Proposal by the UK to fully close the Dogger Bank to EU fishing for sandeel is set to have serious implications for the sector, extending to the aquafeed and salmon industries. Driven by an apparent conservation goal for the marine ecosystem, this will place extensive strains on European aquaculture, and intensifying challenges facing the food security landscape.
According to Dr. James Hinchcliffe, adviser to Marine Ingredients Denmark & European Fishmeal, sandeel play a key role as a forage species in the marine ecosystem. They serve as a primary food source for larger fish such cod and haddock, as well as for seabirds. Sandeels also form a crucial link in the marine food web, transferring energy from plankton to higher trophic levels and this underscores the critical need for the sustainable management of this fishery, not only for seabirds but for related fisheries. For commercial fishing, sandeel populations are categorised into seven management areas. Proposed bans would imply a complete closure of British waters to sandeel fishing in the management areas 1 and 4.
The response from the EU to the British consultation on spatial management closures emphasises the importance of a science-driven and proportional approach in managing sandeel fisheries. Regrettably, it seems that EU responses are not taken into proper consideration, despite the stakeholders having a proven record of sustainable management of the sandeel fishery while protecting the marine environment.
Current management relies on scientific advice from ICES, which provides scientific advice for EU fisheries. This approach gains further endorsement through environmental certifications such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and MarinTrust, both of which have previously certified the sandeel industry, ensuring environmentally sound operations with minimal ecological impact.
ICES, MSC and MarinTrust have all emphasised the importance of precautionary measures in sandeel fishing, including catch quotas based not only on maximum sustainable yield but also on modelling to safeguard the broader ecosystem. ICES follows a comprehensive approach, providing guidance on the TAC, based on an escapement strategy, which stipulates that a fishery should be permitted only if the stock assessment indicates that the spawning stock will exceed a precautionary spawning biomass level (Bpa) in the following year.
By avoiding excessive fishing pressure on large biomass and leaving smaller biomass unfished, this management strategy minimises density-dependent declines in sandeel recruitment and mitigates potential impacts on other species. Following on, to account for the inherent uncertainty in predicting future Bpa, especially for short-lived species like sandeels, ICES also establishes an upper limit on fishing mortality known as the maximum fishing mortality (Fcap). This multi-faceted approach reflects the intricacies of managing sandeel fisheries for long-term sustainability. Adhering to this advice demonstrates a commitment to responsible and sustainable fishing practices.
On 28th November last year, ICES responded to a special request from the UK and the EU, focusing on ecosystem considerations for single stock advice related to forage fish species such as sandeel, sprat and Norway pout. The report reviewed the methodologies and principles guiding ICES ecosystem considerations for small pelagic species and is poised to shape the ongoing dialogue between the EU and the UK over the closure of the sandeel fishery in British waters. In brief, the report underscores that when ICES establishes a quota for a specific species such as sandeel, it considers the consumption of sandeels by other predators.
This evaluation employs an ecosystem model to estimate the number of predators in the ocean and their expected prey consumption. The method used is praised and judged to be near the best possible and the robust historical data-set available for the North Sea was especially highlighted. This is an example of ecosystem considerations in a single-species management. So, while forage fisheries may affect prey availability, the limitations of the available scientific evidence for localised impacts underscore the challenge of fully understanding the effects of fisheries closures on predator demography. For guillemot, razorbill, and puffin for example, a recent study from Searle et al., (2023), showed there’s no clear evidence of negative or positive effects from forage fisheries or their closures.
Within Europe, over 99% of the total UK and EU value landed from UK waters has been landed by EU vessels, mainly Denmark where historical records demonstrate annual landings of approximately 100,000 tonnes of sandeel. This underscores the profound historical, socio-economic, and ecological significance of this region and emphasises the need for a delicate balance to ensure the preservation of both ecological stability and the socio-economic aspects associated with sandeel fishing.
The approaching possible closure of sandeel fishing in UK areas is poised to have a significant impact on both EU fisheries and European aquaculture production in countries such as Norway, Scotland, and others. European sandeel fishing has historically been pivotal for the global fishmeal market, supporting industries reliant on fish-based products. An abrupt cessation of this practice could disrupt supply chains. Of all the raw material that has been used in EU fishmeal and fish oil production since 2015, 11% of it comes from sandeel landings sourced from area 1 and 4, or 167,000 and 46,100 tonnes of fishmeal and fish oil. This equates to 22,500 and 5,500 tons of fishmeal and fish oil that can be produced per year from these two management areas on average.
The production of fishmeal and fish oil has been significant, forming a cornerstone of the global fishmeal market and supporting various industries. The potential loss of this vital fishmeal production source is highly concerning, particularly due to its unprecedented impact on food security, especially concerning farmed salmon production which has a huge role in the growing demand for sustainable protein.
Fishmeal and fish oil are vital components in aquaculture feeds, fishmeal and fish oil are essential sources of limited nutrients like methionine and the omega-3 fatty acids, EPA, and DHA.
The decline in fishmeal and fish oil availability across Europe because of the closures of British waters to the sandeel fishery could disrupt the supply chain for farmed fish, posing a challenge to European and British food security.
From an average season it is estimated that the sandeels landed in areas 1 and 4 will contribute to the production of 48,500 tonnes of Atlantic salmon from 53,400 tons of feed with an average 10.3% fish oil inclusion. Additionally, in this theoretical example, there is a surplus of 16,000 tons of fishmeal available to be sold and utilised in other sectors such as feeds for highly lucrative crustaceans such as shrimp and resilient, lower maintenance fish species such as tilapia, since fish oil is often the limiting ingredient in aquafeeds. This takes the actual production of responsible and nutritious seafood produced way beyond the initial 100,000 tonnes of sandeels that are landed from these areas.
To compensate for the high-nutrient density and palatability stimulating characteristics of fishmeal and fish oil ingredients, the aquafeed industry would either need to pay more for the increased price of fishmeal due to the decreased availability in Europe, or find additional ingredients to provide these crucial nutrients in the future. An analysis of formulations across various species indicates that plant proteins and oils are now providing the bulk of the nutrients in aquafeeds, while fishmeal and fish oil provide those strategic nutrients that are hard to replace.
However, recent studies have shown that this increased use of plant resources worsens the environmental footprint of aquaculture compared to the use of marine ingredients. Furthermore, sustainability concerns arise regarding the consumption of food-grade plant resources such as soybean protein and rapeseed oil in aquafeeds.
