On March 16th , and for 42 days, Abate Molina scientific ship, set sail in order to research horse mackerel between Arica Parinacota and Valparaíso regions. The ship’s crew is made up by 27 people.
The Abate’s captain is Enrique Quiero and fishing engineer José Córdova as cruise head.
The research general objective is horse mackerel resource biomass quantification, between Arica and Parinacota – Valparaíso regions, using the hydroacoustic method.
Specific objectives are:
- To estimate horse mackerel stock size and its spatial distribution.
- To characterize and analyze in an spatial-temporal context, horse mackerel resource demographic composition and year-on-year variation, using biological indicators.
- To characterize and analyze oceanographic conditions present in the study area and their relationship with the species spatial distribution.
- To determinate horse mackerelś stomach content and characterize specimens trophic behavior in the area and period of study.
- Ecosystemic information gathering from acoustic cruises to support ecosystemic-based fisheries management; Horse mackerel integrated analysis of trophic behavior oriented key species classification of low trophic level, according to the MSC standard.
