Argentine Hoki Fishery Improvement Project Archive Date: July 2013

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1 Argentine Hoki Improvement Project Archive Date: July 2013 The Argentine hoki fishery received Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification in May The following FIP report reflects the status of the FIP and MSC certification process through the first MSC surveillance audit (July 2013), at which time CeDePesca and Sustainable Fisheries Partnership ceased updates to the FIP report. More recent progress against certification conditions can be accessed via FishSource and the MSC website. The fishery is also tracked via SFP s Whitefish Sector Group platform and the annual evaluation of global whitefish supplies. Species: hoki (Macruronus magellanicus) FIP Scope/Scale: FIP Contact: Organización Internacional Agropecuaria (Spanish: International Agriculture Organization; Argentina) FIP Participants: PESANTAR-Nissui San Arawa ESTREMAR-American Seafoods Yuken SA Pesquera Ceres S.A. - Valastro Group Representative: Mr Ezequiel Navatta FIP Stakeholders: CeDePesca INIDEP (Fisheries Research Institute) Federal Fisheries Council Fundacion Vida Silvestre Prefectura Naval Argentina Location: Argentina, for map see Hoki - Argentine Sustainability Information: See Summary and Sustainability Info tabs on this link Hoki - Argentine

2 Date Publicly Announced: 2007 FIP Stage: 6, fishery is MSC certified Current Improvement Recommendations: Improve stock research and assessment, including collaboration with Chilean scientist Total allowable catch () following lower risk scenario from scientific recommendation Develop a management plan for the fishery with clear reference points, goals, terms, and harvest rules Collect adequate information to analyze possible impacts in the seabed and demersal/benthic communities. Background: The FIP started in 2007 with SFP associated with CeDePesca, a South American NGO whose mission is to work for socially, economically, and ecologically sustainable fisheries. The improvement process is currently driven by the industry and MSC annual surveillance, as the fishery received MSC certification in May This semi-pelagic and bottom-trawling fishery presently accounts for, on average, for around 70,000 tonnes. SFP is now working with its major buyer and supplier partners to support the fishery to meet the MSC conditions set by the Conformity Assessment Body (CAB). Most of the Argentine hoki products (hoki fillet block, surimi, skin-on fillet, and headed-and-gutted fish) are exported. One of the fishing vessels produces surimi on board, which is mostly sold in Japan. In 2010, Japan was the main market for Argentine hoki products, accounting for 25% of total volume. France (20%), Brazil (11%), Spain (7%), China (6%), and Germany (5%) are the next important markets, with the remaining 27% split between dozens of countries. The main weaknesses of this fishery are some issues related to scientific research and assessment, particularly gaps in geographical coverage of the survey, which does not include some key areas around the Malvinas Islands due to political restrictions; breeding zones are still unknown, which makes stock evaluation difficult during the aggregation season; the biological limit

3 reference point changes over time and target reference point has not been established. Although real landings have been always much lower than the scientific recommendation, the Federal Fisheries Council (FFC) established total allowable catch () at 7% over scientific recommendation until Scientific reports from INIDEP show that the current of biomass is very similar to the one existing at the beginning of the fishery. The assessment model was changed in 2012 to address some inconsistencies from the previous one and now reflects the real of landings experienced in the fishery. It should be noted the CAB chose to use the riskbased framework to assess Performance Indicator related to the stock status citing doubts about the stock assessment methodology used by INIDEP before the aforementioned change. FIP Objectives: Have a robust stock assessment and scientific recommendations with limit and target reference points Improve the present management plan for the fishery with clear goals and terms Establish according to the more precautionary scientific recommendation Collect adequate information to analyze possible impacts in the seabed and demersal/benthic communities. Progress Update: Between 2009 and 2011, s for years 2010 through 2012 were reduced from 170,000 to 140,000 tonnes, which is in line with scientific recommendations, but probably not enough to increase the biomass. The main barrier preventing the adjustment of s is the way that individual transferable quotas (ITQs) were allocated in Some hoki producers were affected with a quota under their fishing capacity, while others were not using their quota. It is expected that this problem will be solved by 2013, when the unused quota will be redistributed between real users In January 2010, the MSC announced that the Argentine hoki fishery was

4 entering MSC full assessment. This process was completed in May 2012, when the fishery achieved MSC certification. Individual transferable quotas (ITQs) were allocated In March 2011, a participatory Management Commission was established by the Federal Fisheries Council (FFC) to get advice on adequate measures for this fishery. This Commission comprises managers, researchers, and the industry. It is expected that the Commission will propose a management plan to the FFC, with goals, terms, and an adequate strategy to increase reproductive biomass s towards a target reference point. The Commission meets two times per year January March INIDEP scientific observers participated in a workshop to review fishery data organized by the IFOP in Chile April - June The certification body chose to use the risk-based framework for Performance Indicators (stock status), (related to retained species), (related to bycatch species), (related to habitat), and (related to ecosystem). In May 2012, the fishery got MSC certification. Results from the full assessment included recommendations and conditions to: Improve the stock assessment incorporating hypothesis of more complex stock structure and other uncertainties Develop a management plan that explicitly includes clear target and limit reference points Better understand the fished stock and their degree of mixing with the hoki stock in the South Pacific Classify all fleets operating on the hoki stock by fishing gears, practices, and net selectivity to allow the measurement of their impacts on hoki and other species

