Saithe ( Pollachius virens) are mainly taken by demersal trawl as part of a directed fishery along the Northern Shelf edge and Norwegian Trench. Saither are also taken as part of the mixed demersal fishery. They are, by weight, the second most landed roundfish species caught by Scottish fishermen.
| 2011 position: | UK share 10,650 tonnes |
| Last year: | 11,878 tonnes |
| Landed into Scotland in 2009: | 14,268 tonnes |
| Value for 2009: | £9.96 million |
MSY and Precautionary Approach Reference Points
| Type | Value |
MSY Approach | MSY Btrigger | 200,000 t |
FMSY | 0.3 |
Precautionary Approach | Blim | 106,000 t |
Bpa | 200,000 t |
Flim | 0.6 |
Fpa | 0.4 |
State of Stock and Advice
An assessment could not be run in 2010 due to missing and incomplete indices. Therefore, the assessment from the 2009 working group was used to estimate the state of the stock and set forecast catch options for 2011.
- A fishing mortality of 0.29 was estimated for 2009: this means that approximately 25%, by number, of all fish between 4 and 8 years of age were caught.
- The spawning stock biomass for 2010 was estimated above Bpa at 232,300 tonnes.
- Fishing mortality and biomass are below and above, respectively, the precautionary limits. Fishing mortality is slightly below the level which is consistent with achieving maximum sustainable yield ( F2009< FMSY).
- The advice is in accordance with the long-term management plan which recommends human consumption landings in 2011 of 103,000 tonnes for the full assessment area.
The measures prescribed by the management plan, if fully implemented and enforced will maintain fishing mortality at or around FMSY.
Management Outcomes for 2011
At the December 2010 meeting in Brussels, the Council of Ministers decided that the international Total Allowable Catch for North Sea and west of Scotland saithe should be 103,000 tonnes. The UK quota for 2011 was set at 10,650 tonnes.
Information Source: ICES advice 2010 ( http://www.ices.dk/committe/acom/comwork/report/2010/2010/sai-3a46.pdf).