The PELAGO22 campaign, which began on 1 March, is carrying out an acoustic survey of coastal pelagic fish, in particular sardines and anchovy, on the Portuguese continental shelf and in the Gulf of Cádiz.
PELAGO is «a campaign that takes place annually in spring to determine the abundance and spatial distribution of coastal pelagic fish with a view to assessing their status and analyzing environmental factors that affect their survival», explains the Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosphere (IPMA).
«Coastal pelagic fish have a high socioeconomic value in Portugal, with sardines being the mainstay of the fishing activity of the siege fleet», adds the IPMA.
“After a decade of reduced abundance due to a prolonged period of low recruitment, the last few years show clear signs of recovery”, says that research institute.
The information collected also contributes to the «knowledge of the dynamics of pelagic fish populations and their trophic relationships, aiming to enhance the sustainability of seine fishing in a multispecific and ecosystemic perspective (Sardinha2020 project)».
Researchers and technicians from the IPMA, the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA) and the Center for Marine Sciences (CCMAR) of the University of Algarve participate in the campaign, aboard the Research Ship Miguel Oliver.
This year, the research vessel will be accompanied by the seine fishing vessel “Deus Não Fala”, which will assist in the identification of shoals quantified by acoustic tracking by scientists.
PELAGO campaigns are part of the National Biological Sampling Program (PNAB), coordinated by IPMA, and their funding is the responsibility of IPMA, the European Commission and MAR2020.
The results are analyzed internationally within the scope of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and contribute to support the measures to be adopted by the management bodies on the permissible catches of sardines and anchovy.
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