SUMMARY OF ICES 2009 ADVICE FOR PELAGIC SPECIES incl Blue whiting, capelin, herring, Norway pout, sandeel and sprat

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1 SUMMARY OF ICES ADVICE FOR PELAGIC SPECIES incl Blue whiting, capelin, herring, Norway pout, BLUE WHITING Blue whiting combined stock Sub-areas I-IX, XII and XIV Status of stock in October 543,043 Due to recent low recruitment, SSB has declined from its historical peak in of more than 7 million tonnes to 3.6 million tonnes at the beginning of, and the decline is expected to continue in the short-term. All models show a deep decline in SSB, such that SSB is only half of what it was in the period Harvested sustainably ICES advice in October and TAC advice for 2010 A new management plan was agreed in November for and The advice is based on the management plan, which gives a TAC of 540,000 tonnes in 2010, based on a fishing mortality of WORSE

2 SUMMARY OF ICES ADVICE FOR PELAGIC SPECIES incl Blue whiting, capelin, herring, Norway pout, 2 CAPELIN Advice in October Barents Sea capelin Subareas I and II, excluding Division IIa west of 5 W Advice in June Capelin in the Iceland East Greenland Jan Mayen area Subareas V and XIV and Division IIa west of 5 W Status of stock 390,000 Based on the most recent estimates of spawning stock biomass and recruitment ICES classifies the stock as having full reproductive capacity. The maturing component in autumn was estimated to be 2.3 million tonnes. The survey estimate at age 1 of the year class is below the longterm average.. but there are indications the year class is strong. NIL In the absence of defined reference points, the state of the stock cannot be evaluated. It is estimated that 328,000 tonnes were left for spawning in spring which is below the management target. Not defined ICES advice and TAC advice for 2010 Following the agreed management plan would imply catches of 360,000 tonnes from January to April The 2007 class is estimated to be very low and not sufficient to start a fishery in /10. There should be no fishery until new information on stock sizes becomes available after the planned survey in November. The TAC should be set so that at least 400,000 tonnes is left to spawn in March This year no initial TAC is advised. WORSE

3 SUMMARY OF ICES ADVICE FOR PELAGIC SPECIES incl Blue whiting, capelin, herring, Norway pout, 3 HERRING Status of stock in Inside safe biological Full reproductive capacity and harvested sustainably Advice in October Herring Norwegian Increased risk spring Spawners (Atlanto- Scandian). ICES sub area I, divisions IIa,Va,Vb 1,643,000 Spawning stock biomass is well above levels and is estimated be at its highest level in the last 60 years. In the absence of strong year classes after 2004, the stock is expected to decline in the near future even when fished according to the management plan. Advice in June At risk of reduced reproductive capacity and/or being harvested unsustainably Herring in IV and VIId Harvested North Sea, Eastern sustainably English channel autumn spawners Herring Icelandic summer spawners Va 171,000 Six poor year classes in a row. Indications that year class is slightly higher. Size of 2007 year class has been revised upwards, but still considered poor. Survival of the larvae has been poor. 130,000 The status of the stock has improved. A high Ichthyophonus infection was observed in the stock in the winter / causing an additional mortality. Harvested at increased risk ICES advice in October and TAC advice for 2010 The management plan implies maximum catches of 1,483,000 t in 2010, which is expected to leave a spawning stock of 10.8 million tones in Long-term management plan is considered to be consistent with approach. In ICES advised a management plan. This was agreed in November. Based on the management plan ICES advises a TAC of 174,700 t for For /09 the TAC was set at 130,000 tonnes (up from 117,000 t in 2007/08). New information on Ichthyophonus will be available in July and no /10 should be set until this is available. SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT IMPROVED

4 SUMMARY OF ICES ADVICE FOR PELAGIC SPECIES incl Blue whiting, capelin, herring, Norway pout, 4 Status of stock in Reference points not fully defined Herring in IIIa Skagerrak & Kategatt Western Baltic spring spawners 37,722 Spawning stock biomass has been stable over a number of years, but expected to decline rapidly. From 2004 onwards, recruitment has been declining and is now at a record low. ICES advice in October and TAC advice for 2010 In June ICES recommended a substantial reduction in fishing in. The TAC advised for is slightly higher at 39,800 t. SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT

