Download FAR 2015/02 Acoustic biomass estimates of southern blue whiting on the Bounty Platform in 2014

Acoustic data on spawning southern blue whiting were collected along 43 transects in 5 snapshots south of the Bounty Islands from FV Tomi Maru 87 between 24 and 30 August 2014. The biomass estimate for 2014, based on the average of all 5 snapshots, was 11 832 t (CV 31%). This was only 41% of the estimate from 2013 (28 533 t), and the lowest in the industry acoustic time-series. This fishery is still dominated by fish from the strong 2002 year-class, but the 2007 year-class is also important.