Brussels, 23/09/2014 (Agence Europe) - Fish stocks in European Union waters remain in a “precarious” situation, according to a study by the French fisheries association (Association française d'halieutique). This study reveals that, for many stocks, the situation is not properly known and around one third of stocks are being overfished or are in decline. Only 17 of the 144 stocks studied can be classed as being sustainably fished.
The scientific analyses carried out by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) have recently been compiled by the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF), the European body responsible for formulating scientific opinion on fisheries resources. These analyses can be used to present an initial picture of the situation in 2014. The French fisheries association, “keen to promote the principles of sustainable fishing and to communicate these opinions”, has prepared an overview.
Of the stocks assessed, 17, or roughly one third, are fished in line with the objectives of the common fisheries policy (CFP): the biomass of breeding stock is higher than the minimum cautionary threshold and fishing pressure is moderate. Fishing pressure must allow stocks to reach biomass levels that will ultimately allow the maximum sustainable yield (or MSY, the maximum levels of catch that stocks can sustain in the long term) to be achieved. Among the stocks deemed to be healthy are a number of very large stocks of small pelagic fish, in particular North Sea herring (which has an estimated catch potential of 462,000 tonnes) and North Sea sprat (227,000 tonnes). Others are North Sea plaice (120,000 tonnes), North Sea haddock, Celtic Sea whiting, Celtic Sea herring, Western English Channel sole. In all, these 17 stocks represent catch potential of the order of 936,000 tonnes, that is, almost half (47%) of catches subject to quotas in the area studied.
However, two thirds of the 50 stocks assessed, 33 stocks in all, do not meet the conditions of management according to MSY. For 27 stocks, the fishing pressure is felt to be too strong; the stocks are deemed to be being overfished. There is a risk of collapse of the biomass for 15 stocks. Nine stocks are suffering from both too great fishing pressure and insufficient biomass. This is the case for several stocks in the West Scotland area and the Irish Sea, as well as for North Sea cod and Bay of Biscay sole. Among the overfished stocks are also to be found Celtic Sea, Eastern English Channel and North Sea sole, Eastern and Western English Channel plaice, Celtic Sea cod and northern zone bass. In all, the 33 overfished and/or damaged stocks represent a catch potential of 530,000 tonnes in 2015, or 27% of catches subject to quotas in the European Atlantic zone. These are principally groundfish, often of high commercial value.
For the remaining 94 stocks, scientific opinion on fishing quotas is based on partial assessment. Scientists seek to qualitatively characterise developments. Thus: 24 stocks, representing 16% of catch potential, are judged to be increasing, 21 stocks are stable (3% of catches) and 17 are falling (2% of catches). For 32 stocks (5% of catch potential), scientists are unable to come to any conclusion.
The French fisheries association underlines that the abundance of the 17 stocks currently managed in line with the objectives of MSY is increasing. The biomass of North Sea plaice, for example, has trebled in ten years, the biomass of sprat has quadrupled and there has been a 50% increase in Celtic Sea whiting. Sound management, then, can be seen to improve the health of the stocks - and also to bring higher proposed fishing quotas. Thus, the quotas proposed for 2015 for these 17 stocks are on average 7% higher than 2014 quotas. “We can expect these increases to continue in coming years as stocks have not yet reached MSY biomass”, notes the French association.
2015 quotas. The ICES expert groups have brought forward recommendations for fishing quotas for 2015. Recommended catches for 124 stocks total 1,932,000 tonnes. This is down 115,000 tonnes, or 5.6%, on last year's recommendations for two different reasons. In part, it results from implementation of tougher management rules, particularly with application of MSY management rules. The fall in recommended fishing quotas has also been brought about, however, by a deteriorating situation, with declining biomass and, therefore, catch potential in some stocks. The experts' recommendations are for large reductions for: Celtic Sea cod (-48%), Eastern English Channel sole (-41%) and Bay of Biscay sole (-26%), North Sea and Eastern English Channel whiting (-54%), northern zone bass (-57%), saithe (-15%), Eastern English Channel plaice (-16%) and Celtic Sea herring (-58%). (LC)