The scientific meeting, named WKARAS3 – Workshop on Age Reading of European Sardine, aims to standardize the criteria used by laboratories to determine sardine age based on their otoliths, small calcified structures in the inner ear that show growth marks.
The presentation day included researcher Cristina Bultó from the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC) and Andreia V. Silva from the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), the organizing entities with the collaboration of the island institution.
The Minister of Fisheries for the Cabildo, Samuel Martín, highlighted the importance of hosting such events to bring scientific research closer to the territory and contribute to responsible marine resource management. "Having precise scientific information on fish populations is fundamental for adopting decisions that ensure the sustainability of fishing activities," he added.
The workshop follows a 2025 international exercise that showed a 69% agreement among otolith reading specialists, indicating a need to harmonize procedures. Over five days, participants will analyze differences, conduct practical calibration exercises, and work towards creating an international reference collection.
The data collection for this meeting was co-financed by the European Union through the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF).
