ICES Management Advice
ICES (International Council for Exploration of the Seas) provides fisheries advice that is consistent with the broad international policy norms of MSY (maximum sustainable yield), the precautionary approach, and the ecosystem approach. ICES recognises that the fisheries for which it provides advice have not in general been managed with MSY as an objective, and that current European Commission policy does not call for fisheries to be managed in accordance with MSY until 2015. Therefore, the nature of ICES advice is evolving, including options for a 'transition process' to attain full implementation of the MSY approach by 2015.
Within the Precautionary Approach framework, ICES continues to define reference points in terms of spawning stock biomass (the total weight of mature fish in the sea capable of spawning) and fishing mortality (a measure of the rate of removal of fish by fishing). Stocks are classified in terms of reproductive capacity in relation to spawning stock biomass and sustainable harvest in relation to fishing mortality.
Spawning stock biomass and fishing mortality reference points are defined individually for each stock, and consist of limit reference points which signify stock conditions to be avoided, and precautionary approach reference points which give a high probability of avoiding the limit reference points.
Further information, and detailed advice on stocks, is available on the ICES website.
Developments in the Management Approach
Within the framework of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), Total Allowable Catches (TACs) have been a principal management tool for many years. Technical measures to help control the size composition of catches are also employed. While TACs and quotas based on pre-agreed allocation keys can be helpful in establishing upper limits on landings and stability in the shareout of fish resources, they have proved less satisfactory in controlling fishing mortality. Part of the problem is that TACs refer to the landed component of a catch which means that once a TAC is exhausted, additional fish taken during a fishing trip have to be disposed of by, for example, discarding over the side.
In recent years, management of effort through a European days at sea scheme has also been in operation in an attempt to control mortality more directly by limiting fishing activity itself. Days fishing to be applied across different types of fleet (large meshed trawlers, beam trawlers, etc) is agreed at the Council of Ministers and operated within each Member State. There have been some signs that this approach, along with significant decommissioning schemes (such as in Scotland) have had some effect in bringing fishing mortality down for some species, including cod. With continued reduction in time at sea, however, there is an increased possibility of more targeted effort through changed fishing behaviour.
Since 2009, Scottish fishermen have been taking part in a Catch Quota Scheme aimed at avoiding cod. This allows fishermen to land all the cod they catch, provided they carry cameras on board and stop fishing altogether in the North Sea when they reach their cod quota. More information is available here. Catch Quota is only one management tool available but this, along with the use of selective gears and Real Time Closures can make a real difference. It is hoped that measures to encourage and reward avoidance behaviour will help reduce cod fishing mortality further.