Mauritania, Morocco, Portugal, Spain Troll Pole

Transcription

1 Common Octopus Octopus vulgaris Image Scandinavian Fishing Yearbook/ Mauritania, Morocco, Portugal, Spain Troll Pole October 21, 2014 Jose Peiro Crespo, Consulting researcher Disclaimer Seafood Watch strives to have all Seafood Reports reviewed for accuracy and completeness by external scientists with expertise in ecology, fisheries science and aquaculture. Scientific review, however, does not constitute an endorsement of the Seafood Watch program or its recommendations on the part of the reviewing scientists. Seafood Watch is solely responsible for the conclusions reached in this report.

2 2 About Seafood Watch The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program evaluates the ecological sustainability of wild-caught and farmed seafood commonly found in the North American marketplace. Seafood Watch defines sustainable seafood as originating from sources, whether wild-caught or farmed, which can maintain or increase production in the long-term without jeopardizing the structure or function of affected ecosystems. The program s mission is to engage and empower consumers and businesses to purchase environmentally responsible seafood fished or farmed in ways that minimize their impact on the environment or are in a credible improvement project with the same goal. Each sustainability recommendation is supported by a seafood report. Each report synthesizes and analyzes the most current ecological, fisheries and ecosystem science on a species, then evaluates this information against the program s sustainability criteria to arrive at a recommendation of Best Choice, Good Alternative, or Avoid. In producing the seafood reports, Seafood Watch utilizes research published in academic, peer-reviewed journals whenever possible. Other sources of information include government technical publications, fishery management plans and supporting documents, and other scientific reviews of ecological sustainability. Seafood Watch research analysts also communicate with ecologists, fisheries and aquaculture scientists, and members of industry and conservation organizations when evaluating fisheries and aquaculture practices. Capture fisheries and aquaculture practices are highly dynamic; as the scientific information on each species changes, Seafood Watch s sustainability recommendations and the underlying seafood reports will be updated to reflect these changes. Both the detailed evaluation methodology and the scientific reports, are available on seafoodwatch.org. For more information about Seafood Watch and seafood reports, please contact the Seafood Watch program at Monterey Bay Aquarium by calling or visit online at seafoodwatch.org. Disclaimer Seafood Watch strives to ensure all its seafood reports and the recommendations contained therein are accurate and reflect the most up-to-date evidence available at time of publication. All our reports are peer reviewed for accuracy and completeness by external scientists with expertise in ecology, fisheries science or aquaculture. Scientific review, however, does not constitute an endorsement of the Seafood Watch program or its recommendations on the part of the reviewing scientists. Seafood Watch is solely responsible for the conclusions reached in this report. The program welcomes additional or updated data that can be used for the next revision. Seafood Watch and seafood reports are made possible through a grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

3 3 Guiding Principles Seafood Watch defines sustainable seafood as originating from sources, whether fished 1 or farmed, that can maintain or increase production in the long-term without jeopardizing the structure or function of affected ecosystems. The following guiding principles illustrate the qualities that capture fisheries must possess to be considered sustainable by the Seafood Watch program: Stocks are healthy and abundant. Fishing mortality does not threaten populations or impede the ecological role of any marine life. The fishery minimizes bycatch. The fishery is managed to sustain long-term productivity of all impacted species. The fishery is conducted such that impacts on the seafloor are minimized and the ecological and functional roles of seafloor habitats are maintained. Fishing activities should not seriously reduce ecosystem services provided by any fished species or result in harmful changes such as trophic cascades, phase shifts, or reduction of genetic diversity. Based on these guiding principles, Seafood Watch has developed a set of four sustainability criteria to evaluate capture fisheries for the purpose of developing a seafood recommendation for consumers and businesses. These criteria are: 1. Impacts on the species under assessment 2. Impacts on other species 3. Effectiveness of management 4. Habitat and ecosystem impacts Each criterion includes: Factors to evaluate and score Evaluation guidelines to synthesize these factors and to produce a numerical score A resulting numerical score and rating for that criterion Once a score and rating has been assigned to each criterion, an overall seafood recommendation is developed on additional evaluation guidelines. Criteria ratings and the overall recommendation are color-coded to correspond to the categories on the Seafood Watch pocket guide: 1 Fish is used throughout this document to refer to finfish, shellfish and other invertebrates.

4 4 Best Choice/Green: Are well managed and caught or farmed in ways that cause little harm to habitats or other wildlife. Good Alternative/Yellow: Buy, but be aware there are concerns with how they re caught or farmed. Avoid/Red: Take a pass on these for now. These items are overfished or caught or farmed in ways that harm other marine life or the environment.

5 5 Summary The following Seafood Watch report provides recommendations for common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) caught in the Northeast Atlantic (Spain and Portugal) and the Eastern Central Atlantic (Morocco and Mauritania). Common octopus is a benthic cephalopod species distributed on rocky, sandy, and muddy bottoms from the coastline to the edge of the continental shelf (Mangold 1983). It is a short-lived species that is extremely dependent on the seasonal and interannual variability of environmental conditions (Sobrino et al. 2002) (Sonderblhom et al. 2014) (Otero et al. 2008). The common octopus has low inherent vulnerability to fishing pressure due to its high fecundity, low age at maturity, and rapid growth rate (Wood 2014). In Iberian waters the common octopus stock is assessed by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). Because it is a sedentary species, the ICES Working Group on Cephalopod Fisheries (WGCEPH) subdivides the stock into three areas: VIIIc (North of Spain), IXa-North (Portugal) and XIa-South (Gulf of Cádiz, which includes the South of Portugal and Spain), although no genetic studies support this stock subdivision. The fisheries in the area are regulated by both the European Union through the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and the Spanish or Portuguese national authorities. In Morocco and Mauritania fish stocks are assessed internationally by the Fishery Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic (FAO/CECAF) Working Group on the Assessment of Demersal Resources Subgroup North; and by local scientific institutes: the Mauritanian Institute of Oceanographic Research and Fisheries (IMROP) in Mauritania and the National Institute for Fisheries Research (INRH) in Morocco. Three main bottoms are found along the northwest African coast, more or less coinciding with the distribution zones of the three octopus stocks of the subregion. From north to south these are: i) the zone between Cape Bojador (26 N) and Cape Blanc (21 N) (Moroccan stock); ii) the zone between Cape Blanc (21 N) and the mouth of the Senegal River (16 N) (Mauritanian stock); and iii) the zone between the mouth of the Senegal River (16 N) and the border with Guinea-Bissau (12 N) (FAO/CECAF 2012), which is not assessed in this report. The fisheries in Morocco and Mauritania are regulated by the Fisheries Department (MPM) and the Fisheries and Maritime Economy Department (FMEM) respectively. Stock status and management vary between countries, although these appear questionable in all the fisheries. In Spain and Portugal the octopus fishery lacks reference points and quotas. Even so, stock status are likely the most stable. EU fisheries management relies on data collected, managed, and supplied by EU countries under the Data Collection Framework. So there is considerable effort to collect data in these fisheries through logbooks and observer coverage, which would allow stock assessments. But effective monitoring, enforcement, scientific advice, and stakeholder input need to be improved.

6 6 On the other hand, Morocco and Mauritania have a history of stock overexploitation and mismanagement, and octopus stocks are in poor shape. Both countries have recently tried to revitalize their fishery management systems but there is not a credible strategy to recover octopus stocks from depleted levels. Monitoring and enforcement need to be improved and, although scientific advice exists, total allowable catches (TACs) have too often been set too high in response to social and economic needs, so overfishing is most likely still occurring. The majority of common octopus is caught either as a target species using pots and traps or in a mixed fishery using bottom (otter) trawls (industrial and coastal trawlers). Pots and traps tend to have no or very low levels of bycatch because they are non-lethal apprehension methods; therefore bycatch concerns in these fisheries are non-existent or low. Bottom trawling has higher discard rates because it catches a diversity of species. Many regulations are in place to help constrain bycatch of species of concern, but some ETP (endangered, threatened or protected species) such as skates or demersal sharks are still caught. The Spanish trawl fishery has the lowest bycatch rate (20%) of any of the trawl fisheries assessed. The Moroccan and the Portuguese trawl fisheries have similar discard rates averaging around 40%. The Mauritanian trawl fisheries have a discard rate of 60%. Thus, bycatch concerns in these fisheries are assessed as moderate or high. Bottom trawling is more destructive to the local ecosystem than pot and trap fishing, and can severely damage the local benthos. Little is known about the long-term effects of removing the common octopus from the ecosystem. Habitat impacts are a moderate conservation concern for bottom trawl fisheries and a low conservation concern for pots and traps fisheries. Although European waters have a minimum level of mitigation measures in place (e.g., permanent and temporary closed areas), these may not protect the most vulnerable habitats in the area. Ecosystem-based management is currently being developed by the European Commission but this process is expected to take some time to be effective. Several initiatives exist in Mauritania and Morocco to improve ecosystem management but are still in early stages. Management of the ecosystem in all the regions is a moderate conservation concern. The combination of individual criteria results in an overall rating of Good Alternative for the Spanish and Portuguese pot and trap fishery and Avoid for the trawl fishery in all the countries. Even though the Spanish and Portuguese pot-caught octopus is the preferred alternative, identifying the capture method may be difficult, and information for consumers needs to be improved.

7 7 Table of Conservation s and Overall Recommendations Stock / Fishery Common octopus Spain Northeast Atlantic - Trap Common octopus Spain Northeast Atlantic - Pot Common octopus Spain Northeast Atlantic - Trawl, Bottom Common octopus Impacts on the Stock Yellow (2.64) Yellow (2.64) Yellow (2.64) Impacts on other Spp. Yellow (2.71) Green (5.00) Red (2.00) Management Habitat and Overall Ecosystem Recommendation Red (2.00) Yellow (3.12) Good Alternative (2.586) Yellow (3.12) Good Alternative (3.014) Red (1.45) Red (1.41) Yellow (2.60) Avoid (1.937) Yellow Portugal Northeast Atlantic - (2.64) Pot Green (5.00) Red (2.00) Yellow (3.12) Good Alternative (3.014) Common octopus Yellow Yellow Red (2.00) Yellow (3.12) Good Alternative Portugal Northeast Atlantic - (2.64) Trap (2.71) (2.586) Common octopus Yellow Red (1.37) Red (1.41) Yellow (2.60) Avoid (1.911) Portugal Northeast Atlantic - (2.64) Trawl, Bottom Common octopus Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic - Trawl, Bottom Red (1.41) Red (1.27) Red (1.41) Yellow (2.45) Avoid (1.580) Common octopus Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic - Trawl, Bottom Red (1.41) Red (1.27) Red (1.00) Yellow (2.45) Avoid (1.449) Scoring Guide Scores range from zero to five where zero indicates very poor performance and five indicates the fishing operations have no significant impact. Final Score = geometric mean of the four Scores (Criterion 1, Criterion 2, Criterion 3, Criterion 4). Best Choice/Green = Final Score >3.2, and no Red Criteria, and no Critical scores Good Alternative/Yellow = Final score >2.2, and neither Harvest Strategy (Factor 3.1) nor Bycatch Management Strategy (Factor 3.2) are Very High, 2 and no more than one Red Criterion, and no Critical scores, and does not meet the criteria for Best Choice (above) Avoid/Red = Final Score <=2.2, or either Harvest Strategy (Factor 3.1) or Bycatch Management Strategy (Factor 3.2) is Very High, 2 or two or more Red Criteria, or one or more Critical scores. 2 Because effective management is an essential component of sustainable fisheries, Seafood Watch issues an Avoid recommendation for any fishery scored as a Very High for either factor under Management (Criterion 3).

8 8 Table of Contents About Seafood Watch... 2 Guiding Principles... 3 Summary... 5 Introduction... 9 Criterion 1: Stock for which you want a recommendation Criterion 2: Impacts on Other Species Criterion 3: Management effectiveness Criterion 4: Impacts on the habitat and ecosystem Acknowledgements References

9 9 Introduction Scope of the analysis and ensuing recommendation The following Seafood Watch report provides recommendations for the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) fishery located in the Northeast and Eastern Central Atlantic (Spain, Portugal, Morocco, and Mauritania) area. This fishery is undertaken by both small-scale vessels working with artisanal gears (mainly pots and traps) and commercial trawlers fishing on the continental shelf in a multispecies fishery that includes the catch of other cephalopod species (Sepia sp., Loligo sp.) and demersal fish (Merluccius sp., Trachurus sp.). Often, the terms pot and trap are used interchangeably, but they are distinct gears in octopus fisheries: pots are clay or plastic vessels that the animal can enter and escape whereas traps only allow entry. Recommendations are provided for the gears that catch a significant volume of common octopus that is exported to foreign markets. Overview of the species and management bodies Commercial octopus landings in the region of assessment include three species: common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) and horned octopus (Eledone cirrhosa), plus musky octopus (Eledone moschata) in the South of Spain and Portugal. Landings are primarily the common octopus. The common octopus is a benthic cephalopod distributed on rocky, sandy, and muddy bottoms from the coastline to the edge of the continental shelf (Mangold 1983). This species is found in temperate and tropical waters around the world (Belcari et al. 2002). Common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) is one of the most important species for the industrial and small-scale fleets that operate in the Iberian Peninsula and in the Northwestern Africa upwelling system (Balguerias et al. 2000). More than 87% of octopodidae caught along the Spanish coast are common octopus. In the North, most of the O. vulgaris is caught by the artisanal fleet using traps, accounting for more than 98% of octopus landings. The rest of the O. vulgaris landings are reported by the trawl fleet. However, this species is caught by the bottom-trawl fleet in the Gulf of Cádiz (South of Spain, ICES subdivision IXa-South), accounting for around 60% of total catch on average, and the remaining 40% by the artisanal fleet using mainly clay pots and hand-jigs (ICES 2012). Subdivision IXa-South contributions to the total landings from the Division IXa ranged between 29% in 2004 and 82% in 2005, with a 52% on average through the time series. Such oscillations might be related to environmental changes (Sobrino et al. 2002) (Silva et al. 2012) (ICES 2012).

10 10 In Portugal, common octopus is also the most important octopus species caught by both smallscale vessels using artisanal gears (pots and traps) and bottom trawlers. Directed trawling contributes approximately 10% of the total trawl landings. The majority of the catches come from artisanal polyvalent fleet. The trawl fleet comprises two components: trawl fleet fishing for fish and trawl fleet fishing for crustaceans. The trawl fleet fishing for fish operates off the entire coast while the trawl fleet directed to crustaceans operates mainly in the Southwest and South, in deep waters where crustaceans are more abundant. Octopus catches for the crustacean trawl fleet are negligible. In the fish trawl fleet, three methods can be identified: bottom otter trawls directed to cephalopods (targeting octopuses and squids); bottom otter trawls directed to horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus), and bottom otter trawls directed to mixed fishes (trips targeting a mixture of species such as horse mackerel, hake (Merluccius merluccius), pouting (Trisopterus luscus), and axillary seabream (Pagellus acarne)). The bottom otter trawls directed to mixed fishes is the most important group, constituting 44% to 51% of all fish trips (ICES 2012). Most of the horned octopus (Eledone cirrhosa) and musky octopus (Eledone moschata) are caught by the bottom-trawl fleet as bycatch in both countries and, due to their low commercial value, most are discarded (Silva et al. 2004). EU fisheries management relies on data collected, managed, and supplied by EU countries under the Data Collection Framework. Spanish landings data on cephalopods are collected annually both by the Instituto Español de Oceanografía s (IEO) Sampling and Information Network and by the AZTI Foundation. In Portugal the Portuguese Sea and Atmosphere Institute (IPMA, former IPIMAR) is responsible for sampling from ICES Division IXa under the Data Collection Framework. The sampling covers the otter bottom trawl for crustaceans and the otter bottom trawl for demersal fish. In Europe the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is the EU s instrument for managing fisheries and aquaculture. The new CFP entered into force on 1 January Its main objective is to provide the basis for sustainable fisheries within and beyond Community waters, taking into account environmental, economic, and social aspects, and applying good governance principles. It will radically transform fishing practices in Europe, and includes these priorities: firm dates to ban fish discards, a legally binding commitment to fish at sustainable levels, and decentralized decision making to allow Member States to agree to measures appropriate to their fisheries. European countries have to adapt the CFP principles to their national legislation (European Commission 2014). In Spain, the principal management body for fisheries is the Ministry of Fisheries. However, some of their competencies are delegated in the autonomous communities where regional

11 11 fishing plans have been implemented with the objective of reducing fishing effort (IBERMIX project 2004). In Portugal, fisheries are managed by the Portuguese Fishery Management Authority (presently Direcção Geral de Recursos Naturais, Segurança e Serviços Marítimos---DGRM). The octopus trap and pot fishery is regulated by both the Portaria 1102-D/2000 and the Portaria 230/2012, and the trawl fishery is regulated by the Portaria 1102-E/2000. These regulations include management measures such as area and time restrictions, number of pots and traps by vessel, and minimum mesh size. The ocean off Morocco's Atlantic coast is one of the richest fishing grounds in the world, and its coastline (including the Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony) covers 4,500 km along the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. Fishing has been a major industry in Morocco since the 1930s and the industry experienced tremendous growth during the 1980s. The Moroccan fish industry is strongly export-oriented, and about 80% of production is supplied to EU member states (Rojo-Diaz & Pitcher 2005). Three main fleets work in Moroccan waters: the Moroccan small-scale fleet, consisting mainly of small wooden dories; the more modern coastal fleet, which comprises medium-sized trawlers, purse seiners, and long-liners; and the industrial fleet, which is made up almost exclusively of large freezer trawlers. Bottom trawlers fishing for cephalopods and demersal species represent an average of 87% of the total industrial fleet, and operate in the Sahara zone. Foreign vessels, mainly from Spain, Eastern Europe, Japan, and Korea, have also fished extensively in Moroccan waters (Baddyr & Guénette 2001) in the past (Spanish cephalopodiers left Morocco in 1999). A new EU-Morocco agreement has recently been signed, but the octopus fishery has not been included. In Morocco the Fisheries departament (MPM) is the national authority responsible for the monitoring and evaluation of fisheries policies. The scientific body that assists the MPM is the National Institute of Fisheries Research (INRH). The octopus fishery is managed by a management plan first implemented in The main point of the plan, which has been revised several times, is a seasonal quota determined before each season based on the results of the stock abundance survey carried out yearly by the INRH. That seasonal quota is distributed among the fishery segments: 63% for industrial trawlers, 26% for artisanal fishing, and 11% for coastal fishing (Faraj 2009). The cephalopod fishery in Mauritania started in Since then Japanese, Korean, Libyan, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, and Mauritanian fleets have all exploited these resources. Currently, some 200 Mauritanian freezer trawlers (most of them re-flagged from

12 12 other nationalities) and a substantial artisanal fleet of around 900 canoes fishing with pots (poulpiers) continue to fish the cephalopods in Mauritania. Spanish vessels returned to the fishery in 1995 after several decades of absence, with around 25 freezer trawlers involved in the fishery during the last years. However, this fishery was closed when the last FPA expired in August 2012 because it was not included in the fishing opportunities established by the new fishing protocols. Octopus (Octopus vulgaris) was the target species in this fishery, followed by cuttlefish (mainly Sepia hierredda), squid (Loligo vulgaris) and miscellaneous finfish species (FAO/CECAF 2012), (CSC 2013), (STECF 2013). The Fisheries and Maritime Economy Department (FMEM) is the national authority responsible for the preparation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of fisheries policies in Mauritania. It is assisted by the Institut Mauritanien de Recherches Océanographiques et des Pêches (IMROP), which is responsible for research and data collection, and by the Délégation à la Surveillance des Pêches et au Contrôle en Mer, which is in charge of control and surveillance operations and the enforcement of fisheries regulations. Also, the Société Mauritanienne de Commercialisation des produits de la Pêche (SMCP) is a public body established in partnership between the State and shipowners in order to organize the marketing of fish and fish products, especially frozen cephalopods, which are largely octopuses. The current institutional and policy framework was established by the FMEM in It has three objectives: sustainable exploitation of marine resources, better integration of fisheries within the national economy, and the optimization of fishing rent. Production Statistics The importance of cephalopods as a worldwide fisheries resource continues to increase. Cephalopods were historically important, equally as target species and bycatch, in the coastal hand-fisheries of numerous countries, but now have major international fisheries directly focused toward them (Guerra et al. 1994). Official landings for octopodidae species in the four countries under study from 2007 to 2011 are shown in the table below (adapted from FAO FishStatJ 2011).

13 13 Table 1 Octopodidae landings in Spain, Portugal, Morocco, and Mauritania in MT (FAO FishStatJ 2011) Country FAO Code Area Mauritania Octopus nei Eastern Central Atlantic Morocco Octopus nei Eastern Central Atlantic Portugal Common octopus Northeast Atlantic Portugal Horned octopus Northeast Atlantic Portugal Octopus nei Eastern Central Atlantic Portugal Octopus nei Northeast Atlantic Spain Octopus nei Eastern Central Atlantic Spain Octopus nei Northeast Atlantic Commercial landings of octopods in Spain comprise common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) and Eledone spp. Total annual catch ranged between 7,031 MT in 2000 and 3,895 MT in 2001, which represents the largest decrease along the time series. A slight increase until a peak in 2005 of 6,039 MT can be observed. Afterward, a new decreasing trend occurred until 2009 with 3,935 MT, followed by a great increase in 2010 of about 46% with regard to More than 87% of octopodidae were caught along the Spanish coast (Divisions IXa and VIIIc), where common octopus (O. vulgaris) is the main species caught (Silva et al. 2012), (ICES 2012). Due to the high domestic demand for common octopus, Spain also had a fleet of industrial bottom trawlers working in the North of Africa (Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, and Guinea Bissau), where this species was directly caught as a target and as bycatch in some demersal fisheries. In 2011, 5317 MT of octopus were caught in the area, mainly in Mauritania. However,

14 14 due to new restrictions in the EU-Mauritania agreement, the Spanish octopus fleet left the country in Octopus vulgaris landings in Portuguese waters have been recorded nationally since 1927 and by region and port since the 1970s. Biological data collection started in the 1990s. When analyzing octopus historical landings, a marked increase is observed from 1,000 MT in the first years of dataseries (1920s) to a historical maximum in the mid-2000s of nearly 13,000 MT. When analyzing the landing data series more in detail, three stability periods divided by quick rises are observed. Within these periods, non-significant trends are detected. The increasing catch over the whole period may be attributable to technical evolution of fishing methods (ICES 2013). In Morocco, the octopus catch trend is practically the same for all sectors of the fleet. Between 1991 and 1997, a general decrease in catch was seen. Total catch in 1997 was half the 1991 level, at 50,000 MT. Subsequently, the situation improved until 2000, when a record 107,000 MT was caught, and 42% of that by the artisanal sector. Catches declined continually between 2000 and 2004, when they reached a minimum of 18,000 MT. Over recent years, octopus catches in Moroccan waters have stabilized at around 30,000 MT. Finally, overall catches of octopus in Mauritania in the period ranged from a minimum of 17,400 MT in 1998 to a maximum of 44,600 MT in Mauritanian catches stabilized around 10,000-15,000 MT during the 2000s, followed by a significant decrease in 2010 (6,500 MT) and a recovery in the following year (11,000 MT). After peaking in 2000 at 13,000 MT, European (mainly Spanish) catches showed a continuous decreasing trend. This represented a 61% fall in catches during the last 12 years, until the end of this fishery in August 2012 (CSC 2013) (STECF 2013). Importance to the US/North American market The top five nations exporting octopus into the United States are Spain (23%), China (19%), Philippines (18%), Indonesia (10%), and Thailand (7%) (NMFS 2014). The database documenting U.S. imports does not differentiate between species or between frozen, dried, or brined octopus, so it is difficult to determine how much of each octopus species is imported. Octopus imports from Spain, Portugal, Morocco, and Mauritania between 2010 and 2013 are shown in the table below (adapted from NFMS). Given that the major octopus species fished from these countries is the common octopus, O. vulgaris, it is assumed that the majority of the octopus imported into the U.S. from these countries is O. vulgaris. Imports from Spain have tripled in the last 4 years, from 1,093,106 kilos in 2010 to 3,550,382

15 15 kilos in Imports from Portugal have nearly quadrupled from 211,874 kilos in 2010 to 792,072 kilos in It is important to highlight that in the last year, nearly 70% of the octopus from both countries was imported frozen and 30% prepared/preserved. A very low percentage were octopus products prepared dinners. Imports from Morocco and Mauritania seem to be less important, at 283,345 and 7,962 kilos, respectively, in However, the Moroccan fishery historically dominated the Japanese market until it was surpassed by Mauritania in 2004 (Globefish 2007). U.S. sushi restaurants generally use octopus (tako) imported from Japan. But it is often the case that the octopus originates elsewhere most typically from Morocco and Mauritania and is sent to Japan for processing and re-export. Moreover, as stated in the production statistics section, much of the Spanish and Portuguese octopus exported to the U.S. market in recent years really originated in the North of Africa (mainly Morocco and Mauritania, and to a lesser extent Senegal). It was primarily landed in Las Palmas (Canary Islands) and later re-exported to other countries. The total amount of common octopus imported from the four countries was 4,633,761 kilos, which was valued at in $29.6 million. Table 2. Octopus imports from Spain, Portugal, Morocco, and Mauritania between 2010 and 2013 (adapted from NMFS) Kilos Dollars Kilos Dollars Kilos Dollars Kilos Dollars Spain Octopus 1,093,106 7,039,347 1,329,176 12,126,260 1,850,595 16,893,304 2,320,377 15,722,447 Frozen/Dried/Salted/Brine Octopus NSPF prepared/preserved ,793 4,726,307 1,184,354 6,691,679 Octopus live/fresh Octopus products prepared dinners , ,078 45, ,865 Total Spain 1,093,106 7,039,347 1,329,176 12,126,260 2,745,602 22,487,689 3,550,382 22,689991

16 16 Portugal Octopus Frozen/Dried/Salted/Brine 194,811 1,306, ,788 5,632, ,060 4,952, ,390 3,945,426 Octopus NSPF prepared/preserved , , , ,604 Octopus live/fresh 17, , , Octopus products prepared dinners ,406 12,891 Total Portugal 211,874 1,406, ,194 5,638, ,542 5,515, ,072 4,670,921 Morocco Octopus Frozen/Dried/Salted/Brine 26, ,462 18, ,299 62, , ,345 2,180,964 Octopus NSPF prepared/preserved Octopus live/fresh Octopus products prepared dinners Total Morocco 26, ,462 18, ,299 62, , ,345 2,180,964 Mauritania Octopus No data available 13, , , Frozen/Dried/Salted/Brine Octopus NSPF prepared/preserved ,962 69,405 Octopus live/fresh Octopus products prepared dinners Total Mauritania 13, , ,219 7,962 69,405 Total 1,331,144 8,752,435 1,956,455 18,143,219 3,504,192 28,819,185 4,633,761 29,611,281

17 17 Common and market names The only commercial name used in the U.S. for Octopus vulgaris is common octopus. No other commercial names have been reported. Primary product forms Octopus is available in seafood markets or specialty grocery stores in a myriad of forms. Live, fresh, dried, frozen, cured, salted, and brined octopus are all available to the public. However, common octopus imported from the northeast and central Atlantic is primarily sold frozen. Other products identified in U.S. supermarkets are whole cooked octopus and canned octopus in sauce (olive oil, soybean sauce, garlic sauce, etc.).

