The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has launched this Tuesday, together with the technological center AZTI, the scientific research campaign Bioman 2026, aimed at evaluating the situation of anchovy and sardine populations in the Cantabrian Sea, two fundamental species for the Spanish purse seine fleet and with great weight in national cuisine.
The information obtained will allow the working groups of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) to develop their recommendations on authorized catch levels for each stock. These proposals serve as the basis for setting Total Allowable Catches (TACs) and anchovy and sardine quotas, as well as for agreements between Spain and Portugal regarding this species.
The campaign has begun in the Bay of Biscay and will continue until the end of May aboard the oceanographic vessels Vizconde de Eza and Emma Bardán, belonging to the Ministry's fleet.
The work area includes Spanish and French waters, from the central Cantabrian Sea to the mouth of the river Garonne and southern Brittany, areas where the Spanish purse seine fleet usually fishes.
According to the department of Luis Planas, to estimate the biomass of these species, scientific methods will be applied such as egg analysis, localization of spawning areas, and the study of hydrographic conditions, in order to determine the current state of these resources and their projected evolution.
Likewise, plankton sampling and marine environment analyses will be carried out, which will include the identification of spawning grounds, predator detection, and the examination of oceanographic conditions, food availability, and the influence of human activity.
This action is part of Spain's international commitments regarding fisheries sustainability and the sector's National Basic Data Program, co-financed by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF).
In the previous campaign (2025) a high adult biomass and a notable production of anchovy eggs were confirmed, which evidenced a positive situation of the population in the Cantabrian Sea. In the current edition, the aim is to update that information and guarantee the continuity of its scientific monitoring.
Together with Bioman, the Juvena campaign studies juvenile anchovy specimens every year in September. Both initiatives are integrated into the monitoring programs of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Basque Government on anchovies, which offer a global view of the species' life cycle.
The vessels Emma Bardán and Vizconde de Eza belong to the research fleet of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and add up to more than 500 days of scientific work per year, in both national and international campaigns. In them, the state of fisheries is analyzed with the aim of achieving Maximum Sustainable Yield. The oceanographic fleet is completed by the vessel Miguel Oliver.