| European hake (Merluccius merluccius) is a key species in the management of several mixed fisheries in the north-east Atlantic where regional spatial management plans are being set up. The wide spatial distribution of hake and the lack of knowledge of some processes involved in its spatial dynamics could hamper the assessment and management of hake. To help understand the processes, we implemented a spatial version of the Stock Synthesis stock assessment model for northern hake, including available data on this stock and the associated fisheries. For the 1978–2012 time series, the model distinguished the Bay of Biscay, the Celtic Sea and a northern area aggregating the West of Scotland and the North Sea. The model considered an age-structured population... |
