Technical Report LT 2005.doc1
TECHNICAL REPORT
FOR
THE LITHUANIAN NATIONAL FISHERIES DATA COLLECTION PROGRAM2005
Under
Council Regulation (EC) No 1543/2000,
Commission Regulation (EC) No 1639/2001
as amended by
Commission Regulation (EC) No 1581/2004
Table of contents
1Introduction
1.1General framework
1.2General description of the fisheries
2Participating institutes
2.1National correspondent
2.2Participating institutes
3Module C - Fishing capacities
3.1MP - Planned sampling
3.2MP – Derogations and non-conformities
3.3EP - Planned sampling
4Module D - Fishing effort
4.1MP - Planned sampling
4.2MP – Derogations and non-conformities
4.3EP - Planned sampling
5Module E - Catches and landings
5.1MP - Landings - Planned sampling
5.2MP - Landings - Derogations and non-conformities
5.3EP - Landings - Planned sampling
5.4EP - Landings - Non-conformities
5.5MP & EP - Discards - Planned sampling
5.5.1Directed cod trawl discards sampling
5.5.2Directed cod gillnet discards sampling
5.5.3Directed flounder trawl discards sampling
5.5.4Herring/sprat directed trawl discards sampling
5.6MP & EP - Discards - Derogations and non-conformities
5.7MP - Recreational - Planned sampling
5.8MP - Recreational – Derogations and non-conformities
5.9EP - Planned sampling
5.10EP - Recreational – Non-conformities
6Module F - Catches per unit effort
6.1MP - Planned sampling
6.2MP – Derogations and non-conformities
6.3EP - Planned sampling
6.4EP - Non-conformities
7Module G - Scientific evaluation surveys
7.1MP - Planned Priority 1 surveys
7.2MP - Derogations and non-conformities
7.3EP - Planned Priority 2 surveys
7.4EP – Non-conformities and priority upgrades
8Module H - Length and age sampling
8.1MP - Landings - Planned sampling
8.2MP - Landings - Derogations and non-conformities
8.3EP - Landings - Planned sampling
8.4EP - Landings – Non-conformities
8.5MP & EP - Discards - Planned sampling
8.6MP & EP - Discards - Derogations and non-conformities
9Module I - Other biological sampling
9.1MP - Planned sampling
9.2MP - Derogations and non-conformities
9.3EP - Planned sampling
9.4EP - Non-conformities
10Module J - Economic data by group of vessels
10.1MP - Planned sampling
10.2MP – Derogations and non-conformities
10.3EP - Planned sampling
11Module K - Data concerning fish processing industry
11.1MP - Planned sampling
11.2MP – Derogations and non-conformities
11.3EP - Planned sampling
12Databases
12.1Database development and data management
12.1.1FRL database
12.1.2LIAE database
12.1.3International databases
13National and international co-ordination
13.1National co-ordination
13.2International co-ordination
13.3Follow-up of RCM recommendations and initiatives
14List of acronyms and abbreviations
15Comments, suggestions and reflections
16References
Annex 1 Set of survey maps
1Introduction
1.1Generalframework
In the framework of Data Collection Regulation (DCR) Nº 1639/2001 the Lithuania submitted a proposal for a National Data Collection Program (NDCP) for the year 2005 which was accepted by the EC. The data collection in the framework of pilot study of the minimal program has started in 2005.
This report is a technical report of activity of the work carried out in 2005 with reference to the aims described in the proposal and the requirements listed in the DCR. This report closely follows the template and guidelines for submission of technical reports (adopted by STECF SGRN) submitted by the Commission to the Member States (MS) for this purpose.
1.2Generaldescription of the fisheries
2Participating institutes
2.1National correspondent
The Fisheries Department under Ministry of Agriculture acts as the National Correspondent and is responsible for data submitting to European Commission.
2.2Participating institutes
The work in the Lithuania was carried out by 2institutes:
1)Lithuanian Institute of Agrarian Economics.
2)Fishery Research Laboratory. This institution is a one of the branches of Lithuanian State Centre for Pisciculture and Fishery Research. The research focus on marine biology and technology of the Lithuanian fishery industry. The institute provides knowledge and expertise to the needs of policy makers, nature conservation agencies and the Lithuanian fishing industry.