18 18 Assessment This section assesses the sustainability of the fishery(ies) relative to the Seafood Watch Criteria for Fisheries, available at Criterion 1: Stock for which you want a recommendation This criterion evaluates the impact of fishing mortality on the species, given its current abundance. The inherent vulnerability to fishing rating influences how abundance is scored, when abundance is unknown. The final Criterion 1 score is determined by taking the geometric mean of the abundance and fishing mortality scores. The Criterion 1 rating is determined as follows: Score >3.2 = Green or Low Score >2.2 and <=3.2 = Yellow or Moderate Score <=2.2 = Red or High Rating is Critical if Factor 1.3 (Fishing Mortality) is Critical. Criterion 1 Summary COMMON OCTOPUS Region / Method Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic Trawl, Bottom Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic Trawl, Bottom Portugal Northeast Atlantic Pot Portugal Northeast Atlantic Trap Portugal Northeast Atlantic Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic Pot Spain Northeast Atlantic Trap Spain Northeast Atlantic Trawl, Bottom Inherent Vulnerability 3.00:Low 3.00:Low 3.00:Low 3.00:Low 3.00:Low 3.00:Low 3.00:Low 3.00:Low Abundance Fishing Mortality Subscore 2.00:High 1.00:High Red (1.414) 2.00:High 1.00:High Red (1.414) 3.00:Moderate 2.33:Moderate Yellow (2.644) 3.00:Moderate 2.33:Moderate Yellow (2.644) 3.00:Moderate 2.33:Moderate Yellow (2.644) 3.00:Moderate 2.33:Moderate Yellow (2.644) 3.00:Moderate 2.33:Moderate Yellow (2.644) 3.00:Moderate 2.33:Moderate Yellow (2.644)

19 19 Criterion 1 Assessment COMMON OCTOPUS Factor Inherent Vulnerability Scoring Guidelines Low The FishBase vulnerability score for species is 0-35, OR species exhibits life history characteristics that make it resilient to fishing, (e.g., early maturing ( Medium The FishBase vulnerability score for species is 36-55, OR species exhibits life history characteristics that make it neither particularly vulnerable nor resilient to fishing, (e.g., moderate age at sexual maturity (5-15 years), moderate maximum age (10-25 years), moderate maximum size, and middle of food chain). High The FishBase vulnerability score for species is , OR species exhibits life history characteristics that make is particularly vulnerable to fishing, (e.g., long-lived (>25 years), late maturing (>15 years), low reproduction rate, large body size, and toppredator). Note: The FishBase vulnerability scores is an index of the inherent vulnerability of marine fishes to fishing based on life history parameters: maximum length, age at first maturity, longevity, growth rate, natural mortality rate, fecundity, spatial behaviors (e.g., schooling, aggregating for breeding, or consistently returning to the same sites for feeding or reproduction) and geographic range. Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Pot Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trap Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Pot Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trap Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Low Octopus vulgaris usually matures between 12 and 18 months and can live up to 24 months. The total number of eggs laid by a female varies from 100,000 to 500,000 (Case 1999). The common octopus undergoes seasonal migrations (Case 1999) (Tsangridis et al. 2002), moving to coastal waters at the

20 20 beginning of the year (Quetglas et al. 1998) and congregating in shallow waters to spawn. The breeding season extends from February to October, with spawning peaks in April May and August (Sobrino et al. 2002). Recruitment success is largely associated with the environmental oceanographic conditions (ICES 2012) (Sonderblohm et al. 2014). Therefore, oscillations in common octopus abundance may be related to environmental changes such as rainfall and discharges of rivers (Sobrino et al. 2002). The Productivity-Susceptibility Analysis (PSA) is a semi-quantitative assessment tool that relies on the life history characteristics of a stock, and it is used to assess the susceptibility of the stock to the fishery in question. For invertebrate species, Seafood Watch uses a PSA to assess their inherent vulnerability. The PSA score for common octopus is 2.5 (average age at maturity <5 years, average maximum age <10 years, reproductive strategy = demersal egg layer, density dependence = no depensatory or compensatory dynamics demonstrated or likely), corresponding to a low vulnerability. Its migratory behavior and spawning spikes impart a certain level of vulnerability, but its high fecundity, low age at maturity, relatively short lifespan, and rapid growth rate cause O. vulgaris to be considered a naturally resilient organism. Rationale: Table 3: Results from the Seafood Watch inherent vulnerability rubric for invertebrate species (referred to as a Productivity-Susceptibility Analysis (PSA) in the text) for Octopus vulgaris (SFW criteria document, pg. 4). Attribute scores can range from 1 to 3, with higher scores signifying more resilient life history attributes. Invertebrate species with average attribute scores between 2.46 and 3 are deemed to have a low vulnerability. Factor Abundance Scoring Guidelines 5 (Very Low ) Strong evidence exists that the population is above target abundance level (e.g., biomass at maximum sustainable yield, BMSY) or near virgin biomass. 4 (Low ) Population may be below target abundance level, but it is considered not overfished

21 21 3 (Moderate ) Abundance level is unknown and the species has a low or medium inherent vulnerability to fishing. 2 (High ) Population is overfished, depleted, or a species of concern, OR abundance is unknown and the species has a high inherent vulnerability to fishing. 1 (Very High ) Population is listed as threatened or endangered. Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High The octopus stock was listed as overfished by the FAO/CECAF Working Group based on the most recent published stock assessment (2007). Recent results from the INRH (National Fisheries Research Institute) trawl survey show increases in the biomass of octopus in 2013 due to favorable bioclimatic conditions. However, there is no updated information about how the stock is performing relative to reference points. Based on results of the most recent available assessment, stock status is assessed as high concern. The main management advisory body is the FAO Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic Fisheries (CECAF). Octopus vulgaris is regularly assessed by the Working Group on the Assessment of Demersal Resources in the northern zone, which met in Agadir (Morocco) in February 2010 and in Malaga in November However, the results from the assessments have not yet been formally published. The most recent published assessment of the FAO/CECAF Working Group on the Assessment of Demersal Resources Subgroup North was launched in The stock assessment dates back from to 2007 and includes octopus stock status for the three North African stocks: Dakhla (Morocco), Cape Blanc (Mauritania) and Senegal The Gambia. Stocks were assessed using the Schaefer dynamic production model. Data from 26 N to N from the three sectors of the national fleet and the Spanish industrial fleet were used in the Moroccan stock assessment model. The Working Group used two different abundance estimates, the CPUEs (Catch per unit effort) from the oceangoing Moroccan cephalopod fishery and those of the trawl surveys between Cape Bojador and Lagouira. The results indicate that the current biomass was half the target biomass B 0.1 (B cur /B 0.1 = 55%) and below the limit biomass B MSY (B cur /B MSY = 50%); the Dakhla octopus stock is overfished (Figure 1) (FAO/CECAF 2012). The most recent INRH (National Fisheries Research Institute) trawl surveys, carried out between April and May 2013, concluded that favorable bioclimatic conditions in spring 2013 (coinciding with the spring closed season) greatly contributed to the improvement of the octopus status compared to that in spring The biomass for this species was 130% higher than the biomass in the 2012 spring survey (El Ouadghiri 2013). Rationale: Table 4: Stock abundance index of North African common octopus stocks (From FAO 2012)

22 22 Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High The stock is listed as overfished by the Food and Agriculture Organization/Fishery Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic (hereinafter FAO/CECAF) Working Group. The main management advisory body for this stock is FAO/CECAF. Octopus vulgaris is regularly assessed by the Working Group on demersal resources in the northern zone, which met in Agadir (Morocco) in February 2010 and in Malaga in November The results from the 2013 assessment have not yet been formally published and therefore the information provided may be considered preliminary. Reference points defined for small pelagics in the FAO Working Group held in Banjul (Gambia) in 2006 were also adopted for the octopus stock. These are B MSY and F MSY for limit reference points and B 0.1 and F 0.1 for target reference points (FAO 2006). The biomass limit reference point was B MSY = 27,500 MT and the target reference point was B 0.1 = 30,240 MT (STECF 2013). The Schaefer dynamic production model was used to assess the Cape Blanc (Mauritanian) stock. Results showed that biomass in 2008 was below that producing the target biomass (B cur /B 0.1 = 86%) (STECF 2013). Although B cur is not provided in the STECF report, back calculations show B cur = 26,006 MT, such that B cur /B MSY = 95%. Current biomass is below the limit reference point; the Mauritanian Cape Blanc stock is overfished. These results were the same as those from the previous assessment in 2010 (Chassot et al. 2010), despite the reduction in fishing effort and the improvement of the stock situation detected in scientific surveys since 2006 (STECF 2013). According to the 2010 stock assessment and subsequent work by Ono et al. (Chassot et al. 2010) (Ono et al. 2012), the stock is less than one-fifth its virgin size. Ono et al. and the most recent STECF document highlight that the current stock assessment model, which does not account for the effect of environmental variability on the stock, is not the appropriate

23 23 approach for a stock whose abundance is tied to environmental forcing (Ono et al. 2012) (STECF 2013). However, the alternative models used by Ono et al. reproduced the overfished conditions demonstrated by the current Shaffer dynamic production model (Ono et al. 2012). Due to the Cape Blanc stock s overfished condition, abundance scores as high concern. Rationale: The FAO/CECAF Working Group on the Assessment of Demersal Resources Subgroup North is in charge of assessing fisheries resources in the area. The Working Group uses the indice B/B BMSY as the limit reference point, while the indice B/B 0.1 is used as the target reference point. B cur /B 0.1 is defined as the relationship between the estimated biomass for the most recent year and the corresponding biomass at the target reference point B 0.1 (FAO 2006). In 2012 the fishing agreement between Mauritania and the EU ended. A Joint Scientific Committee was convened in April 2013 to update information on stocks. For octopus, the Committee recognized a strong recovery in the past two years, but concluded that the stocks remained overexploited in The Committee stressed that there was a degree of uncertainty in evaluation of octopus stocks due mainly to the simulation model used and to the quality of data (e.g., data on declarations of catches and discards). It also noted that the Mauritanian fleet has the capacity to absorb available stocks of octopus, leaving no surplus for the EU fleet (European Parliament 2013). The Spanish Oceanographic (Institute Instituto Español de Oceanografía IEO) also produced an octopus stock status report, which showed that the conservation status of this species was not poor, but in fact almost at maximum sustainable yield biomass levels (32,000 MT), on the heels of a nearly 30% reduction in the fishing effort in recent years. However, this study was not taken into consideration by the Committee, which instead drew on an assessment by the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) (European Parliament 2013). Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Pot Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trap Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderate There is no formal stock assessment for common octopus in Portugal, so neither total allowable catches (TACs) nor stock reference points have been set. Although the octopus fisheries appear not to have a negative effect on the octopus population abundance at current fishing pressure (ICES 2013), a decrease in mean octopus size has been detected (ICES 2013).

24 24 When analyzing historical octopus landings data, a marked increase is observed from 1,000 MT in the first years of the dataseries (1920s) to a historical maximum in the mid-2000s of near 13,000 MT (Figure 2). The increasing catch over the period may be attributable to technical evolution of fishing methods (ICES 2013). In a study (Sonderblohm et al. 2014), the monthly landings per unit effort (LPUE) series for Octopus vulgaris and environmental variables were recorded in the southwest Iberian Peninsula, south Portugal. The main trend in LPUE described a moderate steady increase in LPUE during the last 10 years, suggesting that octopus abundance had increased from 1990 to The study concluded that strong correlations of the monthly octopus LPUE series, together with the annual lifecycle, suggest that after environmentally controlled recruitment, population dynamics are largely fishery driven, resulting in strong seasonality in the landings (Sonderblohm et al. 2014). There is no evidence to suggest that the stock is either above or below reference points, and stock inherent vulnerability is low. Stock status is assessed as moderate concern. Spain Northeast Atlantic, Pot Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trap Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderate There is no formal stock assessment for common octopus in Spain, so neither TACs nor reference points have been set. Knowledge of main population features are still scarce. As an example, there is only a weak stock recruitment relationship for Octopus vulgaris in the Gulf of Cádiz, based partially on the observation that the lowest stock levels in 1998, 2004, and 2011 were sufficient to rebuild the stock by the next year. If a very weak stock recruit relationship is expected in cephalopods, the possibility of recruitment overfishing is reduced, although the possibility of poor recruitment remains (ICES 2013). Since 1997 the Spanish bottom trawl survey ARSA ( South Atlantic Region Trawl survey ) has been carried out annually during November in the Gulf of Cádiz (ICES Sub-division IXa south) to study the distribution and relative abundance (in number and weight) of all demersal species in the area, as well as to estimate biological parameters of the main commercial species (ICES 2012). A similar survey has been carried out each March in the same area since 1993 ( Spanish bottom trawl survey spring ARSA ). Based on these studies, abundance has oscillated over time, with the highest values in the second half of the time series. The maximum values were obtained in 2005 with 3.8 kg/haul and 9 individuals/haul, followed by other lesser peaks in 2007, 2009, and The lowest values were obtained in 2003 with 0.3 kg/haul and 0.3 individuals/haul (Figure 2) (ICES 2012). Studies carried out in the Gulf of Cádiz indicate that there may be an inverse relationship between environmental factors (i.e., the amount of rainfall in the previous year and the wind strength causing upwellings) and the abundance of this species (Sobrino et al. 2002).

25 25 There is no evidence to suggest that stock is either above or below reference points, and stock inherent vulnerability is low. Stock status is assessed as moderate concern. Rationale: Figure 1: Evolution of the Octopus vulgaris biomass and abundance indices during Autumn ARSA bottom trawl surveys ( ). Boxes mark parametric standard error of the stratified abundance index. Lines mark bootstrap confidence intervals (α = 0.80, bootstrap iterations = 1000) (ICES 2012). Factor Fishing Mortality Scoring Guidelines 5 (Very Low ) Highly likely that fishing mortality is below a sustainable level (e.g., below fishing mortality at maximum sustainable yield, FMSY), OR fishery does not target species and its contribution to the mortality of species is negligible ( 5% of a sustainable level of fishing mortality).

26 (Low ) Probable (>50%) chance that fishing mortality is at or below a sustainable level, but some uncertainty exists, OR fishery does not target species and does not adversely affect species, but its contribution to mortality is not negligible, OR fishing mortality is unknown, but the population is healthy and the species has a low susceptibility to the fishery (low chance of being caught) (Moderate ) Fishing mortality is fluctuating around sustainable levels, OR fishing mortality is unknown and species has a moderate-high susceptibility to the fishery and, if species is depleted, reasonable management is in place. 1 (High ) Overfishing is occurring, but management is in place to curtail overfishing, OR fishing mortality is unknown, species is depleted, and no management is in place. 0 (Critical) Overfishing is known to be occurring and no reasonable management is in place to curtail overfishing. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Pot Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trap Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Pot Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trap Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderate There is no formal stock assessment for common octopus in Europe, so neither TACs nor reference points (F MSY ) have been set. Fishing mortality is unknown but ICES concluded in the Workshop on the Necessity for Crangon and Cephalopod Management (WKCCM) that there appears not to be a negative effect of octopus fisheries on the octopus populations at current fishing pressure (ICES 2013). Landing data for Spain and Portugal from 2000 to 2010 are shown in Figure 3 and Figure 4. Landing data seems to be quite variable among years. Management measures are in place to control fishing effort. F is unknown, and effective management is in place. So, fishing mortality is assessed as moderate concern. Rationale:

27 27 Figure 2: Historical landings series of Octopus vulgaris from Division IXa deployed by Portuguese fleets (ICES 2013). Table 5: Landings (in MT) of Octopods (mainly Octopus vulgaris) by country ( ). Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High In Morocco, 25,242 and 29,560 MT of common octopus were landed in 2012 and 2013, respectively (ONP 2013). The most recent published assessment from the FAO/CECAF Working Group on the Assessment of Demersal Resources Subgroup North, based on data through 2006 (but published in 2012), indicates that the Moroccan octopus stock is experiencing overfishing (F cur /F 0.1 = 147% and F cur /F MSY = 132%) (FAO/CECAF 2012). Overfishing is currently occurring but management measures are in place to curtail overfishing (these measures are described Criteria 3.1, Harvest Management Strategy). So, fishing mortality is assessed as high concern.

28 28 Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High The most recent published assessment of the FAO/CECAF Working Group on the Assessment of Demersal Resources Subgroup North indicates that the Cape Blanc octopus stock (Mauritanian waters) is experiencing overfishing (F cur /F 0.1 = 143% and F cur /F MSY = 129%) (FAO 2006). The Mauritanian-EU Joint Scientific Committee, convened in April 2013, concluded that the stock continues to experience overfishing in 2012 (F cur /F MSY = 125%) although some improvements in recent years were identified (CSC 2013). The Spanish Institute of Oceanography presented an analysis of historic CPUEs at the same meeting. This report concluded that although the octopus stock has suffered negative impacts (biomass reduction from over 40,000 MT per year to 25,000 MT in recent years), octopus yields have doubled since the start of exploitation. CPUEs in recent years ( ) have very high values of over 1,000 kg/fishing day, close to historical peaks a clear sign of the ability of the stock to recover (CSC 2013). Although conflicting information exists, it seems that the stock is experiencing overfishing and fishing mortality is assessed as high concern. The management measures in place are starting to improve the stock. Rationale: The FAO/CECAF Working Group on the Assessment of Demersal Resources Subgroup North is in charge of assessing fisheries resources in the area. The Working Group uses the indice F/F MSY as the limit reference point, while the indice F/F 0.1 is used as the target reference point. F 0.1 corresponds to a level of fishing mortality at which the increase in long-term yield from a small increase in F is 10% of the increase in long-term yield obtained by the same small increase in F on a virgin stock (FAO 2006).

29 29 Criterion 2: Impacts on Other Species All main retained and bycatch species in the fishery are evaluated in the same way as the species under assessment were evaluated in Criterion 1. Seafood Watch defines bycatch as all fisheries-related mortality or injury to species other than the retained catch. Examples include discards, endangered or threatened species catch, and ghost fishing. To determine the final Criterion 2 score, the score for the lowest scoring retained/bycatch species is multiplied by the discard rate score (ranges from 0-1), which evaluates the amount of non-retained catch (discards) and bait use relative to the retained catch. The Criterion 2 rating is determined as follows: Score >3.2=Green or Low Score >2.2 and <=3.2=Yellow or Moderate Score <=2.2=Red or High Rating is Critical if Factor 2.3 (Fishing Mortality) is Critical. Criterion 2 Summary Common octopus: Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Subscore:: Discard Rate: 0.90 C2 Rate: Species Inherent Vulnerability Abundance (OCELLATE SKATES) High 2.00: High BLUESPOTTED SEABREAM Medium 2.00: High COMMON CUTTLEFISH Low 2.00: High COMMON OCTOPUS Low 2.00: High PANDORA Medium 2.00: High SHARKS High 2.00: High MAMMALS High 2.00: High TURTLES High 2.00: High SENEGALESE HAKE Medium 5.00: Very Low Fishing Mortality 1.00: High 1.00: High 1.00: High 1.00: High 1.00: High 1.00: High 2.33: Moderate 3.67: Low 5.00: Very Low Subscore

30 30 Common octopus: Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Subscore:: Discard Rate: 0.90 C2 Rate: Species Inherent Vulnerability Abundance (OCELLATE SKATES) High 2.00: High AXILLARY SEABREAM Medium 2.00: High COMMON CUTTLEFISH Low 2.00: High COMMON OCTOPUS Low 2.00: High EUROPEAN HAKE Medium 2.00: High EUROPEAN SQUID Low 2.00: High SHARKS High 2.00: High MAMMALS High 2.00: High TURTLES High 2.00: High Fishing Mortality 1.00: High 1.00: High 1.00: High 1.00: High 1.00: High 1.00: High 1.00: High 2.33: Moderate 3.67: Low Subscore Common octopus: Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Pot Subscore:: Discard Rate: 1.00 C2 Rate: Species Inherent Vulnerability Abundance COMMON OCTOPUS Low 3.00: Moderate Fishing Mortality 2.33: Moderate Subscore Common octopus: Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trap Subscore:: Discard Rate: 1.00 C2 Rate: Species Inherent Abundance Fishing Subscore Vulnerability Mortality COMMON OCTOPUS Low 3.00: 2.33: Moderate Moderate EUROPEAN CONGER High 2.00: High 3.67: Low VELVET SWIMCRAB Low 4.00: Low 3.67: Low 3.831

31 31 Common octopus: Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Subscore:: Discard Rate: 0.90 C2 Rate: Species Inherent Vulnerability Abundance Fishing Mortality (OCELLATE SKATES) High 1.00: Very 2.33: High Moderate LOGGERHEAD TURTLE High 1.00: Very 2.33: High Moderate SHARKS High 1.00: Very High EUROPEAN HAKE Medium 3.00: Moderate COMMON OCTOPUS Low 3.00: Moderate EUROPEAN HORSE MACKEREL Low 3.00: Moderate MAMMALS High 3.00: Moderate COMMON CUTTLEFISH Low 3.00: Moderate BLUE WHITING Low 5.00: Very Low ATLANTIC MACKEREL Medium 5.00: Very Low 2.33: Moderate 1.00: High 2.33: Moderate 2.33: Moderate 2.33: Moderate 3.67: Low 3.67: Low 5.00: Very Low Subscore Common octopus: Spain Northeast Atlantic, Pot Subscore:: Discard Rate: 1.00 C2 Rate: Species Inherent Vulnerability Abundance COMMON OCTOPUS Low 3.00: Moderate Fishing Mortality 2.33: Moderate Subscore 2.644

32 32 Common octopus: Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trap Subscore:: Discard Rate: 1.00 C2 Rate: Species Inherent Vulnerability Abundance COMMON OCTOPUS Low 3.00: Moderate EUROPEAN CONGER High 2.00: High VELVET SWIMCRAB Low 4.00: Low Fishing Mortality 2.33: Moderate 3.67: Low 3.67: Low Subscore Common octopus: Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Subscore:: Discard Rate: 0.95 C2 Rate: Species Inherent Vulnerability Abundance Fishing Mortality (OCELLATE SKATES) High 1.00: Very 2.33: High Moderate LOGGERHEAD TURTLE High 1.00: Very 2.33: High Moderate SHARKS High 1.00: Very High EUROPEAN HAKE Medium 3.00: Moderate COMMON OCTOPUS Low 3.00: Moderate EUROPEAN HORSE MACKEREL Low 3.00: Moderate MAMMALS High 3.00: Moderate COMMON CUTTLEFISH Low 3.00: Moderate BLUE WHITING Low 5.00: Very Low ATLANTIC MACKEREL Medium 5.00: Very Low 2.33: Moderate 1.00: High 2.33: Moderate 2.33: Moderate 2.33: Moderate 3.67: Low 3.67: Low 5.00: Very Low Subscore

33 33 The information to create the main species table in the Spanish and Portuguese trawl fisheries was extracted from three reports: (Campos et al. 2007) analyzed the Portuguese trawl fleet; (Fonseca et al. 2008) analyzed the Portuguese cephalopod trawl fishery; and the (IBERMIX project 2004) carried out by scientific bodies from Spain and Portugal for the European Commission identified and categorized mixed species fisheries operating in the Atlantic Iberian peninsula waters. Nine species were assessed in these two fisheries taking into account the Seafood Watch criteria: The catch of the species in the fishery under assessment composes >5% of that fishery s catch: European horse mackerel, common cuttlefish, blue whiting, and Atlantic mackerel; The species is overfished: European hake The species is depleted, a stock of concern, endangered, threatened, IUCN Near Threatened: ocellate skates, sharks, mammals, and loggerhead turtle. In these last cases, ocellate skates, sharks, and mammals were assessed as a group of species due to the lack of specific species information. In the Spanish and Portuguese trap fisheries, two main species (velvet swimcrab and European conger) were assessed following the Seafood Watch Criteria: If there are no other main species besides the one assessed under criterion 1, but the total catch of other discarded and retained species is >5% (13% in this case), assess the top 3 species by volume of catch (if there are only 1-2 other species caught, assess those species). In the octopus trawl fisheries in Spain and Portugal, ocellate skates, sharks, and loggerhead turtles limit the score for Criterion 2. In 2002 the Mauritanian Institute for Oceanographic Research (IMROP) published an assessment for the commercial stocks present in Mauritanian waters (FAO/COPACE 2005). Data from this report was used for the Mauritanian trawl fishery. Qualitative data from (Balguerias et al. 2000) and (Guenette et al. 2001) was used for the Moroccan trawl fishery. Eight species/groups of species were included in the main species table for the Mauritanian trawl fishery: The catch of the species in the fishery under assessment composes >5% of that fishery s catch: common cuttlefish and Senegalese hake; The species is overfished: bluespotted seabream and pandora. The species is depleted, a stock of concern, endangered, threatened, IUCN Near Threatened: ocellate skates, sharks, mammals, and turtles. Eight species were assessed for the Moroccan trawl fishery:

34 34 The catch of the species in the fishery under assessment composes >5% of that fishery s catch: common cuttlefish and European squid; The species is overfished: European hake, common cuttlefish, and axillary seabream. The species is depleted, a stock of concern, endangered, threatened, IUCN Near Threatened: ocellate skates, sharks, mammals and turtles. In the Mauritanian octopus trawl fishery, several species get the lowest score: bluespotted seabream, pandora, common cuttlefish, ocellate skates, and sharks. The first three species score low because they are overfished and their stocks remain very low; the ocellate skates and sharks score low due to their vulnerability to fishing pressure because some species are classified as endangered by the IUCN. A similar situation is found in the octopus trawl fishery in Morocco. The lowest scores are for axillary seabream, common cuttlefish, European squid, European hake, ocellate skates, and sharks, for the same reasons as above. In this case, four species are overfished: axillary seabream, common cuttlefish, European squid, and European hake. Criterion 2 Assessment OCELLATE SKATES Factor Inherent Vulnerability Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.1 above) Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High Due to their typically vulnerable life cycle, characterized by slow growth rates, late maturity, and low fecundity, elasmobranch species are highly susceptible to fishing mortality. On the FishBase website, ocellate skates (skates in the genus Raja) are all classified as having low resilience and high vulnerability (Raja undulata; score 65) or very high vulnerability (Raja clavata; score 76) (FishBase 2014). Factor Abundance Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.2 above)

35 35 Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High There are no reference points for skates in Mauritanian waters. However, on the Mauritanian continental shelf, demersal biomass has been reduced by 75% over the past 25 years due to overfishing (Gascuel et al. 2007). Abundance decreases in some species were quite marked, with both Raja species (R. miraletus and R. straeleni) showing annual declines of close to 10% (Gascuel et al. 2007). Due to the high likelihood that skates are overfished, abundance is scored as high concern. Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High Based on survey results from 1942, 1962, 1974, and 1990, Morocco s elasmobrach abundances have declined severely (except for one family, the Scyliorhinidae) (Balguerias et al. 2000). The total number of families and species of elasmobranch represented in the surveys decreased from 1942 to 1990 (from 13 families and 29 species in 1942 to only 6 families and 6 species in 1990) (Balguerias et al. 2000). Due to the high likelihood that skates are overfished in Morocco, stock status scores as high concern. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Very High Several species of rays and skates (Raja clavata, R. montagui, R. asterias, Dipturus oxyrinchus, etc.) occur in Iberian waters. Some have low commercial value but they are normally found in Portuguese fish markets (Ictioterm 2013) (Junta de Andalucia 2001). Raja clavata and Dipturus oxyrinchus are classified as Near Threatened and Raja undulata is classified as endangered by the IUCN (Ellis 2005) (Coelho et al. 2009). Skate and ray fisheries are currently managed under a common TAC, although this complex comprises species that have different vulnerabilities to exploitation. TAC advice is based on the status of the main commercial species, with species-specific advice for other species also provided where relevant. Three commercial skate species (thornback ray, spotted ray, and cuckoo ray) show increasing trends in relative abundance in fishery-independent trawl surveys. There is evidence of a long-term decline to depleted levels in the relative abundance of one commercial species (Dipturus batis complex). Trends in the relative abundance of two other commercial species (blonde ray, undulate ray) are unclear. The starry ray is an abundant non-commercial species and is almost exclusively discarded, and stock trends are decreasing. Discard survivorship is not known (STECF 2013).

