18.4.1 Metiers of the Bottom Trawl Fleet
One of the most commonly used terms in the description and management of
fisheries is the metier (Punzón et al. 2010). A metier is a group of fishing operations
targeting a similar assemblage of species, using similar gear, during the same period
of the year and/or within the same area and which are characterized by a similar
exploitation pattern (Commission Decision (EU) 2016/1251). In the Mediterranean,
two main metier have been defined in the bottom otter trawl fishery (Commission
Decision (EU) 2016/1251): bottom otter trawl targeting demersal species and bottom
otter trawl targeting deepwater species. The main characteristics of the two metiers
in the Alboran Sea where the Spanish fleet operates are described down below:
18.4.1.1 GSA01 (Northern Alboran Sea)
Bottom Otter Trawl Targeting Demersal Species (OTB_DEF)
European hake (Merluccius merluccius), deepwater rose shrimp (Parapenaeus
longirostris), red mullet (Mullus barbatus), stripped red mullet (Mullus surmuletus),
Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus), and common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) are
the most commercially valuable species in the area and are an important component
of a species assemblage that is the target of the bottom trawling fleets operating near
the shore (Fig. 18.6).
0
200
400
600
800
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
Tons/year
HKE
OCC
DPS
MUT
MUR
NEP
Fig. 18.6 Main species landings (tons) of trawlers targeting demersal species. GSA 01. HKE,
M. merluccius; OCC, O. vulgaris; DPS, P. longirostris; MUT, M. barbatus; MUR, M. surmuletus;
NEP, N. norvegicus
18 Demersal Resources
597