Rybactwo i morze
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Republic of Poland
Agencja Restrukturyzacji i Modernizacji Rolnictwa
European Maritime and Fisheries Founf

Sampling

The target population for DCF is all fish species for which estimates of landed quantities are required by Commission Decision 2010/93/EU, taking account of any derogation granted in accordance with the National Fisheries Data Sampling Programme. In total, 12 Baltic fish stocks are sampled every year. In recent years over 800 vessels of different type and size, ranged from 12 to 30 m length, operated in the Baltic. Moreover, 3-5 fish stocks in the other seas are also sampled (Polish long distance fisheries).

The primary sampling unit is a trip of the fishing vessel on a specified metier(fishing gear/target species), port and quarter.

Sampling of commercial fishery is conducted both on shore (sampling of landed catch) and at sea (scientific observers on board the fishing vessels), including at sea sampling of cod recreational fishery in the Baltic. Biological and economic data are collected in accordance with the sampling scope and intensity described in the National Programme approved by the European Commission.

Surveys at sea

The National Marine Fisheries Research Institute in Gdynia conducts four research surveys executed on board of the research vessel “Baltica”:

  • Two bottom-trawl surveys (BITS), conducted in the first and fourth quarters of the year, within the framework of the Baltic International Trawl Surveys long-term programme,
  • Two acoustic and pelagic-trawl surveys conducted in May (SPRAS) and in September/October (BIAS) within the framework of the Baltic International Acoustic Surveys long-term programme,

The principal methods of investigations, timing of the BITS and BIAS surveys and the scheme of randomly selected control-hauls spatial distribution in the bottom zone of the southern Baltic are designed and co-ordinated by the ICES Baltic International Fish Survey Working Group [WGBIFS].

Sampling documentation

  • SPRFMO OP_NMFRI Safe handling of birds and mammals (PDF)
  • DCF 2022 – 2024, Sampling design description (PDF)
  • Annex 5 – Stomach Manual WGSAM 2010 (PDF)
  • Stomach sampling protocol – BITS (in Polish) (PDF)
  • Small Pelagic Pilot Plan 2020 (PDF)
  • DCF – Sampling Design – Diadromous species data collection in freshwater (PDF)
  • SPRFMO – data quality assurance (PDF)
  • Sampling Plan – Marine recreational fisheries for Diadromous species (PDF)
  • Fisheries economics methodology (PDF)
  • Processing methodology (PDF)
  • PS1-PL-2021 Report (PDF)
  • Manual to determine gonadal maturity of Baltic sprat, herring, cod and flounder – based on macrophotos (PDF)
  • Data quality check description (PDF)
  • DCF – Sampling Design 2020-2021 (PDF)
  • DCF – Sampling Design 2017-2019 (PDF)
  • DCF – Sampling Design and Plan description – Demersal – NS&EA (PDF)
  • Pilot Study – Marine recreational fisheries for Diadromous species (PDF)
  • Sampling Plan – cod recreational – POL DCF.PDF (PDF)
  • Sampling design Diadromous (PDF)
  • Workshop on Statistical Issues related to the collection of economic data within the DCF variables (PDF)
  • ICES manual for BITS surveys (PDF)
  • ICES manual for BIAS/BASS surveys (PDF)
  • ICES WGRFS (http://www.ices.dk/community/groups/Pages/WGRFS.aspx)
  • ICES WGRFS 2015 Report (PDF)
  • Sampling protocol for CECAF Water (PDF)
  • SPRFMO Data Standards (PDF)
    (webpage of SPRFMO with actual measures – www.sprfmo.int/measures/
  • Sampling protocol for SPRFMO (PDF)
  • Sampling manual for CECAF, version 8-03-2018 (PDF)

r/v “Baltica” – vessel’s characteristics