36 36 Due to depletion of species within this group, in addition to Raja undulata s IUCN status, stock status scores as very high concern. Factor Fishing Mortality Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.3 above) Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High No reference points have been set for these species in Mauritanian waters; however, (Gascuel et al. 2007) estimated that the biomass of demersal species has been reduced by 75% in Mauritanian waters over the past 25 years and they considered that it was due to overfishing (Gascuel et al. 2007). No management measures to curtail overfishing of skates are in place. The fishery s contribution to overfishing is unknown, but populations of some species are depleted and no reasonable management to curtail overfishing is in place. Therefore fishing mortality is considered as high concern. Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High Skates and rays are not assessed by the FAO/CECAF Working Group or by the INRH, and no reference points have been set for these species. Moreover, the available information for these species in the area is scarce. However, (Balguerias et al. 2000) studied the changes produced in the faunistic communities in Morocco in response to fishing. They suggested that the changes observed were caused by a combination of factors, including economic incentives as well as oceanographic variations and competition for food, which ultimately favored benthic cephalopod populations over most fish populations (including skates and rays). Some skates present in the area are depleted and management measures to protect them have not been found. Therefore fishing mortality is considered as high concern. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderate

37 37 Demersal elasmobranchs in this region are caught in mixed target and non-target fisheries. Most catches of elasmobranchs in the Bay of Biscay (North of Spain) are from trawler fleets operating in Divisions VIIIa, b, d and IXa. Elasmobranch catches from western Iberian waters (ICES Division IXa) are mainly from the Portuguese polyvalent fleet and, in particular, from the métiers (homogeneous subdivisions, either of a fishery by vessel type or of a fleet by voyage type) using nets or trammel nets. There are no reference points set for these species. Skate and ray fisheries are currently managed under a common TAC, although this complex comprises species that have different vulnerabilities to exploitation. TAC advice is based on the status of the main commercial species, with species-specific advice for other species provided where relevant. However, TACs alone cannot adequately manage these stocks because catches may still be taken in mixed fisheries and discarded, even after the TAC is exhausted. Therefore, ICES recommends that new management measures such as closed areas/seasons or effort restrictions may better protect demersal elasmobranchs. In particular, measures to protect spawning/nursery grounds would be beneficial (STECF 2013) (ICES 2013e). There is a ban on landing Raja undulata (undulate skate) in EU waters. Due to their typically vulnerable lifecycles, elasmobranch fishes are highly susceptible to fishing mortality. In these animals, overexploitation can occur even with low levels of fishing mortality (Stevens et al. 2000) and, once they start to decline, it can take decades for populations to recover (Anderson 1990) (Coelho et al. 2009). Trawls normally catch smaller-sized and mostly immature specimens when compared to longlines, meaning that they likely have a more detrimental effect on shark populations (Coelho et al. 2009). ICES recommends a general reduction in effort in XIa for 2014 (Figure 5) (STECF 2013) (ICES 2013e). The contribution of this fishery to the mortality of occelate skates is unknown, but susceptibility of these species to the trawl fishery is moderate to high. Therefore, fishing mortality is considered as moderate concern. Rationale:

38 38 Table 6: ICES advice in rays and skates 2014 (Area and effort reduction). Factor Discard Rate Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 40-60% The majority of octopus sourced from the Saharan Bank and Ras Nouadhibou areas are caught by bottom trawling. The discard rate (weighted discard rate) in the Moroccan O. vulgaris fishery is estimated to be 45% (Kelleher 2005). The O. vulgaris trawl fishery in Mauritania has 60% bycatch, primarily juveniles of other species (Pechecops & CFFA 2006). Bycatch in the Mauritanian trawl fishery is around 60%. Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 40-60% The industrial cephalopod fishery in Morocco is associated with higher rates of discarding (Belhabib et al. 2013). The discard rate in the Moroccan O. vulgaris fishery was estimated at 45% by Kelleher (2005). Balguerias (1997) estimated that, in the 1970s, 66% of the industrial cephalopod fleet catches were discarded and, in the 1980s, discards represented 46% of the retained catch. Haddad (1994) estimated that 30% of the catch was discarded in the 1990s, and Rojo-Diaz and Pitcher (2005) estimated that 45% was discarded in the 2000s.

39 39 Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 40-60% Several studies on the selectivity of fishing gear and the bycatch and discards by Portuguese fisheries have been published. Finfish bottom trawls targeting hake, horse mackerel, monkfish, and megrim in the Iberian Peninsula are reported to have discard rates of 30%-60%, primarily of target species that are undersized, with some non-commercial bycatch (European Commission 2011). Hake discards are almost all below MLS (Minimum Landing Size), but mackerel and horse mackerel are discarded at a range of sizes, suggesting a mixture of economic and MLS factors at play (European Commission 2011). The catches and discards of trawlers, seiners, and trammel netters were studied in the Algarve (southern Portugal) using observers onboard commercial fishing vessels. Species diversity was high, with 236 species recorded as occasionally, frequently, or regularly discarded. Mean discard rates per trip were 0.13, 0.20, 0.27, 0.62, and 0.70, respectively, for trammel nets, demersal purse seines, pelagic purse seines, fish trawls, and crustacean trawls, with high variability in terms of discard volume and discard rate (Borges et al. 2001). Other studies report discard rates as high as 72% for the Southcoast trawl fishery (Costa et al. 2008). Although some conflicting information exists, the discard rate in the trawl fishery seems to be between 40% and 60%. Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 20-40% Finfish bottom trawls targeting hake, horse mackerel, monkfish, and megrim in the Iberian Peninsula are reported to have discard rates of 30% 60%, primarily of undersized target species, with some noncommercial bycatch. In the hake fishery, high grading is particularly greatest at the beginning of the fishing season due to individual vessel quota allocation and can reach 90% of catch (European Commission 2011). Discard rates for the finfish trawl fishery in the Algarve (South of Portugal) were estimated as high as 62% (Borges et al. 2001). However, (Coll et al. 2014) estimated historical total discards for the Spanish trawl fishery in the Gulf of Cádiz and concluded that total discard rates in the area had decreased in recent years, reaching less than 20% in 2010 (see Figure 16). Some conflicting information exists about the discard rates in the Spanish trawl fishery. However, they seem to be lower than those in the Portuguese trawl fishery. Therefore, a conservative approach is

40 40 taken and a discard rate of 20% 40% is selected. ATLANTIC MACKEREL Factor Inherent Vulnerability Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.1 above) Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Medium Atlantic mackerel is assessed on the FishBase website as having medium resilience (minimum population doubling time 1.4 to 4.4 years (r m = ; K = ; t m = 2 3; t max = 17; fec = 200,000)) and moderate vulnerability (44 of 100) (Fishbase 2014), where r m is the intrinsic rate of population growth (1/year); K is a parameter of the von Bertalanffy growth function (also known as growth coefficient), expressing the rate (1/year) at which the asymptotic length is approached; t m is the age at first maturity; t max is the maximum age that the species can reach; and fec refers to fecundity, the average number of eggs that a female can produce in each lay. Factor Abundance Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.2 above) Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Very Low SSB (spawning stock biomass) has increased considerably since 2002 and remains high: above B pa (precautionary reference point for spawning stock biomass (SSB)) and MSY B trigger (biomass reference point that triggers a cautious response within the ICES MSY framework). The 2002 and 2006 year classes are the strongest year classes in the time series. The incoming 2011 year class appears to be above average (ICES 2014b). There is a reliable quantitative stock assessment, and biomass is estimated to be above an appropriate target reference point. Therefore abundance is considered as very low concern (ICES 2014b). Rationale:

41 41 Figure 3: ICES advice. Mackerel in the Northeast Atlantic. Summary of stock assessment (Spawning Stock Biomass) (ICES 2013a). Factor Fishing Mortality Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.3 above) Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Very Low Traditionally, the fishing areas with higher catches of mackerel have been in the northern North Sea, around the Shetland Islands, and off the west coasts of Scotland and Ireland. The southern fishery off Spain s northern coast has also accounted for significant catches. Mackerel in the southern component are taken in a mixture of purse-seine, demersal trawl, line, and gillnet fisheries. The highest catches (87%) from the Southern component are taken in the first half of the year, mainly from Division VIIIc, and consist of adult fish. In the second half of the year, the catches are mainly taken in Division IXa and contain a high proportion of juveniles (ICES 2014b). Although fishing mortality was above F lim (limit reference point for fishing mortality) during the early 2000s (Figure 7), current fishing mortality (2012) is estimated to be below F MSY (fishing mortality consistent with achieving Maximum Sustainable Yield) and F pa (precautionary reference point for fishing mortality) at Fishing mortality is therefore ranked as very low concern.

42 42 Rationale: Figure 4: ICES advice. Mackerel in the Northeast Atlantic. Summary of stock assessment. Fishing mortality (ICES 2013a). Factor Discard Rate Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 40-60% Several studies on the selectivity of fishing gear and the bycatch and discards by Portuguese fisheries have been published. Finfish bottom trawls targeting hake, horse mackerel, monkfish, and megrim in the Iberian Peninsula are reported to have discard rates of 30% 60%, primarily of target species that are undersized, with some non-commercial bycatch (European Commission 2011). Hake discards are almost all below MLS (Minimum Landing Size), but mackerel and horse mackerel are discarded at a range of sizes, suggesting a mixture of economic and MLS factors at play (European Commission 2011). The catches and discards of trawlers, seiners, and trammel netters were studied in the Algarve (southern Portugal) using observers onboard commercial fishing vessels. Species diversity was high, with 236 species recorded as occasionally, frequently, or regularly discarded. Mean discard rates per trip were 0.13, 0.20, 0.27, 0.62, and 0.70, respectively, for trammel nets, demersal purse seines, pelagic purse seines, fish trawls, and crustacean trawls, with high variability in terms of discard volume and discard rate (Borges et al. 2001). Other studies report discard rates as high as 72% for the Southcoast trawl fishery (Costa et al. 2008). Although some conflicting information exists, the discard rate in the trawl fishery seems to be between

43 43 40% and 60%. Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 20-40% Finfish bottom trawls targeting hake, horse mackerel, monkfish, and megrim in the Iberian Peninsula are reported to have discard rates of 30% 60%, primarily of undersized target species, with some noncommercial bycatch. In the hake fishery, high grading is particularly greatest at the beginning of the fishing season due to individual vessel quota allocation and can reach 90% of catch (European Commission 2011). Discard rates for the finfish trawl fishery in the Algarve (South of Portugal) were estimated to be as high as 62% (Borges et al. 2001). However, (Coll et al. 2014) estimated historical total discards for the Spanish trawl fishery in the Gulf of Cádiz and concluded that total discard rates in the area had decreased in recent years, reaching less than 20% in 2010 (see Figure 16). Some conflicting information exists about the discard rates in the Spanish trawl fishery. However, they seem to be lower than those in the Portuguese trawl fishery. Therefore, a conservative approach is taken and a discard rate of 20% 40% is selected. AXILLARY SEABREAM Factor Inherent Vulnerability Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.1 above) Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Medium Axillary seabream is assessed on the FishBase website as having medium resilience (minimum population doubling time 1.4 to 4.4 years (K = ; t m = 2 3; t max = 7; fec = 85,000)) and moderate vulnerability (43 of 100) (Fishbase 2014). Factor Abundance Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.2 above) Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom

44 44 High The FAO/CECAF Working Group concluded in the most recent assessment published that the axillary seabream stock was overexploited because the current biomass was less than the target biomass, B 0.1 (B curr /B MSY = 20%) (FAO/CECAF 2012). The stock is listed by the FAO/CECAF Working Group as overfished. Therefore, abundance is considered high concern. Factor Fishing Mortality Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.3 above) Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High Axillary seabream is mainly caught by oceangoing trawler fleets, coastal fishery vessels (longline and trawl), and artisanal fishery boats. Freezer cephalopod trawl catch of axillary seabream has decreased since 2001, stabilizing over the last 3 years at around 600 MT. In the coastal fishery, axillary seabream catches fell between 1999 and 2002, then stabilized at approximately 1,200 MT, nearly twice the catch of the oceangoing fishery. The Working Group on the Assessment of Demersal Resources concluded in the most recent assessment that the axillary seabream stock was overexploited because the biomass was less than the target biomass, B 0.1. Fishing effort is above the F 0.1 effort (F curr /F MSY = 281%). Overfishing is occurring but management that is reasonably expected to curtail overfishing is in place (reductions in effort). Fishing mortality is therefore ranked as high concern. Factor Discard Rate Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 40-60% The industrial cephalopod fishery in Morocco is associated with higher rates of discarding (Belhabib et al. 2013). The discard rate in the Moroccan O. vulgaris fishery was estimated at 45% by Kelleher (2005). Balguerias (1997) estimated that, in the 1970s, 66% of the industrial cephalopod fleet catches were discarded and, in the 1980s, discards represented 46% of the retained catch. Haddad (1994) estimated that 30% of the catch was discarded in the 1990s, and Rojo-Diaz and Pitcher (2005) estimated that 45% was discarded in the 2000s.

45 45 BLUE WHITING Factor Inherent Vulnerability Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.1 above) Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Low Blue whiting is classified on the FishBase website as having medium resilience (minimum population doubling time 1.4 to 4.4 years (K = ; t m = 1 5; t max = 20; fec = 6,000)) and low to moderate vulnerability (33 of 100) (Fishbase 2014). Factor Abundance Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.2 above) Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Very Low Blue whiting is widely distributed in the eastern part of the North Atlantic from Norway to the south of Portugal, with the highest concentrations along the edge of the continental shelf between 300 and 600 m. A management plan was agreed on by Norway, the EU (European Union), the Faroe Islands, and Iceland in Spawning stock biomass (SSB) has almost doubled from 2010 (2.9 million MT) to 2013 (5.5 million MT) and is well above B pa (2.25 million MT). ICES evaluated the reference points in 2013 and concluded that B lim and B pa should remain unchanged (Figure 8) (ICES 2013b). There is a reliable quantitative stock assessment, and biomass is estimated to be above the target reference point (B MSY ). Therefore, abundance is assessed as very low concern. Rationale:

46 46 Figure 5: ICES advice Blue whiting in Subareas I IX, XII, and XIV. Summary of stock assessment. Factor Fishing Mortality Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.3 above) Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Low Blue whiting is a widely distributed species. In 2012, the main blue whiting fisheries occurred west of Scotland, around the Porcupine Bank, and south of the Faroe Islands. Norway, the EU, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland agreed on a management plan in In 2013, ICES evaluated the extra harvest control rule options for the long-term management plan and concluded that F MSY = 0.30, replacing the September 2012 F 0.1 proxy for F MSY (0.18). The current management plan is considered precautionary. A number of alternative F targets in the range of were evaluated for the current harvest control rule (HCR) and were deemed precautionary up to an F target of 0.32 (corresponding to F pa ), with only a minimal increase in mean TAC for F targets above 0.3 (Figure 8) (ICES 2013b). Fishing mortality is below reference points, likely allowing the population to maintain its current level. Therefore, fishing mortality is considered as low concern.

47 47 Factor Discard Rate Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 40-60% Several studies on the selectivity of fishing gear and the bycatch and discards by Portuguese fisheries have been published. Finfish bottom trawls targeting hake, horse mackerel, monkfish, and megrim in the Iberian Peninsula are reported to have discard rates of 30% 60%, primarily of target species that are undersized, with some non-commercial bycatch (European Commission 2011). Hake discards are almost all below MLS (Minimum Landing Size), but mackerel and horse mackerel are discarded at a range of sizes, suggesting a mixture of economic and MLS factors at play (European Commission 2011). The catches and discards of trawlers, seiners, and trammel netters were studied in the Algarve (southern Portugal) using observers onboard commercial fishing vessels. Species diversity was high, with 236 species recorded as occasionally, frequently, or regularly discarded. Mean discard rates per trip were 0.13, 0.20, 0.27, 0.62, and 0.70, respectively, for trammel nets, demersal purse seines, pelagic purse seines, fish trawls, and crustacean trawls, with high variability in terms of discard volume and discard rate (Borges et al. 2001). Other studies report discard rates as high as 72% for the Southcoast trawl fishery (Costa et al. 2008). Although some conflicting information exists, the discard rate in the trawl fishery seems to be between 40% and 60%. Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 20-40% Finfish bottom trawls targeting hake, horse mackerel, monkfish, and megrim in the Iberian Peninsula are reported to have discard rates of 30% 60%, primarily of undersized target species, with some noncommercial bycatch. In the hake fishery, high grading is particularly great at the beginning of the fishing season due to individual vessel quota allocation, and can reach 90% of catch (European Commission 2011). Discard rates for the finfish trawl fishery in the Algarve (South of Portugal) were estimated to be as high as 62% (Borges et al. 2001). However, (Coll et al. 2014) estimated historical total discards for the Spanish trawl fishery in the Gulf of Cádiz and concluded that total discard rates in the area had decreased in recent years, reaching less than 20% in 2010 (see Figure 16). Some conflicting information exists about the discard rates in the Spanish trawl fishery. However, they seem to be lower than those in the Portuguese trawl fishery. Therefore, a conservative approach is

48 48 taken and a discard rate of 20% 40% is selected. BLUESPOTTED SEABREAM Factor Inherent Vulnerability Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.1 above) Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Medium Bluespotted seabream is assessed on the FishBase website as having medium resilience (minimum population doubling time 1.4 to 4.4 years (K = 0.28; t max = 10; t m = 2)) and moderate to high vulnerability (46 of 100) (Fishbase 2014). Factor Abundance Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.2 above) Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High In the latest published assessment, the FAO/CECAF Working Group concluded that the bluespotted seabream stock is overexploited because the current biomass is less than the target biomass, B 0.1 (B curr /B MSY = 65%) (FAO/CECAF 2012). The stock is listed by the FAO/CECAF Working Group as overfished. Therefore, abundance is considered as high concern. Factor Fishing Mortality Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.3 above) Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High The Mauritanian industrial fleet s CPUE series for the bluespotted seabream fluctuated greatly over the period under analysis ( ). During subsequent years ( ), a general increasing trend was observed except for the Mauritanian pelagic industrial fisheries (pelagic RIM), which reached zero in In the most recent assessment, the Working Group on the Assessment of Demersal Resources

49 49 concluded that the stock was overexploited. Fishing effort was far higher than what would produce a sustainable yield at the current biomass level (F curr /F MSY = 165%) (FAO/CECAF 2012). Overfishing is occurring but management that is reasonably expected to curtail overfishing is in place (reductions in effort). Fishing mortality is therefore ranked as "high concern. Factor Discard Rate Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 40-60% The majority of octopus sourced from the Saharan Bank and Ras Nouadhibou areas are caught by means of bottom trawling. The discard rate (weighted discard rate) in the Moroccan O. vulgaris fishery is estimated at 45% (Kelleher 2005). The O. vulgaris trawl fishery in Mauritania has 60% bycatch, primarily juveniles of other species (Pechecops & CFFA 2006). Bycatch in the Mauritanian trawl fishery is around 60%. COMMON CUTTLEFISH Factor Inherent Vulnerability Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.1 above) Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Low Sepia officinalis is generally found in the eastern North Atlantic and in the Mediterranean Sea. Populations have also been recorded along the west coast of Africa. The common cuttlefish is an active predator, feeding on mollusks, young fish, and crabs. During spring and summer, males and females migrate to warmer water to spawn. The eggs are attached to objects on the seafloor such as shells and seaweeds. Young cuttlefish reach maturity at months of age, and the average life span is 1 2 years (Encyclopedia of Life 2014).

50 50 Inherent vulnerability was calculated using the Seafood Watch guidelines for invertebrates. Due to its high fecundity, low age at maturity, relatively short lifespan, and rapid growth rate, Sepia spp. are considered naturally resilient organisms, and inherent vulnerability is low. Factor Abundance Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.2 above) Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High The FAO/CECAF Working Group on the Assessment of Demersal Resources Subgroup North assessed the stock of common cuttlefish in West Africa in The abundance indices of the scientific trawl survey show a strong drop from 2003 onward, and in 2007 trawl survey yields were close to 0 kg/30 minutes (Figure 9) (FAO/CECAF 2012). CPUEs of the Mauritanian trawlers also collapsed. The Working Group concluded that in Mauritanian waters (Cape Blanc), cuttlefish stocks appeared to be in a worse state than in Moroccan waters, and they considered the 2004 expert opinion that the stock was overexploited to be still valid (FAO/CECAF 2012). The stock is listed by the FAO/CECAF Working Group as overexploited. Therefore, abundance is considered as high concern. Rationale:

51 51 Figure 6: Indices of abundance (kg/30 min.) of Sepia officinalis off Mauritania and Morocco obtained from trawl surveys ( ) (FAO/CECAF 2012). Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High The FAO/CECAF Working Group on the Assessment of Demersal Resources Subgroup North assessed West African common cuttlefish stock in 2007 and concluded that the Dakhla Sepia spp. stock was overexploited (B cur /B MSY = 15% and B cur /B 0.1 = 13%). The model used the total cuttlefish catch data series for the zone between N and 26 N from 2001 to 2006, and two series were used as abundance indices: the Moroccan freezer cephalopod trawl CPUE series and the trawl survey abundance indices (Figure 9) (FAO/CECAF 2012). The stock is listed by the FAO/CECAF Working Group as overexploited. Therefore, abundance is

52 52 considered as high concern. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderate Since 1997 the Spanish bottom trawl survey ARSA has been carried out annually in November in the Gulf of Cádiz (ICES Sub-division IXa south) to study the distribution and relative abundance (in number and weight) of all demersal species in the area, as well as to estimate biological parameters of the main commercial species (ICES 2012). Another similar survey has been carried out in the same area since 1993 ( Spanish bottom trawl survey spring ARSA ) in March. The most abundant species in the survey are the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis and Sepia elegans (ICES 2012). Common cuttlefish abundance is stable, with a mean value of 0.7 kg/haul and 3 individuals/haul, respectively, for these two species. A remarkable peak was detected in the first year (1997), corresponding with the highest values of the time series (2.8 kg/haul and 8 individuals/haul) (ICES 2012). Length frequency distributions showed a wide range (4 35 cm) with a clear mode of cm in most years, corresponding with spring-autumn recruitment in the study area (Ramos et al. 1996). Reference points for this stock have not been set. Although the abundance of the stock seems to be constant, there is no evidence to suggest that stock is either above or below reference points. Stock inherent vulnerability is low. Therefore, abundance is considered moderate concern. Factor Fishing Mortality Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.3 above) Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High Cuttlefish species are taken as bycatch in the same cephalopod fishery as octopus. The cuttlefish catch may comprise several species, among which Sepia hierredda is most abundant. The bulk of the catch for this species (around 75% of the total catch) is reported by the Mauritanian national fleet, which operates in a shallower area than the EU fleet used to (CSC 2013). Catches from this fleet showed a decreasing trend from 1990 onward (FAO/CECAF 2012) (from 5,100 MT in 1992 to 1,600 MT in 2011), then stabilized around 2,200 MT in The European (mainly Spanish) catches reached maximal values during , followed by a sharp drop during recent years, with only 200 MT in 2012, the year when the fishery closed (STECF 2013).

