Overview of continental shelf elasmobranch fisheries in the Cantabrian Sea

Abstract

Fisheries for the most common elasmobranch species landed in the Cantabrian Sea (ICES Division VIIIc) are reviewed. Special attention is given to small-spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula) and the following Rajidae thornback ray (Raja clavata), spotted ray, (R. montagui) and cuckoo ray (Leucoraja naevus), representing more than the 90% of ray landings. A market sampling program was carried out in 2001 to improve the knowledge of species that are frequently landed as a mixed species assemblage, occasionally gutted, or in the case of rays, "wings" (pectoral fins retained). Commercial length distributions by gear, area and quarter are presented as well. Thirty-five percent of the catches in the trawl fishery are discarded. The estimated annual average of dogfish catch is about 1 500 tons, 80% of which is discarded. In the case of ray species, the estimated annual catch is 600 tons, ∼30% being discarded.