The Icelandic Marine Research Institute has recommended a nephrops quota of only 235 tonnes for 2019, just enough to allow the stock’s condition and distribution to be monitored.
The Institute has also recommended that fishing for nephrops should not take place at all in the Jökulldjúp and Lónsdjúp areas so as to protect juvenile animals, while also recommending that trawling for whitefish should also be banned in particular zones of the Breiðamerkurdjúp, Hornafjarðardjúp and Lónsdjúp areas to minimise pressure on the nephrops stock.
The density of nephrops holes has been measured as being among the lowest of all the nephrops grounds for which ICES provides advice, while sampling has show that there has been a shortfall in recruitment in recent years, which is reflected by the high average weight of nephrops caught that has left an increased proportion of older animals.
The 235 tonne quota is intended to provide indications of the stock’s size composition and distribution.
The Marine Research Institute expects to seek further co-operation with fishing companies in monitoring the nephrops stock.
