engleski

Horizontal and vertical distribution of the Mediterranean hake on the basis of a six year monitoring by trawl-surveys. Some implications concerning biology and management

On the basis of a total of 4800 positive hauls troughout the MEDITS surveys, it was possible to study hake in an area corresponding to the total longitude of the Mediterranean and more than half of its latitude. Considering the distribution of biomass and the observed size structures, with dominance of young fish, as well as calculated astimates of Z, a general condition of overfishing is apparent. The most important quantitative boundary for all areas is located at around 200 m, which separated the hake distribution between continental shelf and upper slope. The analysis of recruitment processes has indicated important regional differences in the explored area. MEDITS surveys gives evidence to the main nurseries of the Western Mediterranean hake, which exactly correspond to the core of the population subunit identified by the highest vertebral number in the Mediterranean.

Merluccius merluccius; distribution; biology; management

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