53 53 The joint EU-Mauritania scientific committe concluded in the most recent stock assessment meeting that the stock was overfished and recommended a reduction in the current fishing effort (FAO/CECAF 2012). Although F cur /F MSY for the cuttlefish stock was not calculated by the FAO/CECAF Working Group due to the inconsistency of the data provided by the Mauritanian trawlers, the group concluded that the stock was experiencing overfishing. Management that is reasonably expected to curtail overfishing is in place. Therefore, fishing mortality is assessed high concern. Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High The FAO/CECAF Working Group on the Assessment of Demersal Resources Subgroup North assessed the stock of common cuttlefish in West Africa in They concluded that fishing effort in the year before was far greater than that which would produce the B 0.1 biomass (F cur /F 0.1 = 563% and F cur /F MSY = 507%, respectively) (FAO/CECAF 2012). The Working Group also highlighted that in most of the fisheries cuttlefish is both a target species and a bycatch of the octopus fishery. For that reason, any recommendation covering cuttlefish should also take into account eventual effects on the octopus stock. So the Working Group made two recommendations: for the Dakhla, Cape Blanc, and Senegal The Gambia stocks, fishing effort should be reduced, and cuttlefish catches in the Dakhla stock by the cephalopod fishery should be followed to ensure that effort is not directed from octopus toward cuttlefish (FAO/CECAF 2012). Overfishing is occurring. Management that is reasonably expected to curtail overfishing is in place. Fishing mortality is therefore ranked high concern. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Low The trend of cuttlefish annual landings by subarea/division is shown in Figure 10. Total landings ranged between 1,636 MT in 2000 and 1,129 MT in Since 2001, landings increased until 2005 and 2007, when they reached two new maxima values similar to Afterward, landings decreased slightly, up to 1,224 MT in Division IXa contributed 70% of total cuttlefish landed by the Spanish fleet, with the landings corresponding to the Subdivision IXa-South (Gulf of Cádiz). S. officinalis and S. elegans are present in landings from Divisions IXa-South, where S. officinalis makes up about 93% of cuttlefish landed (Figure 10) (ICES 2012). No reference points have been set for this stock. However, cuttlefish landings have remained relatively stable since 2000 (Figure 10) and the octopus fishery does not seem to be adversely affecting the species. The common cuttlefish population is not depleted and the species has low inherent vulnerability to fishing

54 54 pressure. Therefore, fishing mortality is assessed low concern. Rationale: Figure 7: Cuttlefish landings by area in Iberian waters (ICES 2012) Factor Discard Rate Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 40-60% The majority of octopus sourced from the Saharan Bank and Ras Nouadhibou areas are caught by means of bottom trawling. The discard rate (weighted discard rate) in the Moroccan O. vulgaris fishery is estimated at 45% (Kelleher 2005). The O. vulgaris trawl fishery in Mauritania has 60% bycatch, primarily comprising juveniles of other species (Pechecops & CFFA 2006). Bycatch in the Mauritanian trawl fishery is around 60%.

55 55 Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 40-60% The industrial cephalopod fishery in Morocco is associated with higher discard rates (Belhabib et al. 2013). The discard rate in the Moroccan O. vulgaris fishery was estimated at 45% by Kelleher (2005). Balguerias (1997) estimated that, in the 1970s, 66% of the industrial cephalopod fleet catches were discarded and, in the 1980s, discards represented 46% of the retained catch. Haddad (1994) estimated that 30% of the catch was discarded in the 1990s, and Rojo-Diaz and Pitcher (2005) estimated that 45% was discarded in the 2000s. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 40-60% Several studies on the selectivity of fishing gear and the bycatch and discards by Portuguese fisheries have been published. Finfish bottom trawls targeting hake, horse mackerel, monkfish, and megrim in the Iberian Peninsula are reported to have discard rates of 30% 60%, primarily of target species that are undersized, with some non-commercial bycatch (European Commission 2011). Hake discards are almost all below MLS (Minimum Landing Size), but mackerel and horse mackerel are discarded in a range of sizes, suggesting a mixture of economic and MLS factors at play (European Commission 2011). The catches and discards of trawlers, seiners, and trammel netters were studied in the Algarve (southern Portugal) using observers onboard commercial fishing vessels. Species diversity was high, with 236 species recorded as occasionally, frequently, or regularly discarded. Mean discard rates per trip were 0.13, 0.20, 0.27, 0.62, and 0.70, respectively, for trammel nets, demersal purse seines, pelagic purse seines, fish trawls, and crustacean trawls, with high variability in terms of discard volume and discard rate (Borges et al. 2001). Other studies report discard rates as high as 72% for the Southcoast trawl fishery (Costa et al. 2008). Although some conflicting information exists, the discard rate in the trawl fishery seems to be between 40% and 60%. Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 20-40% Finfish bottom trawls targeting hake, horse mackerel, monkfish, and megrim in the Iberian Peninsula are reported to have discard rates of 30% 60%, primarily of undersized target species, with some noncommercial bycatch. In the hake fishery, high grading is particularly greatest at the beginning of the

56 56 fishing season due to individual vessel quota allocation, and can reach 90% of catch (European Commission 2011). Discard rates for the finfish trawl fishery in the Algarve (South of Portugal) were estimated as high as 62% (Borges et al. 2001). However, (Coll et al. 2014) estimated historical total discards for the Spanish trawl fishery in the Gulf of Cádiz and concluded that total discard rates in the area had decreased in recent years, reaching less than 20% in 2010 (see Figure 16). Some conflicting information exists about the discard rates in the Spanish trawl fishery. However, they seem to be lower than those in the Portuguese trawl fishery. Therefore, a conservative approach is taken and a discard rate of 20% 40% selected. EUROPEAN CONGER Factor Inherent Vulnerability Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.1 above) Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trap Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trap High European conger is assessed on the FishBase website as having very low resilience (minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (K = 0.06; t m = 5 15 (female t m >10); fec = 3,000,000) and very high vulnerability (86 of 100) (Fishbase 2014). Factor Abundance Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.2 above) Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trap Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trap High The European conger eel (Conger conger (Linnaeus, 1758)) is a marine fish widely distributed in the NE Atlantic, Mediterranean, and western Black Sea. However, knowledge about its early life history, such as spawning area(s) and season(s), duration of the leptocephalus phase, and larval migratory route(s), is very limited, since few studies on this species have been reported (Correia et al. 2002). Neither stock

57 57 assessment nor reference points have been set for this species in European waters. There is no evidence to suggest that stock is either above or below reference points, and stock inherent vulnerability is very high. Therefore stock abundance is assessed as high concern. Factor Fishing Mortality Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.3 above) Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trap Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trap Low In ICES area 27 (European waters), an annual average catch of 14 MT was reported from 2006 to 2012 (ICES data). 15% of this catch was reported by Spain and Portugal in ICES subarea XIa, where the trap octopus fishery mainly occurs. European conger is caught during the nights, on rocky bottoms using octopus traps, fish traps, and bottom longlines. There is not available information about the amount of catch that corresponds to each gear. About 3% of the catch in the octopus trap fishery corresponds to European conger. It is important to note that nearly 50% of the conger caught in the octopus trap fishery is released alive, undamaged, due to the small size of the specimens (Xunta de Galicia 2006) (Alberto Garazo pers. comm.). The fishery does not adversely affect species, but contribution to mortality may not be negligible. Therefore, fishing mortality is assessed as low concern. Factor Discard Rate Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trap Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trap < 20% Discarding in artisanal fisheries is not particularly well documented, though gear types such as traps, pots, and other small-scale gear are generally thought to have low discard rates (<15%). Traps are highly selective, targeting common octopus, spiny lobster, and some bony fishes. Undersize or non-commercial catches can usually be released alive, so catches such as berried lobsters can be returned to the sea (European Commission 2011).

58 58 Normally traps are baited with small pieces of oily fish such as sardine or mackerel (Xunta de Galicia 2006). The trap fishery is thought to have low discard rates. The amount of bait used, although unknown, is significant. However, artificial baits are being introduced. Therefore, discard rate in this fishery is assessed as lower than 20%. Rationale: A comprehensive survey to describe the octopus trap fishery in the Northwest of Spain was undertaken in The results show that the target species, common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) is the most abundant species, representing 86.7% of weight of the total catch, while the remaining 13.3% is distributed among 85 species. Crustaceans represent 5.8% by weight, with the velvet swimcrab (Necora puber) the most abundant species. Fish species account for 16.3% by number and 6.3% by weight. Wrasses, blennids, and gadoids are the most represented species (Xunta de Galicia 2006). In this survey, the bait used in the fishery was also recorded. Five species are normally used as bait: mackerel (38%), sardine (23%), horse mackerel (14%), bogue (4%), and blue whiting (1%), plus other cupleids (4%) and other mixed species (13%) (Xunta de Galicia 2006). A new artificial bait is being introduced in the Galician trap fishery (North of Spain). This bait, known locally as membrillo, is more expensive than the natural bait used in the area. However, advantages lie in its storability, durability, and light weight, making it a good substitute for natural bait. EUROPEAN HAKE Factor Inherent Vulnerability Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.1 above) Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Medium European hake is classified on the FishBase website as having low resilience (minimum population doubling time 4.5 to 14 years (K = ; t m = 2 8; t max = 20; fec = 7 million) and high vulnerability (65 of 100) (Fishbase 2014). However, based on the Seafood Watch Productivity-Susceptibility Analysis (PSA) method, European hake scores , which results in a moderate inherent vulnerability. Rationale:

59 59 Table 7: Results from the Seafood Watch inherent vulnerability rubric for fish species (referred to as a Productivity- Susceptibility Analysis (PSA) in the text) for Merluccius merluccius (SFW criteria document, pg. 4). Attribute scores can range from 1 to 3 with higher scores signifying more resilient life history attributes. Fish species with average attribute scores between 1.80 and 2.33 are deemed to have a moderate vulnerability. Factor Abundance Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.2 above) Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High The FAO/CECAF Working Group on the Assessment of Demersal Resources Subgroup North assessed the European hake stock in Moroccan waters in 2007 (FAO 2007). The results from the assessment indicate that the white hake stock is overexploited, with catch exceeding the natural production of the stock (B curr /B MSY = 23%) (FAO/CECAF 2012). The stock is listed by the FAO/CECAF Working Group as overfished. Therefore, abundance is considered high concern. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderate ICES assesses European hake for the VIIIc and IXa Sub-divisions (Southern stock). The EU agreed on a recovery plan in 2005 (EC Reg. No. 2166/2005, Appendix ). The plan aims to rebuild the stock to safe biological limits and achieve a spawning stock biomass (SSB) above 35,000 MT by However, no biomass reference points were identified. In the 2013 advice for European hake, ICES highlighted that SSB has increased since 1998 and was above the average in Since 2005, most annual recruitment values were above the historical mean (Figure 11).

60 60 Stock status is assessed as moderate concern because hake has a moderate inherent vulnerability and there are no stock reference points. Factor Fishing Mortality Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.3 above) Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High The FAO/CECAF Working Group on the Assessment of Demersal Resources Subgroup North assessed the European hake stock in Moroccan waters in 2007 (FAO/CECAF 2012). The results from the assessment indicate that the white hake stock is overexploited, with catch exceeding the natural production of the stock (F curr /F MSY = 374%). Current fishing effort was greater than that which would maintain the biomass at its current level. Overfishing is occurring but management measures are in place. Fishing mortality is therefore considered as high concern. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High Hake is caught by a multigear fleet (otter trawlers, pairtrawlers, gillnetters, longliners, and artisanal). In the trawl fleet, hake is caught together with megrim, anglerfish, blue whiting, horse mackerel, mackerel, and crustaceans. Discards occur mainly in the trawl fisheries that target smaller fish than gillnetters and longliners. Total catch (2012) = 16.6 kt, where 14.6 kt are landings (4.37 kt trawlers, 4.1 kt other fleets, and 6.1 kt unallocated) and 2.1 kt discards (13% of the total catch). The EU agreed on a recovery plan in The aim of the plan is to rebuild the stock to safe biological limits, set as a spawning stock biomass above 35,000 MT by 2016, and to reduce fishing mortality to The main elements of the plan are a 10% annual reduction in F and a 15% constraint on TAC change between years. Fishing mortality has decreased in recent years but was well above the 2012 F MSY proxy (F = 0.24) (Figure 11). Trawl fisheries contribute around 30% of the total fishing mortality of European hake in the area. Like octopus, European hake is caught in both the crustacean and the fish trawl fisheries. Therefore, the octopus trawl fishery is considered to have a high impact on the fishing mortality for this species and this section is assessed as high concern.

61 61 Rationale: Figure 8: ICES advice. European hake Southern stock (ICES 2013d). Factor Discard Rate Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 40-60% The industrial cephalopod fishery in Morocco is associated with higher rates of discarding (Belhabib et al. 2013). The discard rate in the Moroccan O. vulgaris fishery was estimated at 45% by Kelleher (2005). Balguerias (1997) estimated that, in the 1970s, 66% of the industrial cephalopod fleet catches were discarded and, in the 1980s, discard rates represented 46% of the retained catch. Haddad (1994) estimated that 30% of the catch was discarded in the 1990s, and Rojo-Diaz and Pitcher (2005) estimated that 45% was discarded in the 2000s. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 40-60% Several studies on the selectivity of fishing gear and the bycatch and discards by Portuguese fisheries have been published. Finfish bottom trawls targeting hake, horse mackerel, monkfish, and megrim in the Iberian Peninsula are reported to have discard rates of 30% 60%, primarily of target species that are undersized, with some non-commercial bycatch (European Commission 2011). Hake discards are almost

62 62 all below MLS (Minimum Landing Size), but mackerel and horse mackerel are discarded at a range of sizes, suggesting a mixture of economic and MLS factors at play (European Commission 2011). The catches and discards of trawlers, seiners, and trammel netters were studied in the Algarve (southern Portugal) using observers onboard commercial fishing vessels. Species diversity was high, with 236 species recorded as occasionally, frequently, or regularly discarded. Mean discard rates per trip were 0.13, 0.20, 0.27, 0.62, and 0.70, respectively, for trammel nets, demersal purse seines, pelagic purse seines, fish trawls, and crustacean trawls, with high variability in terms of discard volume and discard rate (Borges et al. 2001). Other studies report discard rates as high as 72% for the Southcoast trawl fishery (Costa et al. 2008). Although some conflicting information exists, the discard rate in the trawl fishery seems to be between 40% and 60%. Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 20-40% Finfish bottom trawls targeting hake, horse mackerel, monkfish, and megrim in the Iberian Peninsula are reported to have discard rates of 30% 60%, primarily of undersized target species, with some noncommercial bycatch. In the hake fishery, high grading is particularly greatest at the beginning of the fishing season due to individual vessel quota allocation, and can reach 90% of catch (European Commission 2011). Discard rates for the finfish trawl fishery in the Algarve (South of Portugal) were estimated as high as 62% (Borges et al. 2001). However, (Coll et al. 2014) estimated historical total discards for the Spanish trawl fishery in the Gulf of Cádiz and concluded that total discard rates in the area had decreased in recent years, reaching less than 20% in 2010 (see Figure 16). Some conflicting information exists about the discard rates in the Spanish trawl fishery. However, they seem to be lower than those in the Portuguese trawl fishery. Therefore, a conservative approach is taken and a discard rate of 20% 40% is selected. EUROPEAN HORSE MACKEREL Factor Inherent Vulnerability Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.1 above)

63 63 Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Low European horse mackerel is assessed as having high vulnerability (56 of 100) and medium resilience (minimum population doubling time 1.4 to 4.4 years, K = ; t m = 2 4; t max = 11; fec = 70,000) on the FishBase website (Fishbase 2014). However, based on the Seafood Watch Productivity-Susceptibility Analysis (PSA) method, European horse mackerel scores 2.5, which results in low inherent vulnerability. Factor Abundance Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.2 above) Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderate No precautionary reference points have been defined for this stock. ICES advises on the basis of the MSY approach that catches should be no more than 35,000 MT in The SSB has decreased gradually since 2007 and is presently around 30% below the long-term average. Recruitment is estimated to be above average in Confidence intervals for the assessment estimates are very wide, indicating a high uncertainty in F, SSB, and recruitment in the most recent years (ICES 2013c). Horse mackerel s stock status scores moderate concern because the species has a low inherent vulnerability to fishing mortality and there are no stock reference points. Factor Fishing Mortality Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.3 above) Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderate No precautionary reference points have been defined for this stock. F SPR35% (0.11) is proposed as a proxy for F MSY. Historical fishing mortalities (0.09) have on average been at or below the candidate F MSY

64 64 (though actual estimates are very uncertain). Following the ICES MSY approach implies that fishing mortality can increase to F MSY, resulting in catches of no more than 35,000 MT in Currently, the biomass is 30% below the long-term average. Following the MSY approach implies an increase in fishing mortality. Managers may want to consider keeping F at the 2013 level to ensure a greater increase in biomass than by fishing at F MSY (ICES 2013c). Due to some uncertainties, fishing mortality for this species is scored moderate concern. Factor Discard Rate Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 40-60% Several studies on the selectivity of fishing gear and the bycatch and discards by Portuguese fisheries have been published. Finfish bottom trawls targeting hake, horse mackerel, monkfish, and megrim in the Iberian Peninsula are reported to have discard rates of 30% 60%, primarily of target species that are undersized, with some non-commercial bycatch (European Commission 2011). Hake discards are almost all below MLS (Minimum Landing Size), but mackerel and horse mackerel are discarded at a range of sizes, suggesting a mixture of economic and MLS factors at play (European Commission 2011). The catches and discards of trawlers, seiners, and trammel netters were studied in the Algarve (southern Portugal) using observers onboard commercial fishing vessels. Species diversity was high, with 236 species recorded as occasionally, frequently, or regularly discarded. Mean discard rates per trip were 0.13, 0.20, 0.27, 0.62, and 0.70, respectively, for trammel nets, demersal purse seines, pelagic purse seines, fish trawls, and crustacean trawls, with high variability in terms of discard volume and discard rate (Borges et al. 2001). Other studies report discard rates as high as 72% for the Southcoast trawl fishery (Costa et al. 2008). Although some conflicting information exists, the discard rate in the trawl fishery seems to be between 40% and 60%. Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 20-40% Finfish bottom trawls targeting hake, horse mackerel, monkfish, and megrim in the Iberian Peninsula are reported to have discard rates of 30% 60%, primarily of undersized target species, with some noncommercial bycatch. In the hake fishery, high grading is particularly greatest at the beginning of the fishing season due to individual vessel quota allocation, and can reach 90% of catch (European

65 65 Commission 2011). Discard rates for the finfish trawl fishery in the Algarve (South of Portugal) were estimated as high as 62% (Borges et al. 2001). However, (Coll et al. 2014) estimated historical total discards for the Spanish trawl fishery in the Gulf of Cádiz and concluded that total discard rates in the area had decreased in recent years, reaching less than 20% in 2010 (see Figure 16). Some conflicting information exists about the discard rates in the Spanish trawl fishery. However, they seem to be lower than those in the Portuguese trawl fishery. Therefore, a conservative approach is taken and a discard rate of 20% 40% selected. EUROPEAN SQUID Factor Inherent Vulnerability Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.1 above) Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Low The European squid, Loligo vulgaris, is one of the most common loliginid species in the northeastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. It is a neritic and semi-pelagic species distributed between the North Sea and the British Isles (55 N) and the north African coast (20 N), including the Mediterranean Sea (Guerra, A. & Rocha, F. 1994). The inherent vulnerability was calculated using the Seafood Watch guidelines for invertebrates. In this case, the life history attributes selected from the table for deepwater rose shrimp are: average age at maturity <5 years, average maximum age <10 years, reproductive strategy demersal egg layer, and density dependence no depensatory or compensatory dynamics demonstrated. Therefore, inherent vulnerability is low. Rationale: The life span of L. vulgaris is estimated at about 1 year. L. vulgaris spawn throughout the year, but the period of more intensive spawning extends from December to April. The estimated number of oocytes in mature female L. vulgaris varied from 782 to 21,885 and showed a slight positive correlation with the length of the mantle (Guerra, A. & Rocha, F. 1994). Table 8: Results from the Seafood Watch inherent vulnerability rubric for invertebrate species (referred to as a Productivity-Susceptibility Analysis (PSA) in the text) forloligo vulgaris (SFW criteria document, pg. 4). Attribute scores can range from 1 to 3 with higher scores signifying more resilient life history attributes. Invertebrate species with average attribute scores between 2.46 and 3 are deemed to have a low vulnerability'."

66 66 Factor Abundance Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.2 above) Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High Before 2001, average squid yields by the Moroccan freezer trawlers reached more than 100 kg/day. From 2002 they saw a heavy decline to around 40 kg/fishing day. The coastal and artisanal vessel yields are very low in comparison. Year 2005 is when squid yields were marked by an improvement in all three sectors (FAO/CECAF 2012). The highest abundance indices from the trawl surveys carried out in Dakhla were registered in February 2000 and March 2001, with 11 kg/30 minutes and 10 kg/30 minutes respectively. From September 2001, the yields have decreased, varying between 1 kg/30 minutes and 3 kg/30 minutes, except for November 2005 when they reached 6 kg/30 minutes (FAO/CECAF 2012). No reference points were set for this stock and a reliable stock assessment was not undertaken due to the inconsistency of the data, but based on the CPUEs of the freezer trawlers and the decreasing abundance indices from the surveys, the Working Group estimated that the stock was overexploited (FAO/CECAF 2012). Therefore, this section is assessed high concern. Factor Fishing Mortality Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.3 above)

67 67 Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High In Morocco, squid catches landed by the ocean-going sector have seen large annual fluctuations. The maximum catch was recorded in 2000 with 13,730 MT. The lowest level was reached in 2004 with 122 MT. Catches by coastal vessels (trawlers and longliners) are also characterized by considerable annual variations. Of these vessels, it is the coastal trawlers that land large quantities of squid (FAO/CECAF 2012). The most recent report of the FAO/CECAF Working Group concluded that the stock was being overfished, and a lowering of fishing effort was recommended. Overfishing is occurring, while management that is reasonably expected to curtail overfishing is in place. Therefore, fishing mortality is considered as high concern. Factor Discard Rate Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 40-60% The industrial cephalopod fishery in Morocco is associated with higher rates of discarding (Belhabib et al. 2013). The discard rate in the Moroccan O. vulgaris fishery was estimated at 45% by Kelleher (2005). Balguerias (1997) estimated that, in the 1970s, 66% of the industrial cephalopod fleet catches were discarded and, in the 1980s, discards represented 46% of the retained catch. Haddad (1994) estimated that 30% of the catch was discarded in the 1990s, and Rojo-Diaz and Pitcher (2005) estimated that 45% was discarded in the 2000s. LOGGERHEAD TURTLE Factor Inherent Vulnerability Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.1 above) Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High Due to their typically vulnerable life cycle, characterized by a slow growth rate (0.37 to 6.5 cm/yr), late maturity (turtles take from 23.5 to 29.3 yr to reach 80 cm CCL (Curved Carapace Length), considered an approximation of the size at maturity), and low fecundity, turtles are highly susceptible to fishing mortality (Casale et al. 2011).

68 68 Marine turtles are considered as having high inherent vulnerability by the Seafood Watch criteria. Factor Abundance Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.2 above) Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Very High Sea turtles are threatened worldwide by many human activities, from direct exploitation to the indirect effects of climate change. Caretta caretta is assessed as endangered by the IUCN (Marine turtle specialist group 1996). Degradation of nesting habitats, fishing-induced mortality, boat collisions, and pollution are considered the greatest threats (Casale et al. 2007) (Casale et al. 2011). The loggerhead turtle is listed by an international scientific body as endangered. Therefore, this section is considered very high concern. Factor Fishing Mortality Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.3 above) Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderate In 2007 and 2008, the Chelonia Association evaluated the incidental catch of loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) in bottom trawlers, and concluded that about 5,000 turtles are caught annually in the Gulf of Cádiz and the Spanish Mediterranean (Biton 2009). The average number of turtles caught by trawlers in the Gulf of Cádiz (South Spain), where the octopus fishery is being assessed, was between 1 and 3 by vessel and campaign lower than in the Mediterranean Sea due to the lower number of turtles in this area (Biton 2009). Although TEDs (turtle excluder devices) were found to be effective in reducing turtle captures in this study, there is no legal obligation to use these devices in the trawl fishery. Although the unknown bycatch matrix scores the impact of bottom trawl on turtles as low, in this case

69 69 fishing mortality is assessed moderate concern due to the special characteristics of the area. Factor Discard Rate Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 40-60% Several studies on the selectivity of fishing gear and the bycatch and discards by Portuguese fisheries have been published. Finfish bottom trawls targeting hake, horse mackerel, monkfish, and megrim in the Iberian Peninsula are reported to have discard rates of 30% 60%, primarily of target species that are undersized, with some non-commercial bycatch (European Commission 2011). Hake discards are almost all below MLS (Minimum Landing Size), but mackerel and horse mackerel are discarded at a range of sizes, suggesting a mixture of economic and MLS factors at play (European Commission 2011). The catches and discards of trawlers, seiners, and trammel netters were studied in the Algarve (southern Portugal) using observers onboard commercial fishing vessels. Species diversity was high, with 236 species recorded as occasionally, frequently, or regularly discarded. Mean discard rates per trip were 0.13, 0.20, 0.27, 0.62, and 0.70, respectively, for trammel nets, demersal purse seines, pelagic purse seines, fish trawls, and crustacean trawls, with high variability in terms of discard volume and discard rate (Borges et al. 2001). Other studies report discard rates as high as 72% for the Southcoast trawl fishery (Costa et al. 2008). Although some conflicting information exists, the discard rate in the trawl fishery seems to be between 40% and 60%. Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 20-40% Finfish bottom trawls targeting hake, horse mackerel, monkfish, and megrim in the Iberian Peninsula are reported to have discard rates of 30% 60%, primarily of undersized target species, with some noncommercial bycatch. In the hake fishery, high grading is particularly greatest at the beginning of the fishing season due to individual vessel quota allocation, and can reach 90% of catch (European Commission 2011). Discard rates for the finfish trawl fishery in the Algarve (South of Portugal) were estimated to be as high as 62% (Borges et al. 2001). However, (Coll et al. 2014) estimated historical total discards for the Spanish trawl fishery in the Gulf of Cádiz and concluded that total discard rates in the area had decreased in recent years, reaching less than 20% in 2010 (see Figure 16).

