Results of the most relevant commercial species on the 2023 Northern Spanish Shelf Groundfish Survey

This working document presents the results on the most relevant commercial species caught on the Northern Spanish Shelf Groundfish Survey in 2023. Biomass, abundance, length distributions and geographic ranges were analysed on European hake (Merluccius merluccius), Fourspot megrim (Lepidorhombus boscii ), megrim (Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis), black monkfish (Lophius budegassa), white anglerfish (Lophius piscatorius), sole (Solea solea), Pegusa lascaris and Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus). Information on other scarce fish species i.e. seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax), pollack (Pollachius pollachius), and whitting (Merlangius merlangus) requested in ICES DCF Data call is also presented. Biomass of Lepidorhombus boscii, Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis, Lophius budegassa, Lophius piscatorius, Solea solea, Pegusa lascaris and Nephrops norvegicus increased, whereas Merluccius merluccius decreased this last survey. Dicentrarchus labrax was scarce as usual, Pollachius pollachius and Merlangius merlangus were not found in this last survey. Recruitment was significant for Lophius budegassa, Lophius piscatorius and more moderately for Lepidorhombus boscii.