Spanish research proposal for the 2016/17 season in Division 58.4.1

In the 2012/13 fishing season Spain began the implementation of a multi-annual Research Plan for Divisions 58.4.1 and 58.4.2 in order to estimate local biomass of Dissostichus spp. by means of two methods: depletion and tagging. Although a big effort has been placed for their accomplishment, results have to be analyzed in the coming months but some doubt about the reliability of data could be express due to accessibility problems by the ice cover and traces of IUU fishing found in the proposed areas. Together this analysis and considering that a single member proposal could not be enough to provide a reliable data set to lead to an integrated stock assessment of the target species, Spain intends to conduct research fishing during the 2016/17 season in the 58.4.1 Division following the same scheme that other member’s previous proposals with small modifications in order to expedite the realization of a toothfish stock assessment in this so called poor-data division.