Comparative Exercise of Efficiency Between C/V Playa de Menduíña and R/V Vizconde de Eza in the NAFO Divisions 3NO in May 2001

Abstract

In 2002 the R/V Vizconde de Eza will replace the C/V Playa de Menduíña in conducting the Platuxa bottom trawl series carried out by the Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo (Oceanographic Center of Vigo) since 1995. So in May of 2001 a comparative fishing experience was conducted to transform the series of the indices previously obtained and maintain the continuity of the time series obtained by the C/V Playa de Menduíña. A 81 parallel hauls series was performed. For each of the main species: American Plaice, Yellowtail flounder, Cod, Witch flounder and Thorny skate, the catches of both vessels were compared and a linear fit for these catches is presented. Also, we performed a comparative study on the catches by lenght for American plaice and Yellowtail flounder by a probability variant of the logistic curve, assuming unequal catches between the two vessels, and a fit to transformed these data. As anticipated, the values of the new indices were lower than the previous values, because teh Pedreira is approximately four times more efficient then the Campelen trawl gear.