Fishery Department under the Ministry of Agriculture (FD)Gedimino 19,
LT-01103 Vilnius
Lithuania
Phone: +370 5 2391175
Fax: + 3705 2391176
E-mail:
Internet: / Lithuanian Institute for Agricultural Economics (LIAE)
Kudirkos 18
LT-03105Vilnius
Lithuania
Phone: +370 5 2614525
Fax: +370 5 2614524
E-mail:
Internet: / Fisheries Research Laboratory (FRL)
Smiltynes 1
P. O.-box108
91001 Klaipeda
Lithuania
Phone: +370 46 391122
Fax: +370 46 391104
E-mail:
Internet:
Contact person: Tomas Vidziunas
Phone: + 370 5 2391190
E-mail: / Contact person: Arina Motova
Phone: + 370 5 2314093
E-mail: / Contact person: Sarunas Toliusis
Phone: + 370 46 391122
E-mail:
3Module C - Fishing capacities
3.1MP - Planned sampling
Data of fishing capacity are collected exhaustively for all fleet and segments.
3.2MP – Derogations and non-conformities
As Lithuania is a member of EU from May 2004. Data of gear used (for economic segmentation of 2004 data) during fishing trips is missing for 2004. The data is fully collected from 2005 for fishery in Baltic.
3.3EP –Not applied
4Module D - Fishing effort
4.1MP - Planned sampling
Fishing effort data is collected exhaustively from Fleet register and Fishing Database. Fuel consumption and fuel price are missing for the module.
4.2MP – Derogations and non-conformities
Only monthly retail fuel price for Lithuanian market is available from Statistics Lithuania.
Fuel consumption data is not available.
4.3EP - Not applied
5Module E - Catches and landings
5.1MP - Landings - Planned sampling
5.2MP - Landings - Derogations and non-conformities
5.3EP - Landings - Planned sampling
5.4EP - Landings - Non-conformities
5.5MP & EP - Discards - Planned sampling
The Lithuanian discard sampling program is primarily based on fisheries. All fisheries planned and sampled in Lithuania during 2005 are listed in table 5.2. In all sampled hauls the following information were collected:
- Gear characteristics
- Date, time and duration of fishing operation
- Total weight of discard and landing by all species caught
- Separate length distributions of discard and landings by all species caught. If the retained part of the catch is landed in commercial weight categories (in case of cod), separate length frequencies are obtained by category
- Otoliths per cm group of undersized fish (discard part of the catch) of selected species in accordance with EC (No) 1639/2001 appendix XII and XV.
Vessels to be monitored are selected randomly among a number of vessels ≥24 m. There is no authority in Lithuanian law, which gives the possibility to enforce the fishermen to have observers on board. Therefore, only vessels where the skipper has agreed on having observers on board were sampled.
In the Lithuania, discards sampling has been plannedfor 2005 in four fleets; the cod directed trawl fleet predominantly directed at cod and the pelagic trawlers targeting herring and sprat. Flounder directed trawl fishery serves as an alternative fishery when quota on cod are fully exploited and/or ban on cod fishery is put on. Also, cod directed gillnet fishery is very intensive.
In three fisheries, namely directed cod fishery by trawl and gillnet as well as flounder directed trawl fishery discards of cod are presumably important (Table 5.2). Also discard rate of flounder is rather high in both cod and flounder directed trawl fisheries. Lithuania will continue to sample discards annually.
In the NP for 2005, 5 discards trips have been planned for the cod directed trawl fleet, 2 for the cod directed gillnet fleet, 2 for the flounder directed trawl fleet and 2 for the pelagic fleet. In respect that NP was approved in the middle of 2005not all trips have been carried out according the planning.That’s why data were collected starting from 3rd and 4th quarters(Table 5.3).At all trips length composition of all discarded and landed species were recorded and age samples were taken from selected species. All discard observation trips were conducted by FRL staff. Estimates of discards by species for 2005 will bee submitted to the relevant ICES WG in 2006.
5.5.1Directed cod trawl discards sampling
2trips out of 5 were made in the LEEZ following a standard protocol described in a manual. The duration of each trip was about twodays and attended by one observer sampling all the hauls made in that trip.
The results of the discards trips are stored in MS Excel spreadsheet format in the biological data base of FRL.
Realised trips on cod directed trawl vessels in 2005
Date out / Date in / Number of days / Sampler2005/09/07 / 2005/09/08 / 2 / FRL
2005/11/02 / 2005/11/04 / 3 / FRL
5.5.2Directed cod gillnet discards sampling
No trips have been carried out for this fishery so far.
5.5.3Directed flounder trawl discards sampling
Directed flounder trawl fishery is most intensive in summer – autumn period when flounder migrates to feeding grounds close to coastal area. Given the fact that a standard cod trawl gear is used for this kind of fishery, type of fishery is dependent of dominating catch of fish. It’s meant that more than 50% of flounder in catch is considered as flounder fishery and vice versa. In order to avoid of unfavorable by-catch of cod during the cod fishery ban (summer) the fleet is operating closer to coastal area. In autumn – winter, however, the by-catch of cod is unavoidable. Consequently, a significant discarding of cod is possible. Therefore, discards sampling scheme was planned for summer andautumn. However, summer fisheryin 2005 was not active and discard sampling have not been carried out.
