This working document presents the results of the most relevant commercial species caught on the 2022 Spanish Groundfish Survey on Northern Spanish shelf. Biomass, geographical and length distributions are analyzed for European hake (Merluccius merluccius), four-spot megrim (Lepidorhombus boscii), megrim (L. whiffiagonis), black-bellied anglerfish (Lophius budegassa), white anglerfish (L. piscatorius), sole (Solea solea) and Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus). Information on the scarce species i.e. seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax), pollack (Pollachius pollachius) and whiting (Merlangius merlangus) requested in ICES DCF Data Call is also presented. The increase of the total catches this last survey is reflected in the biomass of most commercial species, except for black anglerfish, that decreased slightly. Hake and both megrims abundance reached the highest values of the time series, Anglerfishes stayed steady whereas Norway lobster reached the highest value of the last twenty years. Sole increased slightly in standard hauls. An increase of hake, black anglerfish and specially megrim recruits was found while for the white anglerfish, recruits have declined.

This survey is included in the ERDEM5 project, co-funded by the EU through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) within the National Program for the collection, management and use of data from the fisheries sector and support for scientific advice in relation to the EU Common Fisheries Policy.

Working Document presented to the Working Group the Bay of Biscay and the Iberian Waters Ecoregion, ICES WGBIE, Copenhagen, Denmark, 3rd - 11th May 2023.

Peer reviewed