The ponlfret is a conimon species in the Galiciari coast (NW of Spain), but it lias great variations in its annual abundance. From 1969 to 1975, poniiret became scaice iii tliis region, so the fleet moved to the North-West coast of Africa, wliere it got good catches. F'isliing is carried out usi~ig floating longlines and jigging cluiing a period of 20 ini nutes every crepuscule. In tlie Galician coast, tlie greatest abundance in tlie ycar occurs during tlie summer, ancl in tlie Grancl Sole and Nortli European coast grounds some time later. Tlie years of scarcity in the European coast niay not correspoiid to a small reci'uitme~ it,b ut to a failure in the n~ig~atioonf tlie fish to tlie north froni seas of warmer waters. Catclies ale al~vays o11 iininatures indivicluals witli rork length larger than 20 cm, aiid so notliing conles to liglil on tlic matter of spawing. Tlie especie lias an evicleiit fast giowth.

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