70 70 Some conflicting information exists about the discard rates in the Spanish trawl fishery. However, they seem to be lower than those in the Portuguese trawl fishery. Therefore, a conservative approach is taken and a discard rate of 20% 40% selected. MAMMALS Factor Inherent Vulnerability Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.1 above) Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High Incidental capture in fishing activities threatens whales, dolphins, and porpoises worldwide. Marine mammals provide some of the best-known cases of population and species extinction through overexploitation. Incidental capture of small cetaceans in particular presents the greatest threat worldwide to the conservation of cetacean species (Zollett 2005). Several species such as Mediterranean monk seal, common dolphin, harbor porpoise, or bottlenose dolphin occur in Northwest African waters and Southern Europe (Pompa et al. 2011). Based on the unknown bycatch matrix, inherent vulnerability for marine mammals is considered high. Factor Abundance Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.2 above) Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High (Pompa et al. 2011) identified global key conservation sites for marine and freshwater mammal species based on their geographic ranges. Regions especially rich in marine species were found along the coasts of North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. In Northwestern Africa, 25 species were

71 71 identified; 7 of them endemic or with a small range. The size of the marine mammal populations in the area and the optimum sustainable population (OSP) have not been calculated, so it is not possible to determine whether current populations are at a sustainable level. However, vulnerable and endemic species are found in the area, and the conservation status of the Northwestern Africa ecoregion was estimated by (Pompa et al. 2011) as critically endangered. Using the Seafood Watch guidance for unknown species, abundance for these species is assessed as high concern. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderate The Iberian (Spain and Portugal) mainland coast is rich in cetacean species, with 13: 8 odontocetes and 5 mysticetes. The principal species reported in the area are common dolphins, harbor porpoises, bottlenose dolphins, and striped dolphins. Some sources indicate that common dolphins were captured in large amounts off mainland Portugal during the late 19th and 20th centuries. Other species are also commonly reported as bycatch, such as harbor porpoises, bottlenose dolphins, and striped dolphins (Brito et al. 2009). The size of these populations in the area and the optimum sustainable population (OSP) have not been calculated, so it is not possible to determine whether the current population is at a sustainable level. Common dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, harbor porpoises, and striped dolphins are not considered to be endangered or threatened species; all these species are assessed as least concern by the IUCN (IUCN 2014). Using the Seafood Watch guidance for unknown species, abundance for these species is assessed as moderate concern. Factor Fishing Mortality Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.3 above) Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderate Historical whaling data suggest that in the 18th to the early 20th centuries, Northwest African waters constituted an important area for humpback whales and sperm whales. Recent data from scientific surveys confirm that the area still plays an important role for these species, blue whales, and several species of dolphins and pilot whales (IMROP 2013).

72 72 Trawling activities can attract healthy animals since they represent an easy-to-access, concentrated food source. In some areas of the world, associations between cetacean species and trawlers have been documented. (Leatherwood 1975) observed three feeding patterns of bottlenose dolphins associated with shrimp trawlers, including animals foraging behind working boats by eating organisms stirred up from trawlers, fish that bypass the net, or fish stuck in the mesh; animals feeding on discarded fish or those that escaped the net; and animals preying on fish attracted to non-working trawlers (Zollett 2005). Cephalopods occur regularly in the diets of various species such as cetaceans (ICES 2013). Some species such as pilot whales are thought to be primarily adapted to feeding on squid, and they are found in tropical to cool temperate waters and deep waters, typically in highest densities over the outer continental shelf or continental slope (Taylor et al. 2011). Although there is not specific information about marine mammal mortality in the octopus trawl fishery due to the lack of observer coverage, it is probable that it may occur in Mauritanian and Moroccan waters. Based on the unknown bycatch matrix, fishing mortality is assessed moderate concern. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderate Fishers often fail to report all incidences of bycatch (Loughlin et al. 1983), and observer coverage differs between fisheries and countries throughout the world. For example, in Portugal, reports of bycatch by fishers decreased when bycatch became illegal, even though no action was taken to reduce bycatch (Sequeira & Ferreira 1994) (Zollett 2005). The ICES advice on marine mammals in 2013 reports three species caught in the mixed demersal fishery (gillnets/trammelnets) in Portugal: common dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, and harbor porpoise. These three species are classified as least concern by the IUCN. No information was reported from the trawl fishery. However, (Lopez et al. 2003) reported a large number of marine mammals caught in the trawl fishery in Galician waters (north of Portugal). Analysis of interview data suggested that around 200 cetaceans might be caught annually in inshore waters and around 1,500 in offshore waters. The highest bycatch rates were estimated for gillnets and offshore trawling. The majority of bycatches were small dolphins, probably mainly Delphinus delphis. Smaller numbers of Tursiops truncatus and Globicephala melas are also reported. In this study it was suggested that bycatches of D. delphis and T. truncatus may be unsustainably high (Figure 13) (Lopez et al. 2003). There is no current data about the impact of the trawl fishery on marine mammals. However, studies have

73 73 suggested high catch rates of marine mammals in Iberian waters. Based on the unknown bycatch matrix, fishing mortality is considered moderate concern. Rationale: Figure 9: Proportion of interviews reporting non-zero bycatches for fishing activities in (a) inshore waters, (b) offshore waters (Lopez et al. 2003). Factor Discard Rate Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 40-60% The majority of octopus sourced from the Saharan Bank and Ras Nouadhibou areas are caught by means of bottom trawling. The discard rate (weighted discard rate) in the Moroccan O. vulgaris fishery is estimated at 45% (Kelleher 2005). The O. vulgaris trawl fishery in Mauritania has 60% bycatch, primarily composed of juveniles of other species (Pechecops & CFFA 2006). Bycatch in the Mauritanian trawl fishery is around 60%. Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 40-60% The industrial cephalopod fishery in Morocco is associated with higher rates of discarding (Belhabib et al. 2013). The discard rate in the Moroccan O. vulgaris fishery was estimated at 45% by Kelleher (2005). Balguerias (1997) estimated that, in the 1970s, 66% of the industrial cephalopod fleet catches were discarded and, in the 1980s, discards represented 46% of the retained catch. Haddad (1994) estimated that 30% of the catch was discarded in the 1990s, and Rojo-Diaz and Pitcher (2005) estimated that 45%

74 74 was discarded in the 2000s. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 40-60% Several studies on the selectivity of fishing gear and the bycatch and discards by Portuguese fisheries have been published. Finfish bottom trawls targeting hake, horse mackerel, monkfish, and megrim in the Iberian Peninsula are reported to have discard rates of 30% 60%, primarily of target species that are undersized, with some non-commercial bycatch (European Commission 2011). Hake discards are almost all below MLS (Minimum Landing Size), but mackerel and horse mackerel are discarded at a range of sizes, suggesting a mixture of economic and MLS factors at play (European Commission 2011). The catches and discards of trawlers, seiners, and trammel netters were studied in the Algarve (southern Portugal) using observers onboard commercial fishing vessels. Species diversity was high, with 236 species recorded as occasionally, frequently, or regularly discarded. Mean discard rates per trip were 0.13, 0.20, 0.27, 0.62, and 0.70, respectively, for trammel nets, demersal purse seines, pelagic purse seines, fish trawls, and crustacean trawls, with high variability in terms of discard volume and discard rate (Borges et al. 2001). Other studies report discards as high as 72% for the Southcoast trawl fishery (Costa et al. 2008). Although some conflicting information exists, the discard rate in the trawl fishery seems to be between 40% and 60%. Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 20-40% Finfish bottom trawls targeting hake, horse mackerel, monkfish, and megrim in the Iberian Peninsula are reported to have discard rates of 30% 60%, primarily of undersized target species, with some noncommercial bycatch. In the hake fishery, high grading is particularly greatest at the beginning of the fishing season due to individual vessel quota allocation, and can reach 90% of catch (European Commission 2011). Discard rates for the finfish trawl fishery in the Algarve (South of Portugal) were estimated as high as 62% (Borges et al. 2001). However, (Coll et al. 2014) estimated historical total discards for the Spanish trawl fishery in the Gulf of Cádiz and concluded that total discard rates in the area had decreased in recent years, reaching less than 20% in 2010 (see Figure 16).

75 75 Some conflicting information exists about the discard rates in the Spanish trawl fishery. However, they seem to be lower than those in the Portuguese trawl fishery. Therefore, a conservative approach is taken and a discard rate of 20% 40% is selected. PANDORA Factor Inherent Vulnerability Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.1 above) Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Medium Red pandora is assessed on the FishBase website as having medium resilience (minimum population doubling time 1.4 to 4.4 years (K = ; t m = 1; t max = 7; fec = 60,200)) and moderate to high vulnerability (49 of 100) (Fishbase 2014). Factor Abundance Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.2 above) Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High The FAO/CECAF Working Group assessed this stock in 2006 (FAO/CECAF 2012). Abundance indices series (in kg/30 minutes) for Pagellus bellottii in Mauritania obtained during the assessment surveys showed a continual decline in the abundance index and the collapse of the species in the Mauritanian zone. The FAO/CECAF Working Group concluded that the red pandora stock was overexploited because the biomass was below the target biomass, B 0.1 (B curr /B MSY = 17%). The stock is listed by the management body as overfished. Abundance is therefore ranked high concern. Factor Fishing Mortality Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.3 above)

76 76 Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High The Pagellus bellottii CPUE series for the Moroccan, Mauritanian, and Gambian industrial fleets fluctuated greatly over the period under analysis ( ). From 1996 to 2004, the highest yields were obtained in Mauritania by the pelagic trawlers, with a peak in The FAO/CECAF Working Group concluded that fishing effort was greatly above that producing a sustainable yield at current biomass levels (F curr /F MSY = 325%). Overfishing is occurring and the stock susceptibility to the octopus fishery is moderate. Therefore, fishing mortality is assessed as high concern. Factor Discard Rate Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 40-60% The majority of octopus sourced from the Saharan Bank and Ras Nouadhibou areas is caught by means of bottom trawling. The discard rate (weighted discard rate) in the Moroccan O. vulgaris fishery is estimated at 45% (Kelleher 2005). The O. vulgaris trawl fishery in Mauritania has 60% bycatch, primarily comprising juveniles of other species (Pechecops & CFFA 2006). Bycatch in the Mauritanian trawl fishery is around 60%. SENEGALESE HAKE Factor Inherent Vulnerability Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.1 above) Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Medium Senegalese hake is assessed on the FishBase website as having low resilience (minimum population doubling time 4.5 to 14 years (K = ) and moderate to high vulnerability (54 of 100) (Fishbase 2014).

77 77 Factor Abundance Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.2 above) Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Very Low Due to the fact that both species (M. polli and M. senegalensis) are fished and sold commercially by the same name (black hake), they are assessed as a single stock (Merluccius spp.). Reference points defined for small pelagics in the FAO Working Group held in Banjul (Gambia) in 2006 (FAO/CECAF 2012) were also adopted for the black hake stock. These are B MSY and F MSY for limit reference points and B 0.1 and F 0.1 for target reference points (FAO/CECAF 2012). For the Mauritanian stock, the limit reference point adopted was B MSY = 11,123 MT and the target reference point was B 0.1 = 12,236 MT. For Mauritanian and Senegalese stocks, current black hake biomass exceeded biomass required to produce maximum sustainable yield and exceeded the target biomass (STECF 2013). There is a reliable quantitative stock assessment, and biomass is estimated to be above an appropriate target reference point (B 0.1 ). This section is considered very low concern. Factor Fishing Mortality Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.3 above) Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Very Low The main management advisory body is the FAO Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic Fisheries (CECAF). Merluccius senegalensis and Merluccius polli are regularly assessed by the Working Group on the Assessment of Demersal Resources in the northern zone. The most recent Working Group met in Agadir (Morocco) from 8 to 18 February The results from the assessments have not yet been formally published and therefore the information provided may be considered preliminary. There are B MSY and F MSY for limit reference points and B 0.1 and F 0.1 for target reference points. For the Mauritanian stock, the limit reference point for fishing mortality is F MSY = 1.97 and the target reference point is F 0.1 = Current fishing effort was lower than that corresponding to the target effort and to the MSY. These results showed that the stock was not fully exploited (STECF 2013). It is highly likely that fishing mortality is below a sustainable level (F 0.1 ) that will allow population to maintain current level. Fishing mortality is considered very low concern.

78 78 Factor Discard Rate Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 40-60% The majority of octopus sourced from the Saharan Bank and Ras Nouadhibou areas is caught by means of bottom trawling. The discard rate (weighted discard rate) in the Moroccan O. vulgaris fishery is estimated at 45% (Kelleher 2005). The O. vulgaris trawl fishery in Mauritania has 60% bycatch, primarily comprising juveniles of other species (Pechecops & CFFA 2006). Bycatch in the Mauritanian trawl fishery is around 60%. SHARKS Factor Inherent Vulnerability Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.1 above) Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High Due to their typically vulnerable life cycle, characterized by slow growth rates, late maturity, and low fecundity, elasmobranch species are highly susceptible to fishing mortality. Some shark species are present in the area, such as common smouthound (Mustelus mustelus), tope (Galeorhinus galeus), or other deep-sea sharks (Gascuel et al. 2007) (Oceana 2008); the former species are classified as vulnerable by the IUCN. On the FishBase website, both are classified as having very low resilience and high to very high vulnerability (74 of 100) (Fishbase 2014). Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High Due to their typically vulnerable life cycle, characterized by slow growth rates, late maturity, and low fecundity, elasmobranch species are highly susceptible to fishing mortality. Some shark species are present in the ICES area IXa, such as common smouthound (Mustelus mustelus), tope (Galeorhinus galeus), or other deep-sea sharks (Etmopterus sp.) (Coelho & Erzini 2008) (Junta de Andalucia 2001); the former species are both classified as vulnerable by the IUCN and as having very low resilience and high

79 79 to very high vulnerability (74 of 100) on the FishBase website (Fishbase 2014). Shark species have high inherent vulnerability. Factor Abundance Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.2 above) Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High In a survey carried out by (Gascuel et al. 2007) in Mauritanian waters, total demersal biomass has been reduced by 75% on the Mauritanian continental shelf over the past 25 years due to overfishing. In the same survey, common smoothhound (Mustelus mustelus) showed a strong biomass decrease but only in the deepest strata (Figure 14, Figure 15). There is not available information about other demersal shark species but other sharks are known to occur in the area. Reference points have not been defined for these species, so there is no evidence to suggest that shark stocks are either above or below reference points. Shark stocks inherent vulnerability is high. Therefore, this section is assessed high concern. Rationale: Figure 10: Mean annual rate biomass decrease for common smoothhound (Mustelus mustelus). Adapted from (Gascuel et al. 2007).

80 80 Figure 11: Trend in (a) biomass for the 24 studied taxa and (b) for the total biomass caught by the bottom trawl (Gascuel et al. 2007). Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High (Balguerias et al. 2000) carried out a study on the changes produced in the faunistic communities in Morocco in response to fishing. They used results from surveys carried out on the bank in 1942, 1962, 1974, and The data suggested some changes in the community. Within the elasmobranchs (Chondrichthyes), all families but one (Scyliorhinidae) experienced severe decline in relative abundance. Also, the total number of families and species represented in the surveys decreased from 1942 to 1990 (from 29 to only 6 species) (Balguerias et al. 2000). Updated information on demersal shark stocks have not been found and reference points have not been defined for these species in the area. There is no evidence to suggest that stocks are either above or

81 81 below reference points, and shark stocks inherent vulnerability is high. Therefore, this section is considered high concern. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Very High Tope and smoothhound are classified as vulnerable by the IUCN (Serena et al. 2009) (Walker et al. 2006). No precautionary points have been agreed on for these two species (STECF 2013). Angel shark is critically endangered and its population is decreasing (Morey et al. 2006). In the Gulf of Cádiz this species has a high commercial value but it seems to be near extinct. There are few recent records of captures of angel shark and it may be extirpated from areas of former habitat (STECF 2013). Some species are listed by the IUCN as endangered or threatened. The abundance section is considered very high concern. Factor Fishing Mortality Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.3 above) Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High In Oceana s investigations into shark fisheries, an incidence of shark mislabeling was found in the Cádiz fish market, in the south of Spain. Oceana documented several boxes of sharks, with their fins missing, labelled as hake (Merluccius senegalensis). These sharks caught by Spanish vessels and mislabeled as hake were likely either tope sharks (Galeorhinus galeus) or deep-sea sharks. They were likely intentionally mislabeled to hide the fact that they were caught in Mauritanian waters without authorization. Tope sharks and most deep-sea sharks are threatened according to IUCN Red List criteria, and these are neither scientifically assessed nor managed in Mauritanian waters. Officially, there are no reported catches of deep-sea sharks from Spanish vessels in Mauritanian waters (Oceana 2008). No reference points for these species have been set and no management measures are in place to avoid the catch of demersal sharks. The fishery s contribution is unknown, but populations are depleted and no reasonable management to curtail overfishing is in place. Therefore, fishing mortality is assessed as high concern.

82 82 Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High There is little information about shark stocks status in Morocco. However, (Balguerias et al. 2002) studied the changes in the faunistic communities in Morocco in response to fishing, and suggested that the changes were caused by a combination of factors, including economic incentives as well as oceanographic variations and competition for food, which ultimately favored benthic cephalopod populations at the cost of most fish populations (including sharks). No reference points have been set for demersal shark species, but some species (e.g., angel shark) present in the Moroccan waters are vulnerable or endangered. Fishery contribution mortality is unknown, but some populations are depleted and no reasonable management to curtail overfishing is in place. Using the unknown bycatch matrix, fishing mortality is assessed as high concern. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderate Catch for tope is not fully documented and the catch data are considered unreliable (due to the historical use of generic landings categories). However, catches for tope shark have increased in the last few years and, in 2007, almost 900 MT were caught by European Union vessels. Other species are also caught and labeled commercially as tope, including the blue shark and various small sharks (Oceana 2011). ICES recognizes that there is no reliable data for this species (STECF 2013). No management measures are currently in place for this shark, classified as globally Vulnerable. Based on their approach to data-limited stocks, ICES recommends that catches should be reduced by 20% and measures to identify pupping areas should be taken (STECF 2013). Smoothhounds (Mustelus mustelus) are taken as a bycatch in mixed demersal and gillnet fisheries. Catches of smoothhounds are not fully documented and the data is considered highly unreliable (due to the historical use of generic landings categories). Although landings data are preliminary and underestimate true landings, it is clear that catches have increased in recent years. This increase may reflect the increased abundance and/or improved marketing opportunities for the species (given the zero TAC for spurdog). Based on ICES approach to data-limited stocks, ICES advises that catches should be reduced by 4% (STECF 2013). Other shark species in the area such as Squatina squatina are currently on the EU prohibited species list.

83 83 The fishery s contribution is unknown, and populations of some species are depleted but management measures are in place. Therefore, fishing mortality is considered moderate concern. Factor Discard Rate Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 40-60% The majority of octopus sourced from the Saharan Bank and Ras Nouadhibou areas is caught by means of bottom trawling. The discard rate (weighted discard rate) in the Moroccan O. vulgaris fishery is estimated at 45% (Kelleher 2005). The O. vulgaris trawl fishery in Mauritania has 60% bycatch, primarily comprising juveniles of other species (Pechecops & CFFA 2006). Bycatch in the Mauritanian trawl fishery is around 60%. Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 40-60% The industrial cephalopod fishery in Morocco is associated with higher rates of discarding (Belhabib et al. 2013). The discard rate in the Moroccan O. vulgaris fishery was estimated at 45% by Kelleher (2005). Balguerias (1997) estimated that, in the 1970s, 66% of the industrial cephalopod fleet catches were discarded and, in the 80s, discards represented 46% of the retained catch. Haddad (1994) estimated that 30% of the catch was discarded in the 1990s, and Rojo-Diaz and Pitcher (2005) estimated that 45% was discarded in the 2000s. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 40-60% Several studies on the selectivity of fishing gear and the bycatch and discards by Portuguese fisheries have been published. Finfish bottom trawls targeting hake, horse mackerel, monkfish, and megrim in the Iberian Peninsula are reported to have discard rates of 30% 60%, primarily of target species that are undersized, with some non-commercial bycatch (European Commission 2011). Hake discards are almost all below MLS (Minimum Landing Size), but mackerel and horse mackerel are discarded at a range of sizes, suggesting a mixture of economic and MLS factors at play (European Commission 2011). The catches and discards of trawlers, seiners, and trammel netters were studied in the Algarve

84 84 (southern Portugal) using observers onboard commercial fishing vessels. Species diversity was high, with 236 species recorded as occasionally, frequently, or regularly discarded. Mean discard rates per trip were 0.13, 0.20, 0.27, 0.62, and 0.70, respectively, for trammel nets, demersal purse seines, pelagic purse seines, fish trawls, and crustacean trawls, with high variability in terms of discard volume and discard rate (Borges et al. 2001). Other studies report discard rates as high as 72% for the Southcoast trawl fishery (Costa et al. 2008). Although some conflicting information exists, the discard rate in the trawl fishery seems to be between 40% and 60%. Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 20-40% Finfish bottom trawls targeting hake, horse mackerel, monkfish, and megrim in the Iberian Peninsula are reported to have discard rates of 30% 60%, primarily of undersized target species, with some noncommercial bycatch. In the hake fishery, high grading is particularly greatest at the beginning of the fishing season due to individual vessel quota allocation and can reach 90% of catch (European Commission 2011). Discard rates for the finfish trawl fishery in the Algarve (South of Portugal) were estimated as high as 62% (Borges et al. 2001). However, (Coll et al. 2014) estimated historical total discards for the Spanish trawl fishery in the Gulf of Cádiz and concluded that total discard rates in the area had decreased in recent years, reaching less than 20% in 2010 (see Figure 16). Some conflicting information exists about the discard rates in the Spanish trawl fishery. However, they seem to be lower than those in the Portuguese trawl fishery. Therefore, a conservative approach is taken and a discard rate of 20% 40% is selected. Rationale:

85 85 Figure 12: Discard rates in Spanish fisheries (Coll et al. 2014) TURTLES Factor Inherent Vulnerability Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.1 above) Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High Six sea turtle species occur in the West Africa region: the loggerhead, green, hawksbill, olive ridley, Kemp s ridley, and leatherback (IMROP 2013). Due to their typically vulnerable life cycle, characterized by slow growth rate, late maturity, and low fecundity, turtles are highly susceptible to fishing mortality

86 86 (Casale et al. 2011). Rationale: Mauritania is likely the northernmost nesting area on the African Atlantic coast for loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta). It is unknown if this population is the same that breeds in the Cape Verde archipielago. This species breeds between Belawkh and Tiwilit (IMROP 2013). The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) is the most common in Mauritania (90% of individuals observed). There is a high proportion of immature individuals in the marine protected area of Nouakchott, indicating the existence of one or more nursery areas. Large adults of both sexes feed on seagrass beds in Arguin (area of the island Tidra). Some females carry out long migrations between their nesting sites in the Bijagos Archipelago (Guinea Bissau) and the Banc d Arguin (Mauritania) (IMROP 2013). Other species present in the area are the hawksbill sea turtle, Kemp s ridley sea turtle, olive ridley sea turtle, and leatherback sea turtle, but they are rare. Factor Abundance Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.2 above) Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom High Sea turtles are threatened worldwide by many human activities, from direct exploitation to the indirect effects of climate change. Caretta caretta and Chelonia mydas are assessed as endangered by the IUCN. Degradation of nesting habitats, fishing-induced mortality, boat collisions, and pollution are considered the greatest threats (Casale et al. 2007) (Casale et al. 2011). There is no specific information about sea turtle abundance in the area. Following the unknown species criteria from Seafood Watch, these species are evaluated as high concern. Factor Fishing Mortality Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.3 above) Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom

87 87 Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Low Current data and assessments of trawl fisheries are almost non-existent for the region. Mid-water factory trawls in Mauritania incidentally catch at least 50 sea turtles per year, including leatherbacks, loggerheads, and hawksbills (Zeeberg et al. 2006). A number of incidental threats impact green turtles around the world. These threats affect both terrestrial and marine environments, and include bycatch in marine fisheries and habitat degradation at nesting beaches and feeding areas. Mortality associated with entanglement in marine fisheries is the primary incidental threat; the responsible fishing techniques include drift netting, shrimp trawling, dynamite fishing, and long-lining (Seminoff 2004). There is no specific information about the impacts of the bottom trawl fishery on sea turtles in the region. Therefore, the fishery s contribution to sea turtle mortality is unknown. Using the unknown bycatch matrix, fishing mortality is evaluated low concern. Factor Discard Rate Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 40-60% The majority of octopus sourced from the Saharan Bank and Ras Nouadhibou areas is caught by means of bottom trawling. The discard rate (weighted discard rate) in the Moroccan O. vulgaris fishery is estimated at 45% (Kelleher 2005). The O. vulgaris trawl fishery in Mauritania has 60% bycatch, primarily comprising juveniles of other species (Pechecops & CFFA 2006). Bycatch in the Mauritanian trawl fishery is around 60%. Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom 40-60% The industrial cephalopod fishery in Morocco is associated with higher rates of discarding (Belhabib et al. 2013). The discard rate in the Moroccan O. vulgaris fishery was estimated at 45% by Kelleher (2005). Balguerias (1997) estimated that, in the 1970s, 66% of the industrial cephalopod fleet catches were discarded and, in the 1980s, discards represented 46% of the retained catch. Haddad (1994) estimated that 30% of the catch was discarded in the 1990s, and Rojo-Diaz and Pitcher (2005) estimated that 45% was discarded in the 2000s.

