Recent scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) indicates that the stock of herring in the seas to the West of Scotland is slightly overexploited with respect to maximum sustainable yield. Advice from scientific agencies, supported by advice from stakeholders, indicates that better management would result from setting Total Allowable Catches (TACs) in the framework of a multi-annual plan.
The plan will be subject to review at least every four years.
In the Commission proposal establishing a multi-annual plan for the stock of herring distributed to the West of Scotland the target fishing mortality rate (measure of catches) is set at 0.25 when the size of the spawning stock is greater than 75,000 tonnes, and 0.2 when it is between 75,000 tonnes and 50,000 tonnes. Should the stock fall below the 50,000 tonne level, the fishery would be closed until it recovers.
Year-on-year variations in TAC would be limited to a maximum of 15% as long as the stock is in good condition (i.e. above the 75,000 tonne level).
The rapporteur does not agree with the Commission that a sustainable fishery can be maintained by managing annual mortality at 0.25 when the stock size is above 75,000 tonnes and at 0.20 when the stock size falls below 75,000 tonnes, but remains above 50,000 tonnes. “Nor do I accept that the fishery should be closed if spawning stock levels fall below 50,000 tonnes. On the contrary, I accept the argument of the Pelagic RAC that such harvest rules represent a ‘blunt’ instrument which could lead to dramatic and unwarranted reductions in TAC and would thus undermine the viability of the fishery and destabilise the industry without adequate scientific justification”, he says.
In these circumstances, after taking advice from STECF, the fishery could remain open with a strict recovery plan in place. “The Commission’s assessment is uncertain and although the closure of fishing activities will be needed at certain points, it is inappropriate for the fishery to be automatically closed when the spawning stock was estimated to be only slightly below 50,000 tonnes”, states the report.
In those years when ICES and STECF can provide estimates of spawning stock biomass at less than 75,000 tonnes but equal to or greater than 50,000 tonnes, the TAC for the following year should be set at 0.2. However, to maintain catch stability in the fishery, the TAC should not vary more than plus or minus 20% from the current TAC in any given year, according to the rapporteur.
In any year when ICES and STECF are unable to provide estimates of spawning stock size or fishing mortalities, the TAC should remain unchanged from the previous year, adds Struan STEVENSON. However, in the second and in each subsequent year during which no scientific forecast is available the TAC should be reduced by 10% compared to the previous year.
Special fishing permits will be required for vessels fishing the stock and these vessels will not be allowed to fish both inside and outside the West of Scotland area on the same fishing trip unless they transmit their catch reports daily to the fisheries authorities in their flag state. Monitoring of licensed fishing vessels with permits to fish in the area will be conducted by utilising electronic log-books with daily transmission of catch reports to the Fisheries Monitoring Centre of the flag Member State, VMS and administrative cross-checks between landing declarations and recorded catches.
