Link to the report - Fao - Copemed

of the series. ICES recommended catches less than 500 tons per year, although the
European Commission’s total allowable catch (TAC) for 2010 was 780 tons, which is
higher than the current catches.
After discussing the different options for assessing the shared resource between
Morocco and Spain in the Strait of Gibraltar, the possibility of applying an LCA with a
series of four years (2005–2008) for both countries was considered. Likewise, holding a
meeting at the IEO in Fuengirola (Málaga), to perform a joint evaluation on P.
bogaraveo between Morocco and Spain, with the participation of Mrs. Belcaid and Mr.
Gil, supported by Mr. Baro, was agreed. Tentative dates of 26–30 September 2010 were
proposed. The Terms of Reference for the evaluation meeting are in section 8 of the
present report.
Sensitive habitats
Considering the GFCM-SAC definition (Report of the 12th session. Budva,
Montenegro, 25-29 January 2010) on "sensitive habitats", experts provided the
following information related to the P. bogaraveo stock in the Strait of Gibraltar: the
spawning season seems to take place during the first quarter of the year along the Strait
of Gibraltar, where the mature individuals live (Gil, 2006). The species spends its early
years in coastal areas (bays, breakwaters and even inside ports) on both sides of the
Strait. Later, it moves away from these shelter areas and is recruited by the fishery (at
three years of age). The species seems to remain in the Strait of Gibraltar continuing its
growth and developing throughout such ontogenetic events as: maturation, spawning,
gender change. Information on these facts originated from the tagging experiments
carried out in the southern Mediterranean (tagging of juveniles) and in the Strait of
Gibraltar (tagging of adults).
Fishing zones in Morocco
Red seabream is a sedentary species that lives at fairly great depths. In the Strait of
Gibraltar the fishing zone extends to depths between 150 and 300 m, between Tangier
and Cape Dalia. However, the search for this species is concentrated in specific areas
such as Passo, Cotton and Salkiya, although the presence of P. bogaraveo throughout
the Moroccan Mediterranean is evident, with variable abundance indexes, ranging from
0.02 to 26 kg per trawl tow (INRH, trawl survey between 1988 and 2007).
Egg and larval stages
Like all Sparidae, P. bogaraveo eggs have no special features by which to distinguish
them. The eggs are planktonic, about one millimetre in diameter and with a pigmented
oil droplet located on the back of the ovoid yolk. The yolk is not segmented. It is very
difficult to distinguish this kind of eggs from those of other species, especially in the
Sparidae. In some ecosystems, such as that of the Gulf of Cádiz, this group is rather
large and diverse. Sparidae larvae are distinguished by a triangular tract leading to the
anus, located at one third of the standard length of the larva. The pigmentation of P.
bogaraveo in the early larval stage is distinguished by a dorsal row of melanophores in
the caudal, dorso-ventral band on the tail and a group of melanophores on the head. As
it grows, the two pigment spots in the dorsal and ventral area are noticeable.
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