88 88 VELVET SWIMCRAB Factor Inherent Vulnerability Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.1 above) Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trap Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trap Low The velvet swimcrab has a wide distribution in northwest Europe. It is a fast moving and aggressive species, most commonly found on rocky substrates to depths of about 25 m. Females grow slower and to a smaller maximum size than males, likely because of reduced growth during the female s egg bearing phase. Growth is highly seasonal, and males and females molt at different times of the year: the main molt for males is between April and July, whereas females molt between May and August. Velvet swimcrabs typically live for 4 to 6 years and recruit to the fishery at around age 3 (65 mm carapace width (CW)). They reach maturity at a carapace width of approximately 40 mm (approximately 1.5 years), although size at maturity varies according to location. This variation may be due to differences in water temperature or other factors such as population density, genetic makeup, and fishing pressure. Mating occurs after females have molted, when the shell is still soft. Studies carried out in Orkney and Shetland provide fecundity estimates of between 5,000 and 278,000 eggs per female. In contrast to brown crabs, there is no evidence that velvet swimcrabs undertake extensive migrations. Their movements are thought to be restricted to a few hundred meters (Marine Scotland website 2014). Inherent vulnerability was calculated using the Seafood Watch guidelines for invertebrates. Due to its high fecundity, low age at maturity, relatively short lifespan, and rapid growth rate, velvet swimcrab is considered a naturally resilient organism, and inherent vulnerability results as low. Factor Abundance Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.2 above) Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trap Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trap Low The velvet swimcrab lives from southern Norway to Western Sahara in the North Sea and north Atlantic, as well as western parts of the Mediterranean Sea, on rocky bottoms from the shoreline to a depth of

89 89 about 65 m (Holthuis, L.B. 1987). It is an abundant species in the subtidal rocky zones of the northeast Atlantic (Gonzalez-Gurriaran, E. 1985), where it may be one of the dominant epibenthic predators regulating the abundance and distribution of the prey populations (Kitching et al. 1959) (Muntz et al. 1965) (Freire, J. & Gonzalez-Gurriaran, E. 1995). In some European areas, such as Scotland, velvet swimcrabs were once considered a pest species (Marine Scotland 2011). There is not a quantitative stock assessment for this species, but velvet swimcrab is an abundant species that is considered a pest in some European areas. Abundance is therefore considered low concern. Factor Fishing Mortality Scoring Guidelines (same as Factor 1.3 above) Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trap Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trap Low Velvet swimcrab is caught in the area by a trap specifically designed for this species, and this trap differs from the typical octopus trap. The velvet swimcrab fishery is principally undertaken in summer, when octopus catches decrease, and it is performed in shallower waters than the octopus fishery (<25m) (Xunta de Galicia 2006). Velvet swimcrabs represent less than 5% of the total catch (in weight) in the octopus trap fishery (see Figure 17 in section ) (Xunta de Galicia 2006). The fishery does not adversely affect species, but contribution to mortality may not be negligible. Therefore fishing mortality is assessed low concern. Factor Discard Rate Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trap Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trap < 20% Discarding in artisanal fisheries is not particularly well documented, though gear types such as traps, pots, and other small-scale gear are generally thought to have low discard rates (<15%). Traps are highly selective, targeting common octopus, spiny lobster, and some bony fishes. Undersize or non-commercial catches can usually be released alive, so catches such as berried lobsters can be returned to the sea (European Commission 2011).

90 90 Normally, traps are baited with small pieces of oily fish such as sardines or mackerels (Xunta de Galicia 2006). The trap fishery is thought to have low discard rates. The amount of bait used, although unknown, is significant. However, artificial baits are being introduced. Therefore, the discard rate in this fishery is assessed as lower than 20%. Rationale: A comprehensive survey to describe the octopus trap fishery in the Northwest of Spain was undertaken in The results show that the target species, common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) is the most abundant species, representing 86.7% of weight of the total catch, while the remaining 13.3% is distributed among 85 species. Crustaceans represent 5.8% by weight, with the velvet swimcrab (Necora puber) the most abundant species. Fish species accounted for 16.3% by number and 6.3% by weight. Wrasses, blennids, and gadoids are the most represented species (Xunta de Galicia 2006). In this survey, the bait used in the fishery was also recorded. Five species are normally used as bait: mackerel (38%), sardine (23%), horse mackerel (14%), bogue (4%), and blue whiting (1%), plus other cupleids (4%) and other mixed species (13%) (Xunta de Galicia 2006). A new artificial bait is being introduced in the Galician trap fishery (North of Spain). This bait, known locally as membrillo, is more expensive than the natural bait used in the area. However, advantages lie in its storability, durability, and light weight, making it a good substitute for natural bait.

91 91 Criterion 3: Management effectiveness Management is separated into management of retained species (harvest strategy) and management of non-retained species (bycatch strategy). The final score for this criterion is the geometric mean of the two scores. The Criterion 3 rating is determined as follows: Score >3.2=Green or Low Score >2.2 and <=3.2=Yellow or Moderate Score <=2.2 or either the Harvest Strategy (Factor 3.1) or Bycatch Management Strategy (Factor 3.2) is Very High = Red or High Rating is Critical if either or both of Harvest Strategy (Factor 3.1) and Bycatch Management Strategy (Factor 3.2) ratings are Critical. Criterion 3 Summary Region / Method Management of Retained Species Management of Non-Retained Species Overall Recommendation Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic Red(1.000) Trawl, Bottom Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic Red(1.414) Trawl, Bottom Portugal Northeast Atlantic All Species Red(2.000) Pot Retained Portugal Northeast Atlantic Red(2.000) Trap Portugal Northeast Atlantic Red(1.414) Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic All Species Red(2.000) Pot Retained Spain Northeast Atlantic Red(2.000) Trap Spain Northeast Atlantic Trawl, Bottom Red(1.414) Factor 3.1: Harvest Strategy Seven subfactors are evaluated: Management Strategy, Recovery of Species of, Scientific Research/Monitoring, Following of Scientific Advice, Enforcement of Regulations, Management Track Record, and Inclusion of Stakeholders. Each is rated as ineffective, moderately effective, or highly effective.

92 92 5 (Very Low ) Rated as highly effective for all seven subfactors considered. 4 (Low ) Management Strategy and Recovery of Species of rated highly effective and all other subfactors rated at least moderately effective. 3 (Moderate ) All subfactors rated at least moderately effective. 2 (High ) At minimum, meets standards for moderately effective for Management Strategy and Recovery of Species of, but at least one other subfactor rated ineffective. 1 (Very High ) Management exists, but Management Strategy and/or Recovery of Species of rated ineffective. 0 (Critical) No management exists when there is a clear need for management (i.e., fishery catches threatened, endangered, or high concern species), OR there is a high level of Illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing occurring. Factor 3.1 Summary Factor 3.1: Management of fishing impacts on retained species Region / Method Strategy Recovery Research Advice Enforce Track Inclusion Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic Ineffective Ineffective Moderately Ineffective Ineffective Ineffective Ineffective Effective Trawl, Bottom Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic Trawl, Bottom Portugal Northeast Atlantic Pot Portugal Northeast Atlantic Trap Portugal Northeast Atlantic Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic Pot Spain Northeast Atlantic Trap Spain Northeast Atlantic Trawl, Bottom Ineffective Ineffective Moderately Effective Moderately N/A Effective Moderately N/A Effective Moderately Effective Moderately N/A Effective Moderately N/A Effective Moderately Effective Moderately Effective Moderately Effective Ineffective Moderately Effective Moderately Effective Moderately Effective Ineffective Moderately Effective Moderately Effective Moderately Effective Moderately Effective Moderately Effective Moderately Effective Moderately Effective Moderately Effective Ineffective Ineffective Moderately Effective Ineffective Moderately Moderately Effective Effective Ineffective Moderately Moderately Effective Effective Ineffective Moderately Moderately Effective Effective Ineffective Moderately Moderately Effective Effective Ineffective Moderately Moderately Effective Effective Ineffective Moderately Moderately Effective Effective

93 93 Subfactor Management Strategy and Implementation Considerations: What type of management measures are in place? Are there appropriate management goals, and is there evidence that management goals are being met? To achieve a highly effective rating, there must be appropriate management goals, and evidence that the measures in place have been successful at maintaining/rebuilding species. Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Ineffective Mauritania is not a traditional fishing nation and its government has, for many years, granted licenses to foreign fishing companies as an important source of income for this state. So far, licenses were granted solely on the basis of vessel size (tonnage) a very imprecise measure for targeted management of fish stocks. In 1998, the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy (MPEM) established measures to reduce fishing effort. Although the number of active vessels was reduced, fishing effort was not. In 2006, Mauritania, with support from various nations and development projects, decided to establish a fisheries management system and adopted its first management plan, which focused on octopus fisheries. In 2012, a comprehensive new fisheries protocol entered into force on a provisional basis. Among other measures, the protocol set precise quotas for each species and defined the number of ships and maximum catch per species. License fees were also increased. In order to monitor compliance with the various quotas, catches of demersal fish must be landed in Mauritania s only fishing port, Nouadhibou. Illegal or pirate fishing has decreased because of the increase in the level of monitoring, control, and surveillance (Agnew et al. 2010). In 2013, Mauritania signed a protocol with the EU. Some measures included in this protocol were: European octopus fishermen are no longer permitted to fish for octopus because the stocks are overexploited; the fishing ban area for pelagic fish has been extended from 12 to 20 nautical miles; 2% of the catches of pelagic fish must be handed over to the government, which intends to distribute these fish to the poor at low cost or free of charge; and 60% of crew members working on international vessels operating in the exclusive economic zone must come from Mauritania (worldoceanreview 2014). Other technical measures in place for this fishery are: minimum landing size (500 g gutted), fishing bans in spring and autumn, mesh size regulations, and bycatch restrictions. Spatio-temporal closures were also recommended by the EU-Mauritania scientific committee in its most recent meeting (2013) (CSC 2013). Although the new management regime has not been in place long enough to fully assess its impact, the reduction of fishing effort over the last few years has improved the condition of the octopus stock (CSC 2013). However, some other stocks are being overexploited. Therefore, management strategy is assessed ineffective.

94 94 Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Ineffective Due to the overexploitation of the octopus stock and the departure of the EU cephalopod fleet in 1999, a management plan for the octopus fishery was established in In this management plan, an annual TAC for the octopus fishery was set, and area and time restrictions as well as fishing gear regulations were introduced (Faraj 2009). In 2004, this plan was revised and new measures introduced. The first objective was to adjust the TAC with the introduction of a seasonal quota, determined before each fishing season based on results of the stock abundance survey carried out yearly by the INRH (National Fisheries Research Institute from Morocco). That seasonal quota was distributed among the segments according to the following key: 63% for industrial trawlers, 26% for artisanal fishing, and 11% for coastal fishing. A restructuring fund was also created to reduce the number of artisanal and coastal vessels, limiting their number to 3,000 artisanal boats and 100 coastal trawlers; and area restrictions were also extended. These and other measures introduced in this plan are still in place: the use of an individual transferable quota for the industrial fleet; and the distribution of the TAC for the artisanal fleet among fishing areas, taking into account the number of boats and the extension of the annual fishing ban if the recruitment or the reproduction are not sufficiently progressed (Faraj 2009). Despite the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture s efforts to protect the octopus population, the stock remains overfished (FAO/CECAF 2012). Therefore, the management strategy section scores ineffective. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Pot Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trap Moderately Effective There are several problems associated with assessing stock size and biomass of cephalopod populations, including their short lifespan (usually up to only 2 years), variable growth rates, and a weak relationship between stock size and juvenile recruitment (ICES 2012). Therefore, neither TACs nor target reference points have been set for this fishery in European waters; rather, management centers on effort restrictions. The octopus trap and pot fishery is regulated in Portuguese waters by the Portaria D/2000. The current legislation defines the number of licenses in operation, minimum mesh size depending on gear, maximum number of traps (effort limitation) for artisanal catches, and the minimum landing weight (750 g) (ICES 2013). Octopus landings in Portuguese waters have been recorded nationally since 1927 and by region and port since 1970s. Biological data collection started in the 1990s (ICES 2013).

95 95 The recent increase in the commercial importance of cephalopods has meant that, although the stocks are not presently subject to quota management, a viable method of assessment would be needed if cephalopods were included under the Common Fisheries Policy quota system (Pierce, G.J., Robin, J-P Portela, J.M. 1996). The need for management is also supported by the relatively high importance of cephalopod fisheries in some areas. In the report of the Workshop on the Necessity for Crangon and Cephalopod Management (WKCCM), ICES recommends that, in the event of a lack of sound scientific information for moving into management right away, there is still a need to monitor cephalopods by means of assessment. Monitoring would allow formulating measures and having them readily available in the event that populations reach unexpected low levels that jeopardize sustainability. The first measures could be those that assure the protection of spawning grounds and recruits and, for some populations, to restrict and avoid increase of effort. Interactions between fleets are a point to be taken into account when managing populations exploited by mixed fisheries (ICES 2013).\ According to (ICES 2005), Portugal does not collect information on discards for most commercial stocks as part of its fisheries stock assessment programs along the western European coast (Pramod et al. 2008). In the artisanal fishery in the north of Portugal, it was estimated that around 40% of O. vulgaris went unregistered (CIIMAR 2011). Although the EU is working to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, the national management strategy doesn t effectively address this problem. Therefore, this section is considered moderately effective. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderately Effective The octopus trawl fishery in Portugal is governed by three regulations: Portaria 1102-E/2000, which regulates fishing with trawl; Portaria 1423-B/2003, which changes the Portaria 1102-E/2000 to introduce the licensing for the mesh sizes of 55 mm and 70 mm in the crustacean trawl fishery; and Portaria 27/2001 (updated by Portaria 402/2002), which establishes the minimum landing size for most of the fish, crustacean, and mollusk species caught in Portuguese waters. Some closed areas/seasons for trawling have been established. Neither TACs nor reference points have been set for cephalopod fisheries in European waters, and management measures in the area are centered on effort restrictions (IBERMIX project 2004). There are several problems associated with assessing stock size and biomass of cephalopod populations, including their short lifespan (usually up to only 2 years), variable growth rates, and a weak relationship between stock size and juvenile recruitment (ICES 2013). However, the recent increase in the commercial importance of cephalopods has meant that, although the stocks are not presently subject to quota management, a viable method of assessment would be needed if cephalopods were included under the Common Fisheries Policy quota system (Pierce, G.J., Robin, J-P & Portela, J.M. 1996). The

96 96 need for management is also supported by the relatively high importance of cephalopod fisheries in some areas. In the report of the Workshop on the Necessity for Crangon and Cephalopod Management (WKCCM), ICES recommends that, in the event of a lack of sound scientific information for moving into management right away, there is still a need to monitor cephalopods by means of assessment. Monitoring would allow formulating measures and having them readily available in the event that populations reach unexpected low levels that jeopardize sustainability. The first measures could be those that assure the protection of spawning grounds and recruits and, for some populations, to restrict and avoid increase of effort. Interactions between fleets are to be taken into account when managing populations exploited by mixed fisheries (ICES 2013). Portugal has one of the highest discard rates among European countries (Pramod et al. 2008). According to (ICES 2005), Portugal does not collect information on discards for most commercial stocks as part of its fisheries stock assessment programs along the western European coast (Pramod et al. 2008). However, the principal aims of fisheries management under the new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) are to ensure high long-term fishing yields for all stocks and to reduce unwanted catches and wasteful practices to the minimum through the gradual introduction of a landing obligation. Some efforts are being undertaken by the EU to ensure high long-term yields for all stocks in European waters. Therefore, this section is considered moderately effective. Spain Northeast Atlantic, Pot Moderately Effective The octopus pot fishery is regulated by the decree 1428/1997 in the Gulf of Cádiz (Xa-South). Fishing effort is regulated by limiting the number of pots permitted per vessel (1,000). The use of cheaper pots made of plastic or PVC was also banned in the Order AAA/627/2013. The use of pots in northern Spain is not allowed. Management strategies are aimed at controlling minimum landing size (1 kg) and reducing fishing effort via technical measures, such as the number of pots per vessel, fishing days, and daily vessel quota. Two annual temporary fishing bans have been also set: one in May to protect spawners and the other between September and November to protect recruitment. The recent increase in the commercial importance of cephalopods has meant that, although the stocks are not presently subject to quota management, a viable method of assessment would be needed if cephalopods were included under the Common Fisheries Policy quota system (Pierce, G.J., Robin, J-P & Portela, J.M. 1996). The need for management is also supported by the relatively high importance of cephalopod fisheries in some areas. In the report of the Workshop on the Necessity for Crangon and Cephalopod Management (WKCCM), ICES recommends that, in the event of lack of sound scientific information for moving into management right away, there is still a need to monitor cephalopods by means of assessment. Monitoring would allow formulating measures and having them readily available in the event that populations reach unexpected low levels that jeopardize sustainability. The first measures could be those that assure the protection of spawning grounds and recruits and, for some populations, to restrict and avoid increase of effort. Interactions between fleets are to be taken into

97 97 account when managing populations exploited by mixed fisheries (ICES 2013). Some effective management is in place, but there is a need for increasing the number of management measures (e.g., set a TAC for octopus). Therefore, this section is considered moderately effective. Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trap Moderately Effective Between 2006 and 2009, an octopus recovery plan in Northern Spain was developed. Since 2010, periodic management plans have been approved. Current management strategies are aimed at controlling minimum landing size (1 kg) and reducing fishing effort via measures such as limiting the number of traps by vessel, fishing days, and daily vessel quotas. The current management plan also includes a program to monitor fleet activity through monitoring onboard fishing vessels and periodic controls in fish markets (Gepeto project 2014). Major problems with the implementation of the management plan are the control and monitoring of catch quotas and minimum landing size; and compliance with area and time restrictions (Gepeto project 2014) (DOG 2013). The problems arising from the implementation of these technical measures have been reviewed in recent years. In the Gepeto project (Fisheries Management & Transnational Objectives), funded by the European Union, the octopus management plan was evaluated and it was concluded that there should be some clear long-term objectives and there should be continuous monitoring to allow reviews and follow-up indicators in order to correct any errors, with the measures agreed to by authorities and the fishing sector (Gepeto project 2014). Transparency and participation are being enhanced by the new EU fisheries policies. However, fisherman involvement in fishery resource management is low. The octopus management plan in Galician waters (North of Spain) involved consultation with District Fishermen s associations from Coruna, Lugo, and Pontevedra (DOG 2013). However, when the management plan was approved by the authorities, 65% of the fishermen rejected the plan due to disagreements with the management measures implemented (El Pais 2013). Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is also a concern in the Spanish octopus fishery due to the level of unreported landings (Pierce, G.J., Robin, J-P & Portela, J.M. 1996). Although the EU is working to combat IUU fishing, the national management strategy does not effectively address this problem. Although a management plan is in place for the octopus fishery, management strategy/implementation cannot be considered more than moderately effective due to the problems arising from the implementation of the management measures.

98 98 Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderately Effective Two different regulations apply to fishing activities in Spanish waters: Central Administration regulations in external waters (CA) and the Regional Administration regulation in internal waters (RA) (ICES 2013). Bottom-trawl activity is only regulated by the Central Administration, which in 1993 established a Royal Decree 632/1993 that contained regulations to control vessel characteristics, limit fishing to areas outside 6 mi of coastline, and limit weekly fishing effort (ICES 2013) (STECF 2008). Since 2004, consecutive Fishing Plans have been established in the Gulf of Cádiz with the aim to reduce the fishing effort of the bottom-trawl fleet (order APA/3423/2004, APA/2858/2005, APA/2883/2006, APA/2801/2007, ARM/2515/2009, ARM/58/2010, ARM/2457/2010). The main aspect of these fishing plans was the closed fishing season implemented in autumn, with a gradual increase in the number of days (45, 60, and 90 days per year). Currently, the closed season lasts for 45 days in autumn when the recruitment peak is believed to occur in these fishing grounds. This measure is aimed to reduce the illegal landing of immature specimens, protecting small octopus until minimum legal weight is reached in these 2 months (ICES 2013), (STECF 2008). TACs are also set for some bycatch species in the trawl fishery (e.g., horse mackerel, European hake). Moreover, the new CFP does away with the wasteful practice of discarding by introducing a landing obligation. To allow fishermen to adapt to the change, the landing obligation will be introduced gradually between 2015 and 2019 for all commercial fisheries (species under TACs, or under minimum sizes) in European waters (European Commission 2014). However, as shown in (Pierce et al. 1996) (Coll et al. 2014) and (Otero et al. 2005), IUU fishing is a common practice in Spanish waters. Although monitoring and enforcement is widely promoted by the EU legislation, IUU fishing is not effectively prosecuted by the Spanish authorities. Therefore, management strategy/implementation is considered moderately effective. Subfactor Recovery of Species of Considerations: When needed, are recovery strategies/management measures in place to rebuild overfished/threatened/ endangered species or to limit fishery s impact on these species and what is their likelihood of success? To achieve a rating of Highly Effective, rebuilding strategies that have a high likelihood of success in an appropriate timeframe must be in place when needed, as well as measures to minimize mortality for any overfished/threatened/endangered species.

99 99 Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Ineffective Most of the species analysed by the FAO/CECAF Working Group on the Assessment of Demersal Resources Subgroup North show a decline in recent years. Among the stocks assessed, those of white grouper (Epinephelus aeneus) in Mauritania, Gambia, and Senegal are still in a serious state of overexploitation. Twelve other stocks were assessed as overexploited, including white hake (Merluccius merluccius) in Morocco; red pandora (Pagellus acarne) in Morocco; blue spotted seabream (Pagrus caeruleostictus) in Mauritania and Senegal; deep-water rose shrimp (Parapenaeus longirostris) in Morocco; southern pink shrimp (Penaeus notialis) in Mauritania and Senegal-Gambia; octopus (Octopus vulgaris) in Dakhla, Cap Blanc, and Senegal-Gambia; and cuttlefish (Sepia spp.) in Dakhla, Cap Blanc, and Senegal-Gambia (FAO/CECAF 2012). The recovery of stock concerns for both Mauritania and Morocco is ranked ineffective because of the lack of recovery of overexploited species retained in the fishery. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Pot N/A The vase-like pots used to catch octopus are passive capture gears without any net or other devices to retain the species caught. The Common Octopus (O.vulgaris) in this area is not a stock of concern and there are not other species caught in the fishery. Therefore this section is not applicable. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trap N/A Traps are very selective gears. Very few species can be found caught jointly with Octopus. Bycatches of moray eels, conger and crustaceans occurs but they are not stocks of concern. Therefore this section is not applicable. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Ineffective Common octopus is caught on the Iberian Coast (Spain and Portugal) by commercial trawlers fishing on

100 100 the continental shelf in a multispecies fishery that includes the catch of other cephalopod species (cuttlefish, European squid) and demersal fish (European hake, horse mackerel, skates and rays, etc.). Following the Seafood Watch criteria, European hake, some species of skates and rays, and demersal sharks caught in the octopus fishery are stocks of concern because they are overfished, depleted, or endangered. For European hake, the EU agreed on a recovery plan in The aim is to rebuild the stock to safe biological limits in 2016, reducing fishing mortality. Although fishing mortality has decreased in recent years, it was above the F MSY proxy in 2012 (ICES 2013a). There are no reference points set for skates and rays. These fisheries are currently managed under a common TAC, although this complex comprises species that have different vulnerabilities to exploitation. Therefore, TACs alone cannot adequately manage these stocks, and ICES recommends new management measures to protect these species (STECF 2013). For demersal sharks, ICES recognizes that there is not reliable data for this species and no management measures are currently in place for some species classified as globally Vulnerable (STECF 2013). Management for these species lacks an adequate rebuilding or recovery strategy and there are not effective practices designed to limit mortality of these species. Therefore, recovery of stocks of concern is considered ineffective. Spain Northeast Atlantic, Pot N/A The vase-like pots used to catch octopus are passive capture gears without any net or other devices to retain the species caught. The common octopus (O. vulgaris) in this area is not a stock of concern and there are not other species caught in the fishery. Therefore this section is not applicable. Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trap N/A Traps are very selective gears. Few species can be found caught jointly with octopus. Bycatches of moray eels, conger, and crustaceans occur but these are not stocks of concern. Therefore this section is not applicable.

101 101 Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Ineffective Common octopus is caught in the Iberian Coast (Spain and Portugal) by commercial trawlers fishing on the continental shelf in a multispecies fishery that includes the catch of other cephalopod species (cuttlefish, European squid) and demersal fish (European hake, horse mackerel, skates and rays, etc.). Following the Seafood Watch criteria, European hake, some species of skates and rays, and demersal sharks caught in the octopus fishery are stocks of concern because they are overfished, depleted, or endangered. For European hake, the EU agreed on a recovery plan in The aim is to rebuild the stock to safe biological limits in 2016, reducing fishing mortality. Although fishing mortality has decreased in recent years, it was above the F MSY proxy in 2012 (ICES 2013a). There are no reference points set for skates and rays. These fisheries are currently managed under a common TAC, although this complex comprises species that have different vulnerabilities to exploitation. Therefore, TACs alone cannot adequately manage these stocks, and ICES recommends new management measures to protect these species (STECF 2013). For demersal sharks, ICES recognizes that there is not reliable data for this species and no management measures are currently in place for some species classified as globally Vulnerable (STECF 2013). Management for these species lacks an adequate rebuilding or recovery strategy and there are not effective practices designed to limit mortality of these species. Therefore, recovery of stocks of concern is considered ineffective. Subfactor Scientific Research and Monitoring Considerations: How much and what types of data are collected to evaluate the health of the population and the fishery s impact on the species? To achieve a Highly Effective rating, population assessments must be conducted regularly and they must be robust enough to reliably determine the population status. Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderately Effective The FAO/CECAF Working Group on the Assessment of Demersal Resources was created during the 15th session of the Fishery Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic (CECAF) in 2000 (FAO/CECAF 2012). It is split in two subgroups: North and South. The overall objective of the Group is to contribute to the

102 102 improved management of demersal resources in Northwest Africa through assessment of the state of the stocks and the fisheries, to ensure the best sustainable use of the resources for the benefit of the coastal countries. The FAO/CECAF Working Group regularly assesses commercial stocks within its area of competence and makes recommendations for the management of the stocks assessed, but also recommends research topics for next meetings (FAO/CECAF 2012). The IMROP (Institut mauritanien des recherches océanographiques et des pêches) is the research institution involved in the sustainable development and rational exploitation of fish resources in Mauritanian waters. This institution aims to develop an integrated management approach to fisheries, balancing ecological, economic, and social indicators. Mauritania does not carry out catch and effort sampling in its ports but, since 1990, it has been obligatory for vessel captains to keep a logbook of information on effort deployed by their vessels as well as the quantities of catch in the Mauritanian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The data collected by this system are stored in a database managed by the Mauritanian maritime surveillance organization and sent to IMROP for its use. This data is used for both the FAO/CECAF Working Group and the IMROP for the stock assessments (FAO/CECAF 2012). In the sixth meeting of the Scientific Committee Mauritania-EU held in 2013, the committee made several recommendations to improve the knowledge about the octopus stock in Mauritania: it was necessary to improve the reliability of the data (including estimates as well as possible misreporting), to develop alternative or supplementary assessment methods (including age-structured models), to include spatial approaches in the assessment, and to take into account the impact on the environment (ecosystem approaches) (CSC 2013). Some data related to stock abundance and health are collected, but data may be insufficient to maintain the stock. Therefore the scientific research is considered moderately effective. Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderately Effective In Morocco, the Scientific Institute of Marine Fisheries (ISPM) was created in There is a network of five regional centers and seven stations in major harbors throughout Morocco. In 1996, the institute became known as the Institut National de Recherche Halieutique (INRH). Research is based around the following topics: understanding of upwelling systems and identification of main production areas; environment and fisheries resources relationship studies; assessment of the fishery resources; assessment of the biological and socio-economical impact on fisheries and on the marine environment; and sea mapping of the fishing areas. Annual scientific surveys are undertaken to assess the state of the octopus stock (EDMED 2014). The management of the fishery is based on the results of these surveys.