On 2 autumn trips, discards and the total catch were estimated in weight by species. Catch and discards of all species were counted and measured. From the commercial species, age samples were taken to the laboratory for age determination.
The results of the discards trips are stored in MS Excel spreadsheet format in the biological data base of FRL.
Realised trips on flounder directed trawl vessels in 2005
Date out / Date in / Number of days / Sampler2005/10/13 / 2005/10/14 / 2 / FRL
2005/10/18 / 2005/10/19 / 2 / FRL
5.5.4Herring/sprat directed trawl discards sampling
2 trips were made on vessels that used pelagic trawls. The aim of this discards sampling was to evaluate cod by-catch and sequent discarding rates as well as possible herring/sprat discards. Discards and the total catch were estimated in weight by species. Catch and discards of all species were counted and measured. From the commercial species, age samples were taken to the laboratory for age determination. The discards of herring and sprat are not substantial. Discard of undersized cod, however, are somehow significant.
The results of the discards trips are stored in MS Excel spreadsheet format in the biological database of FRL.
Realised trips on herring/sprat directed trawl vessels in 2005
Date out / Date in / Number of days / Sampler2005/09/09 / 2005/09/10 / 2 / FRL
2005/11/10 / 2005/11/11 / 2 / FRL
5.6MP & EP - Discards - Derogations and non-conformities
The requirement of collecting discard information in the DCR is specified by species and fishing gear. According to the DCR all fleet segments with discard level 10% (by weight) or 20% (by numbers) thresholds should be sampled. We assume that discard rate of cod is not more than 10% by weight, while discards of flounder are bigger than 10%.
Discard sampling in the Lithuania is based on randomly designed sampling scheme. The program proposed in the 2005 NP consists of total 11 trips. The objectives specified in the 2005 NP are partly met due absence of herring and sprat discards.Most of the sampled Lithuanian demersal fisheries are under-sampled compared to the original plan. To a large extent this is a consequence of lack of collaboration between the Fishery Research Laboratory/Fisheries Department and the Fishery companies. There are no any legislative base to enforce fishermen accept observers on board in Lithuania. All trips made in 2005 were as a result of non official agreements with ship owners and skippers.
In order to collect otolith samples fish must be in some way damaged or destroyed, which is not allowed by fishermen.Therefore, only purchase of fish samples would allow performing full biological analysis of landings including age determination. The budget, however, is too small to fulfill this task fully.
5.7MP - Recreational - Planned sampling
No statistics of the recreational fishery are available. For data collection of recreational catches special questionnaires were designed and distributed among ship/boat owners. Data on cod landings, frequency of trips to the sea from the recreational fishery was collected using the questionnaires strategy. Most popular cod fishery categoryis angling and unofficially average cod landings in 2005 resulted 10 tons. Recreational cod catch in the sea has traditionally been very small, but it hasincreased since 2003. Nowadays about 15 vessels less than 12 m are involved into thebusiness of recreational fishery. Most of them are rented for fishery purposes, while others own small boats with mobile engines.Lithuanian recreational cod fishery in the Baltic region takes place in inshore area of the sea.
5.8MP - Recreational – Derogations and non-conformities
Data on landing statistics are not precise since data collection was based on questionnaires. Fishermen are not tended to expose a details on how big catches are.
5.9EP - Planned sampling
5.10EP - Recreational – Non-conformities
6Module F - Catches per unit effort
6.1MP - Planned sampling
6.2MP – Derogations and non-conformities
6.3EP - Planned sampling
6.4EP - Non-conformities
7Module G - Scientific evaluation surveys
All surveys, listed in the proposal were carried out in 2005by the Fisheries Research Laboratory using the research vessel R/V DARIUS.
Anoverview of the planned performance of these surveys, as required by STECF-SGRN is given in Table 7.1.
During the surveys biological samples, eligible under Module I of the Implementation Regulation, have been taken routinely. There are not separately budgeted in Module I.
7.1MP - PlannedPriority 1 surveys
Lithuania has as planned undertaken 2 surveys in the Baltic Sea, Division IIId, subdivision 26 (Lithuanian EEZ) using the R/V DARIUS. Both surveys are of priority 1 and included in the minimum program as defined in Appendix XIV, EC No 1581/2004. A summary table of the surveys is found in table 9.1. A short summary of the different surveys follows below.
