Population Dynamics, Fishery, and Exploitation Status of Norway Lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) in Eastern Mediterranean

Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) is one of the most valuable shellfish resources in the Mediterranean and the northeast Atlantic. Sustainable management of its fishery require long-term scientific monitoring of its stocks. Population dynamics, fishery, and exploitation status of the Norway lobster were studied over a long time series (between 2008 and 2014) in a semi enclosed gulf in Easter Mediterranean (Pagasitikos Gulf). Sampling was carried out using a commercial bottom trawl with a codend mesh size of 28 mm in three different regions within the Gulf. Sex was identified macroscopically and all individuals were measured and weighed. Growth and Age groups were investigated by analysis of length–frequency distributions of the Carapace length (CL) for both sexes. Fishing, Natural and Total Mortality, along with Exploitation rate of the total stock were estimated by the FiSAT software package. Females were further examined and classified based on their maturity stage and the size at onset of sexual maturity was estimated by Probit analysis. Temporal differences in mean CL were detected for both sexes, with a tendency of lower values each year, along with a respective increase in Fishing Mortality and Exploitation Rate, indicating the effects of fishing pressure over the population. Size at onset of sexual maturity was estimated at 32.6 mm, higher than the official mesh sizes for creels (28 mm) and gillnets (26 mm). According to the analyses, the local Norway lobster stock is over-exploited, which should be taken under consideration by the regional policy makers.

Ovary resorption in the Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) and its possible causes with special reference to sperm storage

The Norway lobster, Nephrops norvegicus, is an important fisheries species in the North-East Atlantic area. In some circumstances, mature females of Nephrops norvegicus can resorb their ovary rather than completing spawning, but the implications of this phenomenon to reproductive biology and fisheries sustainability are not known. To understand after effects of ovary resorption, we studied long-term demographic data sets (1994–2017) collected from the western Irish Sea and the North Sea. Our considerations focused on potential correlations among the frequency of resorption, female insemination, and body size of resorbing females. Resorption was continuously rare in the western Irish Sea (less than 1%); whereas much higher rates with considerable year-to-year variation were observed in the North Sea (mean 9%). Resorption started in autumn after the spawning season (summer) had passed. The frequency stayed high throughout winter and declined again in spring. As sperm limitation can occur in male-biased fisheries, we expected a lack of insemination could be responsible for resorption, but affected females were indeed inseminated. Resorbing females were significantly larger than other sexually mature females in the North Sea, but the opposite trend was observed in the western Irish Sea. It is therefore possible that other, environmental factors or seasonal shifts, may trigger females to resorb their ovaries instead of spawning. Resorption may as well represent a natural phenomenon allowing flexibility in the periodicity of growth and reproduction. In this sense, observations of annual versus biennial reproductive cycles in different regions may be closely linked to the phenomenon of ovary resorption.

Spatiotemporal abundance pattern of deep-water rose shrimp, Parapenaeus longirostris, and Norway lobster, Nephrops norvegicus, in European Mediterranean waters

The main characteristics concerning the distribution of two of the most important decapod crustaceans of commercial interest in the Mediterranean Sea, the deep-water rose shrimp, Parapenaeus longirostris, and the Norway lobster, Nephrops norvegicus, are studied in the European Mediterranean waters. The study is based on data collected under the MEDITS trawl surveys from 1994 to 2015 from the Gibraltar Straits to the northeastern Levantine Basin (Cyprus waters). The observed differences can be interpreted as different responses to environmental drivers related to the differing life history traits of the two species. In fact, N. norvegicus is a long-living, benthic burrowing species with low growth and mortality rates, while P. longirostris is an epibenthic, short-living species characterized by higher rates of growth and mortality.

Mesh sticking probability in fishing gear selectivity: Methodology and case study on Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) and mantis shrimp (Squilla mantis) in the Mediterranean Sea creel fishery

Fish or crustaceans stuck in the fishing gear meshes can lead to operational problems in some fisheries and thereby affect theeconomic gain. However, mesh sticking probability has never been formally quantified as a part of the estimation of fishing gearsize selectivity. Therefore, this study developed a size selection model and estimation procedure that, besides the size dependentretention and escape probabilities, includes the size dependent mesh sticking probability. The new method was applied to quantify the size dependent retention, sticking and escape probabilities for mantis shrimp (Squilla mantis) and Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) in creels with 41 mm square mesh netting. The mesh sticking probability was found to display a bell-shaped curvature with a maximum value for a specific carapace length and decreasing probabilities for both smaller and bigger individuals. For mantis shrimp the maximum sticking probability was found for 32.5 mm carapace length with a value at 13.5%, while 63.1% and 23.4% of that size were respectively retained inside the creels and escaped. For Norway lobster the maximum sticking probabilitywas 2% and occurred for 34.0 mm carapace length. The method and estimation procedure presented in this study might be applicable for quantifying mesh sticking probability as an integral part of future fishing gear size selectivity studies on other speciesand fisheries.