Brussels, 19/03/2009 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission, on Tuesday 17 March, adopted a plan to improve the state of the northern hake stock in Community waters. This plan will replace the recovery plan which has been in place since 2004, and which has successfully helped the northern hake stock recover from almost collapse to the safe target size. The aim is to bring the stock up to its maximum sustainable yield (MSY), i.e. the point at which the largest catch can continuously be
taken from the stock without diminishing its numbers, while ensuring the stability and viability of the fishing sector.
The northern hake stock is found in the Kattegat and Skagerrak straits adjoining Norway, Sweden and Denmark, in the North Sea, in the Channel, in waters to the west of Scotland, all around Ireland and in the Bay of Biscay. The member states which catch this species are France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark. The original recovery plan was started, because the stock of adult hake had been brought to the brink of collapse.
The main points of the new plan are:
Need to review objectives. Instead of setting specific biomass levels, what is needed is to recognise that the stock could vary unpredictably around the recovery target and not to separate recovery plans from long-term plans. Thus, it is proposed that the operating objective be set at a fishing mortality rate of 0.17 per year, which is in line with scientific advice that not exceeding this rate will provide the best yield for this stock.
New economic and social conditions. The fishing sector is currently going through a period of rapid restructuring, brought about by the massive rise in fuel prices in 2008 and poor returns. The new plan will take account of these developments and will ensure in particular that returns in this fishery are raised to as high a level as possible in as short a time as possible.
Need to reduce hake discards. A reduction in the fishing mortality rate to the level needed to obtain the highest possible yield for the hake stock will result in lower discard levels for both hake and other species caught at the same time. A lower fishing mortality rate would allow the stock of larger, older fish to grow and would lead to a reduction in inevitable by-catch of non-marketable juveniles.
Control measures will have to be adapted to the new system and new arrangements.
In 2002, member states signed the Johannesburg Sustainable Development Plan of Implementation. Under this plan, they undertook to exploit fisheries according to the MSY principle
by 2015. (L.C./transl.rt)