BITS 1thquarter
The main aim of the survey is to estimate cod recruitment indices and cod abundance in the Lithuanian Exclusive Economic Zone (LEEZ) ICES Subdivision IIId. The survey was conducted25/2 using the TV3 trawl according to the BITS manual (Anon., 2002). Lithuania was assigned 6randomlyselected trawling stations. Overall, 4 fish hauls were made (see Annex I Fig. 1). Of the124cod and 85flounder caught respectively 120 and 85were measured and otoliths from respectively 114 and 75 individualswere taken. Overall, 8 fish species were caught during the survey and the catch was dominated by sprat and herring.Also samples for measurement and age determination of herring and sprat were taken. All survey data are stored in database of Fishery research laboratory (FRL), Klaipeda and sent to DATRAS for international data storage. The present survey will provide data to the ICES international data storage to (WGBIFS) and Baltic Fisheries Assessment Working Group (WGBFAS).
BITS 4th quarter
The main aim of the survey is to estimate cod recruitment indices and cod abundance in the Lithuanian Exclusive Economic Zone (LEEZ) ICES Subdivision IIId. The survey was conducted during the period 9/12 - 10/12 using the TV3 trawl according to the BITS manual (Anon., 2002). Lithuania was assigned 6 randomly selected trawling stations. Overall, 6 fish hauls were made (Annex I Fig. 2). Of the 3 215 cod caught1069 were measured and otoliths were taken from 1 020 individuals.All 60 individuals of flounder were measured and sampled for otoliths. Overall, 7 fish species were caught in the Baltic during the survey but the catch was dominated by herring and cod. Also samples for measurement and age determination of herring and sprat were taken.All survey data are stored in database of Fishery research laboratory (FRL), Klaipeda and sent to DATRAS for international data storage. The present survey will provide data to the ICES international data storage to (WGBIFS) and Baltic Fisheries Assessment Working Group (WGBFAS).
Herring Acoustic Survey2ndquarter
The main objective of the survey is to assess clupeid resources in the the Lithuanian Exclusive Economic Zone (LEEZ) Baltic Sea ICES Subdivision IIId. The survey was conducted during the period 30/05 - 31/05 using the midwater trawl according to the BIAS manual (ICES, 2003). Lithuania was assigned 6 trawling stations (Annex I Fig. 3). In total 6 trawl hauls were carried out and the cruise covered LEEZ (ICES subdivision 26). Of the total 35 236 sprat caught 947 were measured and sampling of otoliths, weight and maturity was performed on 400 individuals. All 401 herring caught were sampled for otoliths, weight and maturity.
The surveys are coordinated within the frame of the Baltic International Acoustic Surveys (BIAS). The data are stored in database of Fishery research laboratory (FRL), Klaipedaand sent for international data storage to WGBIFS. The present survey will provide data to the ICES Working Group on Fisheries Acoustic Science & Technology (WGBFAST) and Baltic Fisheries Assessment Working Group (WGBFAS).
Herring Acoustic Survey 4th quarter
The main objective of the survey is to assess clupeid resources in the the Lithuanian Exclusive Economic Zone (LEEZ) Baltic Sea ICES Subdivision IIId. The survey was conducted during the period 17/11 - 18/11 using the midwater trawl according to the BIAS manual (ICES, 2003). Lithuania was assigned 6 trawling stations (Annex I Fig. 4). In total 6 trawl hauls were carried out and the cruise covered LEEZ (ICES subdivision 26). Of the total 2 294 herring caught 700 were measured and sampling of otoliths, weight and maturity was performed on 441 individuals. All 103 sprat caught were sampled for otoliths, weight and maturity.
The surveys are coordinated within the frame of the Baltic International Acoustic Surveys (BIAS). The data are stored in database of Fishery research laboratory (FRL), Klaipeda and sent for international data storage to WGBIFS. The present survey will provide data to the ICES Working Group on Fisheries Acoustic Science & Technology(WGBFAST)and Baltic Fisheries Assessment Working Group (WGBFAS).
7.2MP - Derogations and non-conformities
Due to absence of scientific supervisor 1-day survey with 4 hauls was performed for BITS 1stquarter. Due to poor weather conditions HAS 4th quarter was performed in November with 5 hauls (instead of 6).This had no major consequences for the output of the surveys.
7.3EP - Planned Priority 2 surveys
7.4EP –Non-conformities and priority upgrades
8Module H - Length and age sampling
8.1MP - Landings - Planned sampling
All species and stocks sampled in Lithuania within the minimum program during 2005 are listed intable 8.1. A fixed number of individuals (see table 8.1) were sampled randomly within market sizecategory (if sorted) / stock, area, quarter and gear. Samples were taken mostly in the port and some when observed on board. All individuals in a sample wereanalyzed according to length and age.
Eastern cod stock in the Baltic is classified as recovery stock. Total number of 1000 for measurement and 500 for age determination was planned in NP. The high quantities in length measured cod were achieved due to the additional onboard sampling were retained part of the catch was measured and due to additional sampling efforts made in port early morning before loading on trucks. Due to problems explained in section 5.6 only 157 otolith samples were collected.