103 103 The Fishery Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic (CECAF) was created by the FAO to promote the sustainable utilization of the living marine resources within its area of competence in the west coast of Africa. Functions and responsibilities of the committee include: to keep under review the state of the resources within its area of competence and the state of the industries based on them; to promote, encourage, and coordinate research in the area related to its living resources, to draw up programs for this purpose, and to organize such research as necessary; to promote the collection, interchange, dissemination, and analysis or study of statistical, biological, environmental, and socio-economic data as well as other marine fishery information; and to establish the scientific basis for regulatory measures leading to the conservation and management of marine fishery resources. The FAO/CECAF Working Group regularly assesses commercial stocks in the area. Although assessments of the octopus stock are regularly undertaken, some aspects of the octopus biology in the area remained unknown until very recently (Faraj 2009). Therefore, the research and monitoring is considered moderately effective. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Pot Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trap Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Pot Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trap Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderately Effective Strong efforts have been made in recent years by the members of the ICES Working Group on Cephalopod Fisheries and Life History (WGCEPH) to assess cephalopod fisheries in ICES areas. In the most recent WGCEPH meeting in Lisbon in June 2014, an assessment of O. vulgaris in the Gulf of Cádiz was presented but it has not yet been published (Ignacio Sobrino, pers. comm.). In Portugal, the IPMA (formerly IPIMAR) is responsible for discard sampling from ICES Division IXa under the Data Collection Framework. Biological data collection started in the 1990s and has allowed the identification of fishing gears, fishing effort, and cephalopod discards in the Portuguese cephalopod fishery (ICES 2012). In Spain, the IEO (Spanish Oceanographic Institute) is responsible for monitoring discards monthly, by sea area and gear, of the entire Spanish fleet except the Basque fleet, which is covered by AZTI-Tecnalia.

104 104 Since 2002, under the National Sampling program of the Data Collection framework, the discard sampling program has been conducted in different métiers (homogeneous subdivisions, either of a fishery by vessel type or of a fleet by voyage type) for all species covered by the Regulation, including cephalopod species. At present, the information has been compiled and processed (ICES 2012). However, knowledge of main population features in cephalopods is still scarce. The principal problem in assessing octopus stocks in European waters is obtaining accurate information on octopus catches. Some octopus are sometimes pooled together, artisanal fishing is not reported, and species identification can be unreliable (Pierce et al. 1996). Some data related to stock abundance and health are collected. However, some octopus population features are still unknown. More research in this area is necessary. Therefore, scientific research is considered moderately effective. Subfactor Management Record of Following Scientific Advice Considerations: How often (always, sometimes, rarely) do managers of the fishery follow scientific recommendations/advice (e.g. do they set catch limits at recommended levels)? A Highly Effective rating is given if managers nearly always follow scientific advice. Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Ineffective Management recommendations for each stock in CECAF waters are given by the FAO/CECAF Working Group on the Assessment of Demersal Resources Subgroup North (for Mauritanian waters). In the report of the sixth session of the scientific sub-committee, the group highlighted the necessity of making managers and politicians aware of the sharp decline of demersal stocks in their countries so they can apply the Working Group s recommendations. In the Working Group meeting held in 2006, they pointed out that many of their recommendations were not taken in consideration by the authorities and most of the stocks were still overexploited (FAO/CECAF 2012). A new fisheries partnership agreement was signed by Mauritania and the EU in This new protocol establishes new restrictions for European vessels working in the area. However, it is currently being boycotted by most owners of the foreign fishing fleets on the grounds that it is too stringent. As a result of the boycott, virtually no new licenses have been purchased and many international fishing companies have withdrawn their vessels from Mauritanian waters (worldoceanreview 2014). This highlights a wider problem in Mauritania: good management regimes are often implemented half-heartedly by the government, or circumvented by means of exemptions. If in doubt, the government invariably opts to make a quick profit instead of protecting fish stocks (worldoceanreview 2014).

105 105 Management has a track record of regularly not complying with scientific advice. Scientific advice is therefore considered ineffective. Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderately Effective The FAO/CECAF Working Group on the Assessment of Demersal Resources Subgroup North provides management recommendations for each stock in CECAF waters. In Morocco, the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture determines the octopus seasonal quota based on the results of the stock abundance trawl survey undertaken by the National Institute of Fisheries Research (INRH) before each season (Faraj 2009). However, in the report of the sixth session of the scientific sub-committee, the group highlighted the necessity of making managers and politicians aware of the sharp decline of demersal stocks in their countries, so they can apply the recommendations made by the Working Group (CSC 2013). It is surmised that there is not fluent communication between researchers and managers in these fisheries. So this section is assessed as moderately effective. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Pot Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trap Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Pot Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trap Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderately Effective Using the best available scientific advice to define management measures is one of the Common Fisheries Policy s (CFP) principles of good policy making. Such measures include setting fishing opportunities and monitoring their efficiency in delivering policy objectives and targets. Several scientific advisory bodies work in European waters. The Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) was set up in 1993 to advise the Commission on Fisheries Management. It is not a permanent body but a pool of experts who contribute to its work, either temporarily as members or on demand as experts in working groups. The STECF reports directly to the European Commission. The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) is an intergovernmental body founded in 1902 to conduct and coordinate research into the marine ecosystems of the North Atlantic. The ICES provides advice to numerous governments and regional fisheries management organizations, including the EU. It publishes Popular Advice by fish species and region on its website; the Commission s Joint Research

106 106 Centre complements the advisory bodies work by supporting the coordination and management of the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries and the implementation of the data collection regulations. It also conducts studies on fisheries management issues relevant to the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy. So far, the majority of the cephalopod species are managed only by some technical measures, with little regard to environmental impact and sustainability of the fisheries. Possible impacts on the ecosystem and the stocks have been considered only from a scientific point of view. Although regional management initiatives exist in some cases, and some management measures (e.g., MLS or temporary fishing bans) have been introduced following scientific advice (Ignacio Sobrino, pers. comm.), the fisheries targeting cephalopods in European waters are generally unregulated in TAC and effort. Moreover, for regulated cephalopod fisheries (including common octopus), regulations appeared to be based not on real stock status knowledge but more on administrative reasons that aimed to avoid conflict between spatial occupation of gear types exploiting these species (Mora et al. 2014). Although several bodies advise the European Commission about fisheries management, there is not yet a reliable assessment for this species, and the available scientific information cannot be embodied in proper management measures. Cephalopod stocks are not presently subject to quota management, and a viable method of assessment for these species is necessary. Therefore, scientific advice for the octopus fishery is considered only moderately effective. Subfactor Enforcement of Management Regulations Considerations: Do fishermen comply with regulations, and how is this monitored? To achieve a Highly Effective rating, there must be regular enforcement of regulations and verification of compliance. Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Ineffective In Mauritania, the industrial fishery statistics come from catch and effort data declared by the vessel captains and extracted from the daily fishing logbooks. These data cover all vessels active in the waters of the country. Landing data are currently being collected. Other data are also available from 1975 in the database of the Canary Island laboratory of the IEO on fishing activity of Spanish vessels in Mauritania and Senegal. It should be noted that the port of Las Palmas was where nearly all foreign vessels landed their catch (FAO/CECAF 2012). A monitoring system is in place, but domestic catches were reconstructed to be three times as high as official landings data reported by Mauritania to the FAO (Belhabib et al. 2013). Several hundred thousand tons officially caught by foreign vessels operating as Mauritanian chartered vessels have not

107 107 been reported to the global community via FAO statistics (Gascuel et al. 2007). Illegal catches also affect marine protected areas, such as the Banc d Arguin National Park. Compliance is known to be poor. Therefore, enforcement is considered ineffective. Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Ineffective Fisheries catches in the Moroccan Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) were reconstructed by (Belhabib et al. 2013), including commercial small-scale, commercial large-scale, illegal and unregulated fisheries, noncommercial recreational and subsistence fisheries, and foreign catches. Estimated domestic catches suggest that, in the data supplied by the Moroccan authoritites to FAO, over 41.5% of catches are unreported (Belhabib et al. 2013). Illegal cephalopod fishing is one of the main illegal domestic fishing activities, and it is mainly practiced along the Saharan coastline. (Barreira et al. 1998) reported approximately 12,000 pateras, and the majority are operating illegally (over the quota announced by the government). According to (Belhabib et al. 2013), the number of pateras working illegally remained stable in This illustrates that the Moroccan government needs to improve its fisheries monitoring system to include small-scale fishing and unregulated fishing, and it questions the impacts of the fishing access agreements signed by Morocco on the local economy and fisheries sustainability (Belhabib et al. 2013). Therefore, enforcement of the trawl fishery is considered ineffective. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Pot Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trap Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Ineffective There is a control system to enforce EU common fishery policy rules. It is designed to ensure that only the allowed quantities of fish are caught; to collect the necessary data for managing fishing opportunities; to ensure that rules are applied to all fishers in the same way, with harmonized sanctions across the EU; and to ensure that fisheries products can be traced and checked throughout the supply chain. The system is delineated in the Control Regulation that entered into force on 1 January 2010 and thoroughly modernized the EU s approach to fisheries control. In particular, it brought the system into line with the strong measures that the EU adopted in 2008 to combat illegal fishing (European Commission 2014). In Portugal, efforts to conserve the biodiversity of coastal marine ecosystems are constrained by political uncertainty and bureaucracy. A marked underreporting of total catches has been observed,

108 108 suggesting inadequate monitoring and data recording mechanisms in the country. Unreported catches are dominated by discards a wasteful practice that was addressed by the revised CFP (Leitao et al. 2014). The majority of the octopus catches come from artisanal fleets. There is a substantial overcapacity deployed. The existence of black-market landings of underweight octopus (recruits) is well known. In recent years, there has been a decreasing average of total weight of landings of legal-sized octopus (ICES 2013). For the pot and trap fishery, the current legislation defines the number of licenses in operation, the minimum landing weight, and the maximum number of traps and pots by vessel (effort limitation) for artisanal fleets but, in many cases, this maximum number of traps by vessel is not respected (CIIMAR 2011). Trawl fisheries accounted for the largest part of unreported catches, with 54%, while accounting for 21% of total reported landings. Finfish accounted for 94% (115,000 MT/yr of unreported catches, followed by cephalopods (2,400 MT/yr) and crustaceans (1,800 MT/yr) (Leitao et al. 2014). Enforcement and monitoring are believed to be inadequate and compliance is known to be poor. Enforce is therefore assessed "ineffective. Spain Northeast Atlantic, Pot Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trap Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Ineffective In Spain, fishing control responsibilities are shared between the General Administration, which has exclusive jurisdiction over sea fishing in offshore waters, and the Autonomous Communities, with exclusive jurisdiction over inland fisheries, aquaculture, and shellfish fisheries. Although many stakeholders are involved in fisheries monitoring and management, evidence of substantial unreported landings and failures of the control system is available for many European countries, including Spain (Mora et al. 2009). In 2007, a special report by the European Court of Auditors highlighted many deficiencies and failures of control, inspection, and sanction systems of six European countries, including Spain. According to the Commission s report, procedures launched for sanctioning infringements of the CFP rules are generally

109 109 lengthy, sanctions are inadequately low, and the risk of being caught is not high enough. Additionally, the EU Court of Auditors report noted numerous shortcomings in the inspection systems and catch recording systems, a lack of effective monitoring, and a lack of sufficiently dissuasive penalties for those who breach the law (ClientEarth 2011) (Mora et al. 2009). In a project developed to address gaps in current data collection for assessment of cephalopod stocks in European waters (Pierce, G.J., Robin, J-P & Portela, J.M. 1996), an evaluation of the accuracy of official fishery statistics concluded that around 40% of O. vulgaris and up to 90% of Loligo vulgaris landings in the artisanal fishery in Spain went unregistered. Enforcement and monitoring is believed to be inadequate and compliance is known to be poor. Therefore, enforcement is assessed ineffective. Subfactor Management Track Record Considerations: Does management have a history of successfully maintaining populations at sustainable levels or a history of failing to maintain populations at sustainable levels? A Highly Effective rating is given if measures enacted by management have been shown to result in the long-term maintenance of species overtime. Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Ineffective Fisheries in Mauritania have historically been the subject of exploitation by foreign fleets, particularly from Europe (Gascuel et al. 2007). There are two distinct fishing sectors active in Mauritanian waters. The industrial sector is operated almost exclusively by foreign fleets under fishing access agreements or joint ventures and, more recently, flags of convenience; and the artisanal sector, mainly comprising canoes under 12 m long, pirogues, and Tarifian purse-seine boats of 14 to 15 m (Josse and Garcia 1986). Over nearly half a century, fishing pressure on the coastal areas, the extent of foreign fishing, and a lack of reliable catch data created serious concerns over the Mauritanian resources sustainability. Along with a high corruption profile and a low governance rate (MRAG 2005), these frame a perfect opportunity for overfishing and underreporting by the industrial fleet, and overcapitalization by the domestic artisanal fleet (Agnew et al. 2010) (Belhabib et al. 2013). Although the most important stocks are regularly assessed by the FAO/CECAF Working Group and the IMROP in Mauritanian waters, some stocks are currently overfished, such as octopus (Octopus vulgaris),

110 110 the black hake (M. polli and M. senegalensis), Pagellus bellotti, and Pagrus caeruleostictus. This has resulted in stock declines. Therefore, track record is assessed ineffective. Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Ineffective Fishing in Morocco has been a major activity since the 1930s, and the industry experienced tremendous growth during the 1980s (Rojo-Diaz, P & Pitcher, T.J. 2005). However, heavy exploitation by both national and foreign vessels (Baddyr & Guénette 2001), a lack of monitoring and enforcement because of existing economic difficulties (Kaczynski, V.M. 1989), and an emphasis on short-term profits from resource exploitation rather than long-term sustainable benefits (Kaczynski, V.M. 1989) resulted in overexploitation of important demersal stocks, shifting stocks (Balguerias et al. 2000) (Baddyr & Guénette 2001), and increasing illegal, unreported, and unregulated fisheries (Belhabib et al. 2013). Management measures currently in place have resulted in stock declines. Track record is therefore assessed ineffective. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Pot Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trap Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Pot Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trap Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderately Effective Although TACs have not been set for the octopus stock in European waters, effort and size restrictions are in place and are deemed moderately effective. According to (ICES 2013), octopus fisheries at current fishing pressure do not appear to have a negative effect on the octopus populations. Fisheries appear to be just taking a good part of the population that probably is not needed for sustaining the populations. Therefore, octopus fisheries in Spain and Portugal are maintaining stock abundance at appropriate levels. However, available scientific literature includes studies in which cephalopods trophic importance is evaluated, providing data on their distribution and abundance (Torres et al. 2013). But it is necessary to collect more data to determine cephalopods true importance in the marine food chain, their ecosystem

111 111 role, and their trophic relationships with prey and predators (ICES 2013). Therefore, measures enacted by management have resulted in the long-term maintenance of stock abundance at appropriate levels. However, little is known about the role of cephalopods in the ecosystem, and long-term maintenance of ecosystem integrity cannot be assured. Track record is considered moderately effective. Subfactor Stakeholder Inclusion Considerations: Are stakeholders involved/included in the decision-making process? Stakeholders are individuals/groups/organizations that have an interest in the fishery or that may be affected by the management of the fishery (e.g., fishermen, conservation groups, etc.). A Highly Effective rating is given if the management process is transparent and includes stakeholder input. Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Ineffective An Advisory Council for the Management and Development of Fisheries (CCNADP) to organize cooperation between the public and private stakeholders in the fisheries sector was created in Mauritania in However, management methods implemented are rather centralized even though a National Fisheries Federation (NPF) exists. As a system of governance, co-management (shared responsibility and a transfer of certain powers from the central government to users and/or local communities) cannot be mentioned in any way today in Mauritania (FAO 2011). Every three years, a working group meets to assess marine resources in Mauritanian waters. In these meetings, fishermen and the Mauritanian fisheries administration are invited to participate (Ignacio Sobrino, pers. comm.) However, inclusion of stakeholder input in the decision-making process for the industrial fleet is not very effective. When the fisheries partnership agreement for EU-Mauritania expired on 31 July 2012, most fishing activities of the EU fleets ceased in this fishing ground. The new protocol was published in December 2012 (COUNCIL DECISION of 18 December 2012). But the conditions of these protocols were very restrictive and not profitable for most EU fleets, which mostly abandoned the Mauritanian fishing ground in April-May 2012 (pelagic trawlers) or July-August 2012 (shrimper and cephalopod fleets). In fact, the cephalopod fishing opportunities were excluded by these protocols, even though the Spanish oceanographic institute, with the collaboration of ANACEF (the Spanish cephalopod producers organization), submitted a study to show that the octopus stock in Mauritania was not overfished. Although some agencies have been created to organize cooperation between the government and

112 112 private stakeholders, decisions are not made transparently. Therefore, stakeholder inclusion is considered "ineffective. Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderately Effective There is little information available about stakeholder involvement in Morocco. However, when the management plan for the octopus fishery was revised in 2004, there were a series of meetings of operators and professionals with the Moroccan Fisheries Ministry to decide the quota for this fishery (Infosamak 2005). The focus was on achieving sustainable harvests without destroying the octopus resources (Rojo-Diaz, P & Pitcher, T.J. 2005). Several international marine projects have been undertaken in recent years in the area (e.g., Developing of MPA in Mediterranean waters (WWF), the small-scale artisanal project funded by the Millenium Challenge Corporation), and all of them highlighted the importance of stakeholder engagement to avoid future disputes (Walton et al. 2013). Moreover, the Halieutis Plan launched by the Moroccan government in 2009 to achieve healthy marine ecosystems by 2020 includes a social component to encourage proactive management through the creation of the Observatory on employment for the fishing sector (Lazraq, S. 2009). Although stakeholder involvement in the management process seems to be improving, stakeholder input is still limited. So, stakeholder inclusion is considered moderately effective. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Pot Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trap Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Pot Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trap Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderately Effective The new EU fisheries policies enhance transparency and participation. The creation of the RACs (regional advisory councils) is one pillar of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy of They aim to allow a greater participation of the stakeholders of the fishing industry, in relation to the resources management in European waters. The South Western RAC (CCR.S) covers the Atlantic from the point of Brittany in the north to the Straits of Gibraltar in the south, as well as the ultraperipheric regions of Madera, the Azores, and the Canary Islands (VIII and X CIEM zones and the COPACE divisions ,

113 , ). The CCR.S gathers two-thirds of its representatives from the fishing sector (fishermen, shipowners, organizations of producers, transformers, wholesale fish merchants, and organizations of markets) of five Member States (Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, and The Netherlands). One-third comprises member organizations from civil society (e.g., aquaculture, consumer and environmental NGOs, women of sailors, and recreational fishing) (CCR.S 2014). EcoFishMan is a project funded by the European Commission that aims to develop and contribute to the implementation of a new integrated fisheries management system in Europe, based on increased stakeholder involvement. An ecosystem-based sustainable management system under a precautionary framework will define maximum acceptable negative impact, target elimination of discards, and maintain economic and social viability (EcoFishMan 2014). In the Algarve (South of Portugal), the Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR), supported by the Ministry of Fisheries (DGRM), scheduled some meetings with local fishermen beginning April Based on the results of the EcoFishMan project, they are interested in involving stakeholders to develop a management plan for the octopus trap and pot fishery, to avoid traditional disputes between regional fishing groups (Sonderblhom, pers comm.). Similar activities have been undertaken in Spain. Transparency and participation are being enhanced by the new EU fisheries policies. However, these new measures are not fully in place, and increased involvement of fishermen in the fishery resource management is necessary. Therefore, stakeholder inclusion is considered moderately effective. Bycatch Strategy Factor 3.2: Management of fishing impacts on bycatch species Region / Method All Kept Critical Strategy Research Advice Enforce Mauritania Eastern Central No No Ineffective Moderately Ineffective Ineffective Atlantic Trawl, Bottom Effective Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic No No Moderately Moderately Moderately Ineffective Trawl, Bottom Effective Effective Effective Portugal Northeast Atlantic Yes Pot Portugal Northeast Atlantic No No Moderately Moderately Moderately Ineffective Trap Effective Effective Effective Portugal Northeast Atlantic No No Moderately Moderately Moderately Ineffective Trawl, Bottom Effective Effective Effective Spain Northeast Atlantic Yes Pot Spain Northeast Atlantic No No Moderately Moderately Moderately Ineffective Trap Spain Northeast Atlantic Trawl, Bottom Effective No No Moderately Effective Effective Effective Moderately Moderately Ineffective Effective Effective

114 114 Subfactor Management Strategy and Implementation Considerations: What type of management strategy/measures are in place to reduce the impacts of the fishery on bycatch species and how successful are these management measures? To achieve a Highly Effective rating, the primary bycatch species must be known and there must be clear goals and measures in place to minimize the impacts on bycatch species (e.g., catch limits, use of proven mitigation measures, etc.). Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Ineffective Measures to control bycatch in the trawl fishery included maximum bycatch limits (15% for cephalopods and 20% for fish species for the crustacean trawl fishery, and 25% for other fish for the hake trawl fishery), minimum mesh size, and minimum landing size. However, compliance with these measures was difficult for the Mauritanian government to control in industrial fleets, due to the lack of monitoring and enforcement (FAO/COPACE 2005). The new fishing agreement between Mauritania and the EU includes some changes in bycatch management, but some points are contradictory. For demersal species (including black hake), the fishing zone starts 6 miles farther from the coast than under the previous protocol, and the bycatch limit has increased from 25% to 30%. There is a general requirement to land all catches. For demersal fish other than black hake, the 10% bycatch allowance has been maintained, while the 5% bycatch limit for shellfish, squid, and cuttlefish under the previous protocol has been abolished. Furthermore, the ban on bycatch of octopus and hake has been lifted (contrary to the limits imposed on shellfishermen and the absence of quotas for cephalopods) (European Parliament 2013). Moreover, massive illegal fishing is also taking place in the Mauritanian EEZ (Scharm & Schack 2006) (Belhabib et al. 2013). Bycatch management strategy scores ineffective because of the lack of resources in the country to monitor compliance with the management measures. Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderately Effective The new fisheries agreement between Morocco and the EU includes bycatch limits for all fleets (e.g., 0% of cephalopods and crustaceans, 5% of deep-sea sharks for bottom trawlers) and the octopus fishery is not permitted in the protocol (i.e., EU vessels cannot fish for octopus in Moroccan waters). Vessels authorized to fish in the Moroccan fishing zone under the protocol shall take observers on board (25% of authorized vessels with a tonnage of more than 100 GT; 10 voyages per year and per category for other EU fishing vessels with a tonnage less than or equal to 100 GT) to verify the percentages of bycatch and estimate the quantity of discards of species of marketable finfish, crustaceans, and

115 115 cephalopods. Bycatch management strategy scores moderately effective because management measures such as bycatch limits are in place but management has not been in place long enough to evaluate its effectiveness. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trap Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trap Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderately Effective In European waters the new CFP does away with the wasteful practice of discarding by introducing a landing obligation. This change serves to drive more selectivity, and provides more reliable catch data. To allow fishermen to adapt to the change, the landing obligation will be introduced gradually between 2015 and 2019 for all commercial fisheries (species under TACs, or under minimum sizes) in European waters. Under the landing obligation, all catches have to be kept on board, landed, and counted against the quotas. Undersized fish cannot be marketed for human consumption. The landing obligation will be applied fishery by fishery. Details of the implementation will be included in multiannual plans or in specific discard plans when no multiannual plan is in place. These details include the species covered, provisions on catch documentation, minimum conservation reference sizes, and exemptions (for fish that may survive after returning them to the sea, and a specific minor discard allowance under certain conditions). Quota management will also become more flexible in its application, to facilitate the landing obligation (European Commission 2014). Some of the bycatch species caught in the octopus fishery in Portugal and Spain are species under TACs, such as European hake (13,123 MT in 2014) or horse mackerel (35,000 MT in 2014) (ICES 2013a). Bycatch management strategy scores moderately effective because the new bycatch management measures have not been in place long enough to evaluate their effectiveness. Subfactor Scientific Research and Monitoring Considerations: Is bycatch in the fishery recorded/documented and is there adequate monitoring of bycatch to measure fishery s impact on bycatch species? To achieve a Highly Effective rating, assessments must be conducted to determine the impact of the fishery on species of concern, and an adequate bycatch data collection program must be in place to ensure bycatch management goals are being met.

