Feasibility of a Dutch Nephrops survey - KBWOT 2013 Get the picture

The wish was expressed in the Netherlands to set up a Nephrops survey. Such surveys are carried out in other ICES member countries, e.g. the UK, Ireland, Denmark. Contacts were made with experts from these countries and IMARES participated in ICES WGNEPS in 2013 to retrieve information on the procedures and instrumentation used. A standard technique is to use a UWTV-sledge with cameras to count Nephrops burrows and estimate abundance. A UWTV-survey is preferred over a survey using a headline unit on commercial fishing gears. It will supply a fisheries independent abundance estimate, and has developed into a standard method within ICES. Aspects of methodology and technology are reviewed in the report.