undosquamis in GSA (26) is in high overfishing 2013 Trend F cur / F 0.1 = 2.222 Diagnosis The stock of Saurida undosquamis in GSA (26) is in high overfishing 12
Draft scientific advice (Examples in blue) Based on Indicator Analytic al reference point (name and value) Current value from the analysis (name and value) Empirical reference value (name and value) Trend (time period) Stock Status Fishing mortality Fishing mortality (F 0.1 = 0.297, F max= 0.442) F c = 0.659 I IO H High overfishing Fishing effort Catch Stock abundance Biomass (B/R 0.1 =29.6, B/R max= 21.851) SSB SSB 0.1 = 21.745, SSB max= 14.28 B/R cur = 15.514 SSB cur = 8.347 Recruitment Final Diagnosis According to the results obtained in (2011, 2012 & 2013) the current fishing level of the lizard fish is higher than the biological reference points (F 0.1) and Fcur/ F0.1 = 2.02 in (2011), 2.17 in (2012) and 2.222 in (2013) which shows that, the lizard fish Saurida undosquamis resources in GSA 26 is in a state of high overfishing (according to GFCM recommendations 2012). 13
Recommendations - Reduce the fishing mortality to F0.1 by limitation of trawl fishing activities - improvement of the selection pattern of the trawl fishery 14
1.1 Explanation of codes Trend categories 1) N - No trend 2) I - Increasing 3) D Decreasing 4) C - Cyclic Stock Status Based on Fishing mortality related indicators 1) N - Not known or uncertain Not much information is available to make a judgment; 2) U - undeveloped or new fishery - Believed to have a significant potential for expansion in total production; 3) S - Sustainable exploitation- fishing mortality or effort below an agreed fishing mortality or effort based Reference Point; 4) IO In Overfishing status fishing mortality or effort above the value of the agreed fishing mortality or effort based Reference Point. An agreed range of overfishing levels is provided; Range of Overfishing levels based on fishery reference points In order to assess the level of overfishing status when F0.1 from a Y/R model is used as LRP, the following operational approach is proposed: If Fc*/F 0.1 is below or equal to 1.33 the stock is in (O L): Low overfishing If the Fc/F 0.1 is between 1.33 and 1.66 the stock is in (O I): Intermediate overfishing If the Fc/F 0.1 is equal or above to 1.66 the stock is in (O H): High overfishing *Fc is current level of F 5) C- Collapsed- no or very few catches; Based on Stock related indicators 1) N - Not known or uncertain: Not much information is available to make a judgment 2) S - Sustainably exploited: Standing stock above an agreed biomass based Reference Point; 3) O - Overexploited: Standing stock below the value of the agreed biomass based Reference Point. An agreed range of overexploited status is provided; Empirical Reference framework for the relative level of stock biomass index Relative low biomass: Values lower than or equal to 33 rd percentile of biomass index in the time series (O L) Relative intermediate biomass: Values falling within this limit and 66 th percentile (O I) 15
Relative high biomass: Values higher than the 66 th percentile (O H) 4) D Depleted: Standing stock is at lowest historical levels, irrespective of the amount of fishing effort exerted; 5) R Recovering: Biomass are increasing after having been depleted from a previous period; Agreed definitions as per SAC Glossary Overfished (or overexploited) - A stock is considered to be overfished when its abundance is below an agreed biomass based reference target point, like B0.1 or BMSY. To apply this denomination, it should be assumed that the current state of the stock (in biomass) arises from the application of excessive fishing pressure in previous years. This classification is independent of the current level of fishing mortality. Stock subjected to overfishing (or overexploitation) - A stock is subjected to overfishing if the fishing mortality applied to it exceeds the one it can sustainably stand, for a longer period. In other words, the current fishing mortality exceeds the fishing mortality that, if applied during a long period, under stable conditions, would lead the stock abundance to the reference point of the target abundance (either in terms of biomass or numbers) 16