Division 3M Northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) - Interim Monitoring Update

Abstract

This document updates some of the indices for northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) harvested within NAFO Divisions 3M. The assessment for this resource was completed, within Scientific Council during autum 2007, and although it was not possible to present a management advice on a specific TAC due to insufficient information, in ligth of the poor prospect for this stock, the scientific council recommended that the exploitation level for 2008 and 2009 should not exceed the 2005 and 2006 levels. The catch table (to September 2008) and biomass estimates (EU survey summer 1988-2008) are updated within this report. Preliminary data indicate that 20533 t and 16869 t of shrimp were taken in 2006 and 2007 respectively against an annual TAC of 48000 t. In the 2008 EU survey the 3M biomass index was 10931 t, the lowest value of the last 10 years and confirm the decreasing trend initiated in 2002.