Reliability of a model based on a short fishery statistics survey:: application to the Northeast Atlantic monkfish fishery

A model based on a short fishery statistics survey was applied to estimate catch and catch per unit effort (cpue) of the Galician monkfish (Lophius spp.) trawl fleet during 1998. In all, 35 interviews were conducted with fisheries personnel in ICES Divisions IXa, VIIIc, VIIId, and VIIIe (coastal offshore fishing grounds) and 44 in VIIb, VIlc, VlIj, and VIIk (Grand Sole fishing ground). Reliability of the model estimates was tested using: (i) registered fish market landings at 38 ports; (ii) landings data from sale invoices at six of these ports (93.8% of total landings of the species); (iii) 29 observers' trips made on board coastal offshore trawlers and the logbook of one Grand Sole trawler. Estimated mean total catch from the model was 5110 t (602 t coastal offshore, 4508 t in Grand Sole) and cpue values were 36,2 kg haul(-1) vessel(-1) coastal offshore and 104.4 kg haul(-1) vessel(-1) Grand Sole. Differences between the values of cpue estimated by the model and those determined directly in both fisheries were not significant. However, there were differences between the total catch estimated by the model and the total landings deduced from sale invoices and Galician fish market information. (C) 2003 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.