5 Ensure that there is a strategy for managing bycatch that is designed to avoid a risk of serious or irreversible harm to bycatch populations Provide evidence that the indirect effects on endangered, threatened, or protected (ETP) species are unlikely to create unacceptable impacts on these species Ensure that there are precautionary management strategies designed to decrease effects on ETP species meeting national and international agreements Ensure that the information gathered is adequate to determine the risk posed to habitat types by the fishery and the effectiveness of the strategy to manage impacts on these habitats. In June, INIDEP scientific observers participated in a workshop on evaluation and decision rules in the fishery organized by the IFOP in Chile. In June, a Monitoring Workshop for the National Action Plan to Reduce Bird Interaction with Fisheries (PAN AVES) took place in Argentina organized by the Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Ministry. July September In August, the group of client companies for the MSC certification designated a coordinator to follow up on the improvements process. October December In November, a workshop was held at INIDEP: Population dynamics and stock assessment of hoki (Macruronus magellanicus) and southern blue whiting (Micromesistius australis) in the southern cone of America with participation of Chilean scientists. In December, the Federal Fisheries Council issued: a) n 22/2012 as a proxy to the Management Plan, including minimum size, mesh size of the nets, spatial restrictions for vessels with surimi plant limiting operation to south of 48 S parallel, mandatory switch of fishing area due to excess of juveniles. b) n 26/2012 setting the total allowable catch for 2013 (94,000 tonnes), INIDEP recommended 90,000 tonnes and provided fluctuating scenarios between 44,000 and 94,000 tonnes depending on the policy

6 adopted January March In February, stakeholders announced changes in the Client Group. Pespasa moved out of the country and therefore left the Client Group, and the fishing vessel Esperanza del Sur cancelled its Chain of Custody certificate, as the owner company had earlier with its other vessel Viento del Sur. In March, the Federal Fisheries Council issued n 2/2013, establishing a new version of the Management Plan April June In April, CeDePesca attended a meeting with INIDEP s Southern and Demersal Fisheries head of program, Dra Analia Giussi, to resolve some doubts about Technical Report 40/2012. Some of the issues will be addressed in the report recommending the for In May, the first annual audit of hoki certification was held in Mar del Plata. CeDePesca was a participant. In May, the Federal Fisheries Council issued the n 5/2013 changing the total allowable catch for 2013 from 94,000 to 125,000 tonnes. This change was aligned with INIDEP s new technical report 9/2013, which advised a BAC between 71,000 and 131,000 tonnes, depending on the chosen scenario, and with a 10% risk of not achieving the objective. To achieve this new result, the model was adapted toinclude an initial reproductive biomass of 1,000,000 tonnes instead of 650,000 tonnes in the 40/2012 technical report. July In July, OIA published the first annual surveillance on the MSC website. The surveillance team found that the fishery complies with the action plan to solve the issues raised in the recommendations for scores under 80. The surveillance score reached the qualification of Normal. Some performance indicators were on target and others were behind schedule, but it was not

7 necessary to re-score the indicators. Argentine Hoki FIP Detailed Information Problem: Summary of fishery status a. SFP own estimate, based on data from FishSource: Current status: Fully exploited Status at begninning of FIP: Fully exploited b. Other ranking systems: The fishery has not been rated by any other ranking system FIP Progress Update: Results/ FIP Stage FIP is launched (Stage 1) FIP is formed (Stage 2) Indicator of Success Sustainab ility evaluatio n publicly available Suppliers are evaluatin g this fishery Scope/Sc ale Specific Details FishSour ce profile MSC preassessme nt complete d Date Achiev ed June 2007 Octobe r 2008 List of Source Suppliers/ Organizati ons SFP Hoki - Argentine OIA/Clien t Group Confident ial Suppliers are organized After full assessme nt was complete August 2012 Client Group

8 FIP is encouragi ng improvem ents (Stage 3) Suppliers are engaging regulators d, the industry decided to conduct the improve ment process by themselv es and designate d a coordinat or Federal Fisheries Council (FFC/CF P) establishe d a Managem ent Commiss ion consistin g of fishery managers, researche rs, and industry FFC establishe d a proxy for a April 2010 Decem ber 2012 Federal Fisheries Council FFC n No. 5/2010 Media clip: CFP created managem ent commissi on FFC: n No. 22/2012

9 FIP is delivering improvem ent in policies or practices (Stage 4) Managers are following scientific advice more closely Managem ent Plan FFC establishe d a new version of the Managem ent Plan s for years reduced from 170,000 to 125,000 tonnes March Federal Fisheries Council FFC: n No. 2/ : FF C n No. 17/ : FF C n No. 14/ : FF C n 18/ : FF C n 15/ : FFC

10 n 26/2012 MSC certificatio n (Stage 6 - optional) certified is certified May : FFC n 5/2013 (new method of Resource Assessme nt) MSC: Argentine Hoki Certified First Annual Surveilla nce May 2013 Stakehold ers notificati on: First Annual Surveilla nce