Investigations on demersal fish in the Barents Sea winter 2003 : detailed report

Abstract

A combined acoustic and bottom trawl survey to obtain indices of abundance and estimates of length and weight at age has been carried out each winter (4-6 weeks in January-March) since 1981 in the Barents Sea. The target species are cod and haddock, but abundance indices have also been worked out for the redfish species since 1986 and Greenland halibut since 1990. Prior to 1993 a fixed standard area (ABCD) was covered, but in 1993 the survey area was extended to the north and east in order to obtain a more complete coverage of the younger age groups of cod. In winter 1997 only the Norwegian part of the Barents Sea and a small part of the Svalbard area was covered, while in 1998 also a small part of the Russian EEZ was covered. In 1999 and 2000 the Norwegian vessels had full access to the Russian EEZ. In the years 2001-2003 a Russian research vessel covered the areas where the Norwegian vessels did not have access.