The oceanographic vessel Miguel Oliver set sail from the port of Palma on Tuesday with 26 scientists on board to assess the status of sardine and anchovy populations in the Spanish Mediterranean, as part of the Medias 2026 campaign.
The Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) has launched the 18th edition of the Medias campaign from Palma, which will traverse the Mediterranean continental shelf from the French border to the Strait of Gibraltar. Until August 24, the team aboard the Miguel Oliver will collect acoustic and biological data to estimate the biomass of the anchovy spawning stock and the sardine population, two species of great commercial interest for the Balearic fleet.
A key mission for Balearic fishing
IEO researcher in the Balearics and programme leader, Magdalena Iglesias, highlighted that these campaigns are essential for detecting interannual changes in small pelagic populations. The data collected will enable fishery managers to establish recommendations for sustainable exploitation, something that directly affects the fishermen of Mallorca, who fish in these waters.
The study is being conducted during the peak spawning season of anchovy, allowing for the assessment of sardine recruitment and providing an accurate picture of stock status. To this end, the vessel employs a scientific echo sounder, the Simrad EK80, and will conduct around 70 fishing hauls to validate the acoustic data.
“These Medias fishery prospecting campaigns are essential for detecting interannual changes in small pelagic populations and contribute to a more ecosystem-based and sustainable management of their fisheries,” explained Magdalena Iglesias.
Beyond sardines and anchovies
In addition to assessing pelagic species, the campaign will collect microplastic and macro-debris samples in the water column, in collaboration with the Esmares 3 project. The presence of birds and marine mammals will also be recorded, the trophic status of pelagic species will be analysed, and the body fat of fish will be measured using a fat meter.
The IEO has detailed that the distribution of eggs and larvae of commercially important species will be determined, along with oceanographic variables such as temperature, salinity, and fluorescence. All this information will be integrated with the historical series of the campaign, which began in 2009, to provide a long-term perspective.
European collaboration for sustainable management
The Medias 2026 campaign is part of a network of coordinated acoustic campaigns with other Mediterranean EU countries, such as France, Italy, Greece, Slovenia, Malta, Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia. The results will be used in scientific assessment groups, which provide recommendations for fishery managers.
The initiative is co-financed by the European Union through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), within the National Programme for the collection, management, and use of data in the fishing sector. For the Balearic fishing sector, this data is vital: quotas and fishing seasons depend on it, which directly affects the local economy.
“Acoustic campaigns are one of the main methods for the direct study of fish populations of small pelagics,” concluded Iglesias. The Miguel Oliver will return to Palma on August 24, and preliminary results are expected in the autumn.
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