The anchovy population in the Bay of Biscay maintains "a favorable situation," according to the first data from the scientific campaign Bioman 2026, carried out in May by the Basque technological center Azti.
The survey estimates a provisional biomass of 155,000 tons, clearly above the biological safety threshold set for this species at 26,600 tons.
This figure expresses in weight the approximate amount of anchovy present in the Bay of Biscay during the month of May and is one of the key indicators to assess the state of the stock, according to the Basque scientific and technological center specialized in the marine environment and food.
Among the main results of Bioman 2026, the high presence of young specimens stands out. The study of the age structure reveals that 74% of the observed anchovies are one year old, a high proportion compared to the historical series. Two-year-old individuals account for 21% of the sample and three-year-olds, the remaining 5%.
From Azti, they emphasize that this high percentage of young fish, known as recruitment, is "especially important in a short-lived species like the anchovy," as it favors "the renewal and stability" of the stock.
Bioman constitutes one of the reference scientific campaigns to assess the situation of the anchovy in the Bay of Biscay and provide data for the scientific advice used to set fishing possibilities.
After data collection, the Daily Egg Production Method is applied, an internationally recognized methodology that allows estimating the biomass of anchovy based on the eggs present in the water and the fecundity of the population. In this way, during the reproduction period, the number of adult anchovies is calculated based on the number of eggs located in the sea and the amount of eggs produced by each female.
The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) estimated in December 2025 the biomass of anchovy for 2025 at 119,768 tons, above the limit biomass of 26,600 tons. This assessment was made based on the data from Bioman 2025, from the French campaign in May (Pelgas), from the juvenile estimation campaign by Azti in autumn (Juvena), and from the information on the catches of the 2025 fleet.
By 2026, the Total Allowable Catches have been set at 33,000 tons for the fleets of Spain and France, according to Regulation (EU) 2026/249 of the Council, of January 26, 2026.
The final estimate of the biomass corresponding to 2026 will be obtained in November, when the results of the Bioman, Pelgas, and Juvena campaigns are integrated along with the catch data from the fleet, within the framework of the ICES working group on anchovy, sardine, and horse mackerel.
Institutional assessment and scientific monitoring
The Minister of Food, Rural Development, Agriculture, and Fisheries of the Basque Country, Amaia Barredo, has pointed out that the preliminary results of Bioman "are very good news and suggest that our fishermen will be able to count next year on a fishing quota similar to that of recent years, if the autumn Juvena campaign confirms these forecasts."
From Azti, they remind that the data series collected over more than thirty years through oceanographic and fishing campaigns have allowed tracking the evolution of the anchovy, identifying changes in the population, and adjusting management measures to the state of the resource.
This ongoing control is "especially relevant" in a species "with a short life cycle and high natural variability." Scientific evidence facilitates that administrations, the fishing sector, and the research community have objective information to reconcile extractive activity with the conservation of one of the key resources of the Cantabrian Sea.
Since 2016, the Bioman campaign also integrates an ecosystem approach, which combines scientific monitoring with sustainability criteria and protection of marine ecosystems.
European framework and funding of the campaign
The 2026 edition has been developed by Azti within the National Basic Data Program (PNDB) 2022-2027, which complies with the European framework for the collection, management, and use of data from the fishing sector and supports scientific advice for the Common Fisheries Policy.
The campaign is financed with contributions from the European Union, the Fisheries Directorate of the Basque Government, and the General Secretariat of Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, which has made available the oceanographic vessels Emma Bardán and Vizconde de Eza.