116 116 Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderately Effective The overall objective of the FAO/CECAF Working Group on the Assessment of Demersal Resources is to improve the management of demersal resources in Northwest Africa through fisheries stock assessments and to ensure the best sustainable use of the resources for the benefit of the coastal countries. The Working Group regularly assesses commercial stocks within its area of competence and makes recommendations for the management of the stocks assessed, but also recommends research topics for future meetings (FAO/CECAF 2012). The IMROP (Institut mauritanien des recherches océanographiques et des pêches) is the research institution involved in the sustainable development and rational exploitation of fish resources in Mauritanian waters. This institution aims to develop an integrated management approach to fisheries balancing ecological, economic, and social indicators (IMROP 2014). Mauritania does not carry out catch and effort sampling in its ports but, since 1990, vessel captains are obligated to keep a logbook recording effort deployed by their vessels and the quantities of catch in the Mauritanian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The data collected by this system are stored in a database managed by the Mauritanian maritime surveillance organization and sent to IMROP for its use. There is no bycatch data available for trawl fisheries, and some concerns exist about the impact on Endangered, Threatened, and Protected (ETP) species. The new EU-Mauritania fishery agreement establishes that Mauritanian scientific observers will monitor at least two vessels per year for each fishing category, but this number seems quite low to monitor bycatch. Scientific research support and collection of observer data exist, but coverage is limited. Therefore scientific research/monitoring scores moderately effective. Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderately Effective The Fishery Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic (CECAF) was created by FAO to promote the sustainable utilization of the living marine resources within its area of competence in the west coast of Africa. Every 5 years the CECAF assesses commercial stocks in the area. In Morocco, the Institut National de Recherche Halieutique (INRH) is the research institution involved in the sustainable development and rational exploitation of fish resources in Moroccan waters. Research is based around the following topics: understanding of upwelling systems and identification of main production areas; environment and fisheries resources relationship studies; assessment of the fishery resources; assessment of the biological and socio-economical impact on fisheries and on the marine

117 117 environment; and sea mapping of the fishing areas. An annual scientific report is published about the state of the marine resources (EDMED 2014). There are no reports found of routine observers in the cephalopod fishery. A brief research mission was carried out by FAO observers onboard a shrimp-fishing trawler in 1999 to study discards in Morocco (Rojo-Diaz, P & Pitcher, T.J. 2005). A plan to monitor 2,160 fishing vessels using VMS is being developed by the Ministry of Fisheries but its implementation is facing opposition from vessel owners (Finances news 2014). Vessels authorized to fish in the Moroccan fishing zone under the new EU-Morocco protocol are obligated to take observers appointed by Morocco on these terms: each quarter, 25% of authorized vessels with a tonnage of more than 100 GT shall take onboard observers; industrial pelagic fishing vessels shall take a scientific observer onboard for the entire period of activity in the Moroccan fishing zone; other EU fishing vessels with a tonnage less than or equal to 100 GT shall be observed during a maximum of 10 voyages per year and per category of fishing (European Commission 2013b). Collection of observer data or effective video monitoring data exist, but coverage or analysis is limited. Therefore scientific research/monitoring scores moderately effective. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trap Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderately Effective Present forms of fisheries monitoring and recordkeeping in Portugal involve VMS, logbooks, dockside monitoring, and digital recordkeeping at auction sites. Effort monitoring data is collected via logbooks from vessels longer than 10 m and via vessel monitoring systems (VMS) for vessels longer than 15 m containing a sheltered deck (Pereira 1999). The PNAB (National Monitoring Program), in force since 2003, is the main program that collects and analyzes biological data for the national fisheries. Under this program, data on fishing effort, catches, and discards of marine species are collected aboard commercial vessels. The IPMA (former IPIMAR) (Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera) is the scientific body responsible for discard sampling from ICES Division IXa under the EU Data Collection Program (DCP). The IPMA is involved in projects such as Marine Important Bird Areas (IBAs), and the IPMA observers record incidental catches of birds and marine mammals. Observers from the Safesea (Sustainable local fisheries and promotion of a safe sea for cetaceans) and MarPro (Conservation of marine protected species in mainland Portugal) projects also record incidental catches in Portuguese fisheries. Sampling of the bottom trawl fishery covers the otter bottom trawl for both crustaceans and demersal fish. Portugal regularly submits bycatch information to ICES, which provides advice on the overall exploitation of the bycatch species (e.g., rays,

118 118 sharks, marine mammals) for European waters. Although collection of observer data and effective video monitoring data exist, coverage of the artisanal fisheries is limited (CIIMAR 2011). Therefore, scientific monitoring/research is considered moderately effective. Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trap Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderately Effective The IEO (Spanish Oceanographic Institute) is responsible for monitoring discards monthly, by sea area and gear, of the entire Spanish fleet except the Basque fleet, which is covered by AZTI-Tecnalia. Since 2002, under the National Sampling program of the Data Collection framework, the discard sampling program has been conducted for different métiers (homogeneous subdivisions, either of a fishery by vessel type or of a fleet by voyage type) for all species covered by the Regulation, including cephalopod species (ICES 2012). But budget cuts have reduced observer coverage since For example, the last time that the Spanish government sent data to ICES about marine mammal bycatch was in 2009 (ICES 2014). Collection of observer data and video monitoring data exist, but coverage is limited. Therefore scientific research/monitoring is considered moderately effective. Subfactor Management Record of Following Scientific Advice Considerations: How often (always, sometimes, rarely) do managers of the fishery follow scientific recommendations/advice (e.g., do they set catch limits at recommended levels)? A Highly Effective rating is given if managers nearly always follow scientific advice. Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Ineffective See Factor Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderately Effective

119 119 See Factor Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trap Moderately Effective See Factor Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderately Effective See Factor Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trap Moderately Effective See Factor Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderately Effective See Factor Subfactor Enforcement of Management Regulations Considerations: Is there a monitoring/enforcement system in place to ensure fishermen follow management regulations and what is the level of fishermen s compliance with regulations? To achieve a Highly Effective rating, there must be consistent enforcement of regulations and verification of compliance. Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Ineffective See Factor

120 120 Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Ineffective See Factor Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trap Ineffective See Factor Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Ineffective See Factor Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trap Ineffective See Factor Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Ineffective See Factor

121 121 Criterion 4: Impacts on the habitat and ecosystem This Criterion assesses the impact of the fishery on seafloor habitats, and increases that base score if there are measures in place to mitigate any impacts. The fishery s overall impact on the ecosystem and food web and the use of ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) principles is also evaluated. Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management aims to consider the interconnections among species and all natural and human stressors on the environment. The final score is the geometric mean of the impact of fishing gear on habitat score (plus the mitigation of gear impacts score) and the Ecosystem Based Fishery Management score. The Criterion 2 rating is determined as follows: Score >3.2=Green or Low Score >2.2 and <=3.2=Yellow or Moderate Score <=2.2=Red or High Rating cannot be Critical for Criterion 4. Criterion 4 Summary Region / Method Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic Trawl, Bottom Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic Trawl, Bottom Portugal Northeast Atlantic Pot Portugal Northeast Atlantic Trap Portugal Northeast Atlantic Trawl, Bottom Spain Northeast Atlantic Pot Spain Northeast Atlantic Trap Spain Northeast Atlantic Trawl, Bottom Gear Type and Mitigation of Substrate Gear Impacts 2.00:Moderate 0.00:No Effective Mitigation 2.00:Moderate 0.00:No Effective Mitigation 3.00:Low 0.25:Minimal Mitigation 3.00:Low 0.25:Minimal Mitigation 2.00:Moderate 0.25:Minimal Mitigation 3.00:Low 0.25:Minimal Mitigation 3.00:Low 0.25:Minimal Mitigation 2.00:Moderate 0.25:Minimal Mitigation EBFM Overall Recomm. 3.00:Moderate Yellow (2.450) 3.00:Moderate Yellow (2.450) 3.00:Moderate Yellow (3.123) 3.00:Moderate Yellow (3.123) 3.00:Moderate Yellow (2.598) 3.00:Moderate Yellow (3.123) 3.00:Moderate Yellow (3.123) 3.00:Moderate Yellow (2.598) Justification of Ranking Factor 4.1 Impact of Fishing Gear on the Habitat/Substrate

122 122 Scoring Guidelines 5 (None) Fishing gear does not contact the bottom 4 (Very Low) Vertical line gear 3 (Low) Gears that contacts the bottom, but is not dragged along the bottom (e.g. gillnet, bottom longline, trap) and is not fished on sensitive habitats. Bottom seine on resilient mud/sand habitats. Midwater trawl that is known to contact bottom occasionally ( 2 (Moderate) Bottom dragging gears (dredge, trawl) fished on resilient mud/sand habitats. Gillnet, trap, or bottom longline fished on sensitive boulder or coral reef habitat. Bottom seine except on mud/sand 1 (High) Hydraulic clam dredge. Dredge or trawl gear fished on moderately sensitive habitats (e.g., cobble or boulder) 0 (Very High) Dredge or trawl fished on biogenic habitat, (e.g., deep-sea corals, eelgrass and maerl) Note: When multiple habitat types are commonly encountered, and/or the habitat classification is uncertain, the score will be based on the most sensitive, plausible habitat type. Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderate The impact of bottom trawling on the habitat is well documented. All the components involved in trawling have the capability to affect the seabed. Doors, chains, weights, and net can go various depths into the seabed (up to 30 cm) depending on the sediment and the technique used, thus destroying benthic ecosystems (Oceana 2008). Trawling reduces habitat complexity, species richness, and biomass, and increases the presence of opportunistic species by altering the species composition. Bottom trawling also resuspends sediment, lowers the nutritive quality of sediment, and reduces primary and microbial production. Turbidity impedes the normal functioning of benthic organisms feeding and respiratory structures, resulting in hypoxia or anoxia (Morgan & Chuenpagdee 2003). Homogenization of habitats risks loss of ecological function and natural heritage values. Losses may also reduce resilience, thereby predisposing the system to sudden and dramatic change (Hiscock et al. 2006). If bottom trawling occurs on muddy areas, where the octopus trawl fishery mainly is carried out, the impact on the habitat is considered moderate. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Pot

123 123 Low The fishing gear known as alcatruz in Spain and Portugal is an entrapment device used specifically for the common octopus fishery. This type of fishing gear consists of a vase-like pot, and its effectiveness is based on the octopus behavior: territorial, hermitlike. So, the common octopus voluntarily enters the pot seeking shelter and can leave it at any moment. The pots are normally checked every 2 to 5 days. The pots are made of plastic or clay and they are normally rigged to long lines containing pots (Sobrino et al. 2011). This is a passive, lightweight fishing gear that has a negligible impact on the habitat when the fishery is undertaken on rocky, sandy, or muddy bottoms, where the common octopus fishery normally occurs. Therefore, the impact on the substrate is assessed low concern. Rationale: Figure 13: Pot made of PVC (North of Portugal) Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trap

124 124 Low Trapping is a passive way to catch fish, shellfish, crustaceans, and cephalopods. Traps are designed so the entrance becomes a non-return device, allowing the target species to enter the trap but making it impossible to leave. Different materials are used for building the trap: iron (frame),netting wire, etc. Traps are normally baited with pieces of low-value fish such as sardine or mackerel. An artificial bait, known as membrillo, is also being used in the Galician (North of Spain) trap fishery. Traps in general have little adverse impact on bottom habitats and do not create ghost fishing problems, and the energy efficiency and catch quality of trap fishing are high (Cochrane 2002). Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderate The impact of bottom trawling on the habitat is well documented. All the components involved in trawling have the capability to affect the seabed. Doors, chains, weights, and net can go various depths into the seabed (up to 30 cm), depending on the sediment and the technique used, thus destroying benthic ecosystems (Oceana 2008). Trawling reduces habitat complexity, species richness, and biomass, and increases the presence of opportunistic species by altering the species composition. Bottom trawling also resuspends sediment, lowers the nutritive quality of sediment, and reduces primary and microbial production. Turbidity impedes the normal functioning of benthic organisms feeding and respiratory structures, resulting in hypoxia or anoxia (Morgan & Chuenpagdee 2003). Homogenization of habitats risks loss of ecological function and natural heritage values. Losses may also reduce resilience, thereby predisposing the system to sudden and dramatic change (Hiscock et al. 2006). If bottom trawling occurs on muddy areas, where the octopus trawl fishery mainly is carried out, the impact on the habitat is considered moderate. Spain Northeast Atlantic, Pot Low The fishing gear known as alcatruz in Spain and Portugal is an entrapment device used specifically for the common octopus fishery. This type of fishing gear consists of a vase-like pot, and its effectiveness is based on the octopus behavior: territorial, hermitlike. So, the common octopus voluntarily enters the pot seeking shelter and can leave it at any moment. The pots are normally checked every 2 to 5 days. The pots are made of plastic or clay and they are normally rigged to long lines containing pots (Sobrino et al. 2011). This is a passive, lightweight fishing gear that has a negligible impact on the habitat when the fishery is

125 125 undertaken on rocky, sandy, or muddy bottoms, where the common octopus fishery normally occurs. Therefore, the impact on the substrate is assessed low concern. Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trap Low Trapping is a passive way to catch fish, shellfish, crustaceans, and cephalopods. Traps are designed so the entrance becomes a non-return device, allowing the target species to enter the trap but making it impossible to leave. Different materials are used for building the trap: iron (frame),netting wire, etc. Traps are normally baited with pieces of low-value fish such as sardine or mackerel. An artificial bait, known as membrillo, is also being used in the Galician (North of Spain) trap fishery. Traps in general have little adverse impact on bottom habitats and do not create ghost fishing problems, and the energy efficiency and catch quality of trap fishing are high (Cochrane 2002). Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderate The impact of bottom trawling on the habitat is well documented. All the components involved in trawling have the capability to affect the seabed. Doors, chains, weights, and net can go various depths into the seabed (up to 30 cm), depending on the sediment and the technique used, thus destroying benthic ecosystems (Oceana 2008). Trawling reduces habitat complexity, species richness, and biomass, and increases the presence of opportunistic species by altering the species composition. Bottom trawling also resuspends sediment, lowers the nutritive quality of sediment, and reduces primary and microbial production. Turbidity impedes the normal functioning of benthic organisms feeding and respiratory structures, resulting in hypoxia or anoxia (Morgan & Chuenpagdee 2003). Homogenization of habitats risks loss of ecological function and natural heritage values. Losses may also reduce resilience, thereby predisposing the system to sudden and dramatic change (Hiscock et al. 2006). If bottom trawling occurs on muddy areas, where the octopus trawl fishery mainly is carried out, the impact on the habitat is considered moderate. Factor 4.2 Mitigation of Gear Impacts Scoring Guidelines

126 (Strong Mitigation) Examples include large proportion of habitat protected from fishing (>50%) with gear, fishing intensity low/limited, gear specifically modified to reduce damage to seafloor and modifications shown to be effective at reducing damage, or an effective combination of moderate mitigation measures (Moderate Mitigation) 20% of habitat protected from fishing with gear or other measures in place to limit fishing effort, fishing intensity, and spatial footprint of damage caused from fishing (Low Mitigation) A few measures are in place (e.g., vulnerable habitats protected but other habitats not protected); there are some limits on fishing effort/intensity, but not actively being reduced. 0 (No Mitigation) No effective measures are in place to limit gear impacts on habitats. Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom No Effective Mitigation The Mauritanian legislation regulates fishing intensity and protects marine habitats through limits on the number of licenses, bycatch limits, fishing area restrictions, and the creation of marine protected areas, such as the Banc d'arguin National Park. However, information about vulnerable marine ecosystems (VME) present in the area and management measures particularly defined to protect benthic habitats is very scarce. Moreover, compliance with management measures is not correctly monitored, resulting in massive illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in some protected areas (Belhabib et al. 2013). No effective controls on fishing intensity are in place and few efforts exist to limit the spatial extent of fishing. Therefore, mitigation of gear impacts for the Mauritanian trawl fishery is assessed ineffective. Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom No Effective Mitigation The Moroccan legislation regulates fishing intensity and protects marine habitats through limits on the number of licenses, bycatch limits, time and area restrictions, and the creation of marine protected areas. However, information about vulnerable marine ecosystems (VME) present on the Atlantic coast and management measures particularly defined to protect benthic habitats is very scarce. Moreover, compliance with these measures is not correctly monitored. So, some fishermen have argued that illegal octopus fishing is taking place in protected areas and during time closures. This poses questions about the real protection of these measures in the country (Lavieeco 2007) (Belhabib et al. 2013). No effective controls on fishing intensity are in place and few efforts exist to limit the spatial extent of

127 127 fishing. Therefore, mitigation of gear impacts for the Moroccan trawl fishery is assessed ineffective. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Pot Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trap Minimal Mitigation The Portuguese fishing legislation regulates fishing intensity in the pot/trap fishery and protects marine habitats through limits on the number of pots/traps permitted by vessel, limits on the number of licenses, time and area restrictions, and the declaration of marine protected areas. However, it is well known that some vessels normally exceed the maximum number of pots/traps permitted (Sonderblhom pers. comm.) and IUU is also reported in some restricted areas (CIIMAR 2011). Some efforts exist to limit the spatial extent of fishing, but controls on fishing intensity are not effective enough. Therefore, mitigation of gear impacts for the Portuguese pot/trap fishery is assessed minimal. Rationale: See figure 13 above. Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Minimal Mitigation Bottom trawl is the fishing gear that raises most concerns due to its negative impact on the habitat, overexploitation of commercial species, and collateral effects on non-commercial species. The Algarve, off the southern coast of Portugal, is one of the most important fishing areas of the country. Recent studies show that of all species captured by this fishing gear, around 70% are discarded due to low or lack of commercial importance, low gear selectivity, and fishing legislation. Direct observations revealed a heavily trawled bottom, with strong parallel marks caused by the doors of the trawl nets (Borges & O Dor 2010). The Portuguese government has recently issued (June 2014) a decree prohibiting all deep-sea fishing except for longlining in an area spanning 2,280,000 km 2, to promote sustainable fisheries and the conservation of deep-sea ecosystems. This decree will also contribute to building up the information database on Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs) by establishing a requirement to collect samples of accidentally captured corals and sponges (Oceana 2014). However, this protection does not include shallow areas, where the octopus fishery is normally undertaken. Trawling is allowed outside of 6 nm and the prohibition of trawling within this limit was enhanced

128 128 through the use of artificial reefs in sensitive coastal areas. There are also time and area closures to bottom trawling, and some management measures have been introduced to reduce bycatch (Machado 2005). Trawl fishing heavily impacts the seabed, but some management measures are in place. Mitigation of gear impact is therefore considered minimal. Spain Northeast Atlantic, Pot Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trap Minimal Mitigation Spanish fishing legislation regulates fishing intensity in the pot/trap fishery and protects marine habitats through limits on the number of pots/traps permitted by vessel, limits on the number of licenses, time and area restrictions, and the declaration of marine protected areas. Some sites of Community Importance (SCI) have also been declared on the Spanish coast (e.g., Doñana waters and seabeds in the Bay of Cádiz) (see Figure 19). In Galician waters, the use of pots is banned, and in the Gulf of Cádiz, fishing using pots and traps is also prohibited at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River and between the Strait of Gibraltar and longitude 6 12 W. The number of traps used by vessel is controlled using an identification number, and new measures such as the use of Rfid chips have also been proposed. However, it is well known that some vessels normally exceed the maximum number of pots/traps permitted (Xunta de Galicia 2006), and IUU fishing is also regularly reported (Otero et al. 2005). Some measures exist to reduce the impact of pot/traps on the habitat, but no effective controls on fishing intensity are in place and few efforts exist to limit the spatial extent of fishing. Therefore, mitigation of gear impacts for the Spanish pot/trap fishery is assessed minimal. Rationale:

129 129 Figure 14: Protected areas, Gulf of Cádiz ( Spain Northeast Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Minimal Mitigation The Gulf of Cádiz (northeastern Atlantic, Spain) is a notably stressed ecosystem, displaying characteristics of a heavily exploited area. The exploitation of fisheries comprised mainly of trawlers, purse seiners, and artisanal boats is intensive in that area, with all fleets exerting high impacts on most living groups of the ecosystem (Torres et al. 2013). Trawling is allowed outside of 6 nm and the prohibition of trawling within this limit was enhanced through the use of artificial reefs in sensitive coastal areas. There are also area closures such as bottom trawl closed areas, military areas, and marine protected areas (e.g., Gulf of Cádiz, Doñana National Park) (Figure 14) (Ramos et al. 1996). However, these marine protected areas cover a very small marine area. In particular, because the continental shelf in this area is extensive and depths over 50 m are reached far from the coast (at least 10 mi), Doñana s marine ecosystem extends much farther than the one currently included in the protected area. From 2007 to 2010, Oceana sampled the waters in the Gulf of Cádiz and showed that the area in front of Doñana and the coastal region south of the Guadalquivir River harbor a wide variety

130 130 of species and vulnerable communities (e.g., coral beds, ostrea edulis beds, sea pens, and communities of burrowing megafauna). A new area was proposed to be included within the protected area, covering 80,000 hectares (compared to the less than 4,000 hectares currently protected) and extending 8 km into open waters (Oceana 2010). Fishing intensity is controlled, some vulnerable habitats are protected, and new measures are being developed. Therefore, mitigation of gear impacts is considered minimal. Rationale: See figure 14 above. Factor 4.3 Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management Scoring Guidelines 5 (Very Low ) Substantial efforts have been made to protect species ecological roles and ensure fishing practices do not have negative ecological effects (e.g., large proportion of fishery area is protected with marine reserves, and abundance is maintained at sufficient levels to provide food to predators). 4 (Low ) Studies are underway to assess the ecological role of species and measures are in place to protect the ecological role of any species that plays an exceptionally large role in the ecosystem. Measures are in place to minimize potentially negative ecological effect if hatchery supplementation or fish aggregating devices (FADs) are used. 3 (Moderate ) Fishery does not catch species that play an exceptionally large role in the ecosystem, or if it does, studies are underway to determine how to protect the ecological role of these species, OR negative ecological effects from hatchery supplementation or FADs are possible and management is not place to mitigate these impacts. 2 (High ) Fishery catches species that play an exceptionally large role in the ecosystem and no efforts are being made to incorporate their ecological role into management. 1 (Very High ) Use of hatchery supplementation or fish aggregating devices (FADs) in the fishery is having serious negative ecological or genetic consequences, OR fishery has resulted in trophic cascades or other detrimental impacts to the food web. Mauritania Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderate Mauritania is characterized by fast-growing fisheries that have developed over the past decades. Since 1982, scientific trawl surveys have been conducted regularly, allowing assessment of the impact of this increasing fishing pressure on exploited species as well as on demersal communities. Changes in the demersal community structure were investigated, using Biomass Trophic Spectra representations

131 131 (Gascuel et al. 2007). It was shown that the demersal biomass has been reduced by 75% on the Mauritanian continental shelf over the past 25 years, corresponding to a biomass loss of around 20,000 MT per year. Top predator abundance has been reduced by a factor of 8 to 10 times, and in some cases up to 20 times. The trophic structure has been significantly modified, and the mean trophic level of the catchable biomass decreased from >3.7 to <3.5. This decline was due to severe overexploitation that affected the various groups in succession (Gascuel et al. 2007). A 5-year program called Uses of marine ecosystems is being undertaken by the IMROP (Institut Mauritanien de Recherches Océanographiques et des Pêches) to improve the knowledge of the structure and functioning of ecosystems, including the uses they support (IMROP 2014). There is not any evidence that the management strategies in place are improving ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM). Therefore, because the fishery does not catch exceptional species and scientific assessment and management of ecosystem impacts are not yet underway (though they are in planning stages), EBFM scores moderate concern. Morocco Eastern Central Atlantic, Trawl, Bottom Moderate The Moroccan fishing industry went through a development phase in the 1970s and the 1980s in which enhancing national harvesting capacity and boosting production and incomes were the major objectives. Morocco became more concerned with the sustainability of its fishing sector when valuable fisheries, such as the cephalopods fishery, began to experience resource depletion in the 1990s (Faraj 2009). Illegal fishing practices (Boudinar 2007), foreign fishing pressure, lack of control and surveillance (Kaczynski, V.M. 1989), fish habitat loss (Menioui, M. 2007), and high discard rates have led to the overexploitation of demersal resources (Belhabib et al. 2013). Heavy trawling activity led to shifting stocks (Balguerias et al. 2000) and declining stock abundance (Faraj, A & Bez, N. 2007). With this growing concern about longterm economic viability of fishing activities, a range of legislative and regulating measures were implemented: ban on catch and trade of threatened species, control and limitation of access to fisheries to face the problem of overcapacity, ban on destructive fishing gear, TACs, etc. But these measures, based on a Target Resources-Oriented Management (TROM) approach, were essentially implemented to cope with the fishing overcapacity, spatial fleets interaction, and growth overexploitation issues, even though elements of multispecies interactions and environmental forcing were somewhat taken into account in the management (Faraj 2009). In 2009, the Halieutis Plan was launched by the Moroccan government. The main objective is to preserve fish stocks and marine ecosystems to achieve healthy marine waters by 2020 and to strengthen Morocco s position as the worldwide supplier of quality marine products. The plan is based on three main axes: ecological, social, and economic sustainability. The plan consists of 16 strategic projects that cover several issues (e.g., scientific improvement and knowledge transfer, set up of TACs to manage

132 132 fisheries, aquaculture development, and improvement of fisheries infrastructures). To achieve the plan s goals, five tools were created: the national committee for fisheries (governance); a fund for the adjustment of the fishing effort (financing); the National Aquaculture Development Agency (promotion and development) and the observatory on employment for the fishing sector (proactive management) (see Figure 20). There is not any evidence that the management strategies in place are improving EBFM. Therefore, because the fishery does not catch exceptional species and scientific assessment and management of ecosystem impacts are not yet underway (though they are in planning stages), EBFM scores moderate concern. Rationale: Figure 15: Halieutis plan: axes and objectives (Moroccan government). Portugal Northeast Atlantic, Pot Moderate The trophic role of cephalopod species in the food web is not well known, although they are part of the diet of various predator species, e.g., cetaceans, seabirds, and large epipelagic fish (ICES 2013).