Abstract Full Text:PDF Recommended articles Mail to Author How to Cite

¹ University of Split, Center for Marine Studies, Livanjska 5/III, 21 000, Split, Croatia
² Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, 46.7 km Athens-Sounion Avenue, 19013 Anavyssos Attikis, Greece
³ University of Dubrovnik, Ćira Carića 4, 20000, Dubrovnik, Croatia
⁴ Institute of Geological and Mineral Research, Sp. Loui 1, 17677 Acharnes, Athens, Greece DOI : 10.4194/1303-2712-v14_3_10 Viewed : 5062 - Downloaded : 4733 Baltic prawn, Palaemon adspersus population from the Parila lagoon (SE Adriatic Sea, Croatia) was studied between 2010-2011. Specimens were collected monthly in order to determine population structure, growth, mortality and reproduction of this important decapods species. The von Bertalanffy growth function parameters were found L∞=58.98 mm, K=0.975 year⁻¹ and to=-0.0046 years for males and L∞=72.45 mm, K=1.058 year⁻¹ and t_o=-0.0005 years for females. Growth performance (Φ') for females was higher (3.229) than that of males (3.121). Maximum calculated age was 3.07 and 2.83 years for males and females, respectively, while total mortality was estimated as 3.72 per year for males and 3.79 per year for females. The females carried on average 2157 eyed eggs per 1g of total body weight, but exhibited a high variability of fecundity. The results show overexploitation of the resource and therefore management rules based on the precautionary approach are proposed. These rules are based on the limitation of the fishing effort and the establishment of 'no-take' periods during the year as well as the proposal of two biological reference points based on a minimum landing size related to the sizeat- maturity and the fishing mortality at Maximum Sustainable Yield. Keywords : Growth, mortality, length-weight relationship, fecundity, Baltic prawn, reference points, fisheries management