STANDARDIZED CATCH RATES FOR THE NORTH AND SOUTH ATLANTIC SWORDFISH (Xiphias gladius) FROM THE SPANISH LONGLINE FLEET FOR THE PERIOD 1983-2001.

Standardized catch rates in biomass and by age (sex combined) were updated using General Linear Modeling (GLM) procedures from trips carried out by the Spanish surface longline fleet fishing swordfish in the North and South Atlantic from 1983-2001, when available. Indices by age were developed for ages ranging from 1 to 5+, using a sex combined growth model. The criteria used for these indices to define areas, time periods and models were very similar to those used in previous papers. The model used to obtain CPUEs in biomass takes into consideration information of so-called ‘by-catch species,’ as the traditional models used in the past did not take into account important changes in the fishing strategy of the Spanish fleet which has primarily occurred in more recent periods. This source of bias affects the CPUEs by age and age-sex estimated using the traditional methodology. RESUME