5 SUMMARY OF ICES ADVICE FOR PELAGIC SPECIES incl Blue whiting, capelin, herring, Norway pout, 5 NORWAY POUT Advice in October Norway pout in the North Sea and Skagerrak & Kattegat Subarea IV and Division IIIa Advice in June Norway pout in the North Sea and Skagerrak & Kattegat Subarea IV and Division IIIa Initial TAC of 53,476 later increased to 157,000 Initial TAC of 53,476 later increased to 157,000 Status of stock Based on the most recent estimate of SSB (Q3 ), ICES classifies the stock at full reproductive capacity. Catches and fishing mortality has been low in and the first half of. mortality has generally been lower than the natural mortality for this stock. With present fishing mortality levels, the status of the stock is mainly determined by natural processes and less by the fishery. Based on the most recent estimate of SSB (Q1 ) ICES classifies the stock as having full reproductive capacity. SSB has shown an increasing trend since Due to the short-lived nature of this species a preliminary TAC is set every year, which is updated on the basis of advice in the first half of the year. ICES advice and TAC advice for 2010 Due to the short-lived nature of this species a preliminary TAC is set every year, which is updated on the basis of advice in the first half of the year. ICES advises on the basis of that in order to maintain the spawning stock biomass above levels in 2010 catches should be restricted to less than 307,000 tonnes. In order to maintain the spawning stock biomass above levels in 2010 landings should be restricted to 157,000 t in. BETTER

6 SUMMARY OF ICES ADVICE FOR PELAGIC SPECIES incl Blue whiting, capelin, herring, Norway pout, 6 SANDEEL Sandeel in the North Sea Sub-area IV Sandeel in Skagerrak Kattegat Division IIIA Sandeel in Division VIa West of Scotland Sandeel Shetland area Initial TAC of 177,500 later increased to 400,000 Status of stock in October According to the most recent estimate of SSB (), ICES classifies the stock as at risk of reduced reproductive capacity. mortality decreased between 2001 and 2007 and increased in and, but the present absolute level is uncertain. In the absence of an F reference point, the state of the stock cannot be evaluated with regard to sustainable harvest. The TAC was not fully taken, recording landings totaled 350,000 t. Available information is inadequate to evaluate stock trends relative to risk. The available information is inadequate to evaluate stock trends relative to risk. The stock was last assessed in The available information is inadequate to evaluate stock trends. ICES advice in October and TAC advice for 2010 ICES recommends that fishing grounds that are known to be commercially depleted should be closed to fishing until there is evidence from monitoring programmes that local populations have recovered, while at nondepleted fishing grounds fishing should only be allowed in 2010 if analysis of real-time monitoring indicates that the stock can be rebuilt by In May ICES suggested a TAC of 400,000 tonnes on the basis of the real-time monitoring in April. The state of the stock is unknown and there is no basis for an advice. The state of the stock is unknown and there is no basis for an advice. The state of the stock is unknown and there is no basis for an advice.

7 SUMMARY OF ICES ADVICE FOR PELAGIC SPECIES incl Blue whiting, capelin, herring, Norway pout, 7 SPRAT Sprat in the North Sea Subarea IV Sprat in Skagerrak & Kattegat Division IIIa Status of stock in June 176,081 The state of the stock is uncertain. Survey trends indicate the stock size has increased from the 1980 s and varied around average levels since 1998 with no trend. There is no evidence that recent catches have created problems for this stock. The available information is inadequate to evaluate stock trends and therefore the state of the stock is unknown. Landings of sprat in Division IIIa have typically been around t, except in 2005 when it was much higher ICES advice in June and TAC advice for 2010 Previous advice has been based around a relationship between survey and catches, resulting in specific numerical advice. Because recent catches have been low due to other factors than stock abundance, the historical relationship between stock size and catch is now considered inappropriate to provide annual quantitative advice. There is no basis for specific numerical advice for the TAC in. A benchmark assessment is scheduled for September. A TAC of 170,000 tonnes has been agreed for. The advice remains the same. Sprat in Division IIIa is mainly fished together with juvenile herring and the exploitation of sprat is limited by the restrictions imposed on fisheries for juvenile herring. There will be no update of advice for 2010.

8 SUMMARY OF ICES ADVICE FOR PELAGIC SPECIES incl Blue whiting, capelin, herring, Norway pout, 8 Sprat in the Baltic Subdivisions Status of stock in June 291,000 In the absence of applicable biomass reference points, the state of the stock cannot be evaluated with regards to these. SSB in is estimated to be around 10% above the long term average. Based on the most recent estimates of fishing mortality (in ), ICES classifies the stock at risk of being harvested unsustainably. Of the recent year classes, the 2006 year class is estimated to be above average, and the year class is predicted to be strong. ICES advice in June and TAC advice for 2010 At risk should be below Fpa = 0.40 corresponding to landings of less than 306,000 t. Compiled by Seafish For further information contact: Karen Green Responsible Sourcing Editor Sea Fish Industry Authority Origin Way, Europarc, Grimsby N E Lincs. DN37 9TU E: k_green@seafish.co.uk Tel: Mobile: October