Download FAR 2017/19 - Acoustic biomass estimates of southern blue whiting on the Bounty Platform in 2015

Acoustic data on spawning southern blue whiting were collected along 38 transects in 4 snapshots south of the Bounty Islands from FV Tomi Maru 87 between 21 and 26 August 2015. The biomass estimate for 2015, based on the average of snapshots 2 and 4, was 6726 t (CV 42%). This was 43% lower than the estimate from 2014 (11 832 t), and the lowest in the industry acoustic time-series. This fishery is still dominated by the 2002 and 2007 year-classes, but a mode of young fish was also present.