The cruise plan of the vessel was:
Departure Port of Spain: 29 AugustThe course tracks and fishing stations, both with bottom trawl and pelagic trawl as well as hydrografic stations are shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Arrival and departure La Guaira: 8 and 9 September respectively.
Arrival Punto Fijo: 15 September.
Difficult bottom conditions on the shelf of Paria Peninsula prevented demersal trawling in the eastern part of the shelf. The survey effort was intensive from the Testigos Archipelago westwards past the Tortuga Island. The survey effort was also high in the Gulf of Venezuela, both areas are known to be important fishing areas. Results of the previous surveys corroborats the distribution pattern derived from the commercial fisheries that this areas are important for both pelagic and demersal stocks. The shelf area west of Puerto La Cruiz was only surveyed in the western part and this survey effort was allocated to the shelf area of Blanquilla Island.
Cruise tracks were adjusted to work the bottom trawl stations for swept area biomass estimation during daytime. Pelagic trawl and deep water stations and hydografic stations were preferably worked during night rime. In areas with high pelagic abundance additional cruise tracks were run at night for pelagic fishing. In total 132 trawl stations were carried out of which 102 were made with bottom trawl and 30 with pelagic trawl. Deep water trawling were made at 15 stations. Five hydrografic sections or 27 stations were carried out. The integration covered 2889 miles.
The acoustic system was calibrated on the 2 September in the Gulf of Cariaco. The result of the calibration showed no changes in system sensitivity compared to previous calibrations.
