2015-03-20 (IPMA)
Twenty participants attended the workshop, including representatives of Portuguese POs (VIANAPESCA, APROPESCA, PROPEIXE, APARA, CENTROLITORAL, OPCENTRO), scientists from IPMA, as well as representatives of the Spanish fishery association ACERGA (La Coruña) and Dr. Isabel Riveiro, a scientist from the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO, Vigo) with long experience on sardine research.
Participants learned about the ecosystem model developed within the project and about the distribution and ecology of zooplankton, an important food for sardine. The ecosystem model indicates sardine is one of the key species of the pelagic ecosystem in the Portuguese waters. Participants became also more aware of recent MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) requirements regarding fisheries targeting low trophic level species, such as sardine.
The workshop was also an opportunity to discuss the situation of the sardine resource perceived by scientists and fishermen from the two countries. Finally, IPMA presented some preliminary results from the acoustic surveys onboard purse seiners and from onboard observers carried out recently in collaboration with the fishing sector.
We are grateful to the staff of IPMA Matosinhos for their invaluable support for the organisation of the Workshop.