Report of the Planning Group on Aerial and Acoustic Surveys for Mackerel (PGAAM)

Mackerel are widely distributed in the North-East Atlantic. Many countries fish for mackereland the Working Group on the Assessment of Mackerel, Horse Mackerel, Sardine and Anchovy(WGMHSA) assembled the distribution of commercial catches. However the distributionof commercial catches should be interpreted with caution due to environmental factors,stock size, and quota/area limitations for the participating nations (some countries cannot fishin the different national EEZs).The WGMHSA assessment of the North-East Atlantic mackerel is currently dependent on asingle fishery independent estimate of biomass, derived from the ICES Triennial Mackereland Horse Mackerel Egg Surveys. This is only available once every three years and makes theassessment increasingly insecure with elapsed time since the last survey. However, the variousannual research surveys by different countries have verified that there is an even wider distributionof mackerel than that indicated by the commercial fisheries. All surveys have the potentialto deliver information on the distribution and abundance of mackerel. However, thesurveys cover only part of the known distribution area and consequently have not been able todeliver a valid stock estimate or complete distribution map.