Key Whitefish FIP Updates Interna4onal Boston Seafood Show March 2012 www.sustainablefish.org
Session Overview Whitefish sector overview Addi4onal improvement needs Status of whitefish FIPs Buyer perspec4ve on whitefish FIPs Ques4ons and discussion 2
Whitefish Sector Overview SFP league tables, based on FishSource scores: Atlan4c cods Other whitefish Biomass Trend 3
FishSource Scores Keeping fishing mortality under control requires management quality, indicated by: Precautionary management system (FishSource Score 1) Managers following scientific advice when setting quotas (FishSource Score 2) Catchers complying with quotas (FishSource Score 3) Results in the water are: Healthy stock, above target levels (FishSource Score 4) Fishing mortality on target, ensuring future health of stock (FishSource Score 5) 4
FishSource Scores: Colors FishSource scores are neutral 0-10 rankings individual FishSource users decide which score is acceptable to them. For this presentation, we have applied color coding in line with approaches used by ICES / NMFS / FAO / MSC: Green at or above biomass target level, below fishing mortality target, above MSC 80 (SFP estimate). FishSource Score equal to or above 8. Yellow between limit and target reference points, between MSC 60 and 80 (SFP estimate). FishSource Score between 6 and 8. Red below biomass lower limit level, above fishing mortality upper limit, below MSC 60 (SFP estimate). FishSource Score below 6. To be clear these color codes are not SFP or FishSource own definitions of sustainability 5
Maps of FishSource Scores 6
Atlantic Cod status by volume The share of current global cod supply now green rated on stock health grew from 80% in 2010 to 87% in 2012. The share of global supply green rated for precautionary low levels of fishing mortality increased dramatically from 61% in 2010, to 87% in 2012. The share red-rated on either measure dropped from over 15% to less than 12% 7
Atlantic Cod climbers Management Quality scores Stock status scores Fishery name Scientific advice precautionary Managers compliance Fishers compliance Relative Biomass Fishing Mortality Atlantic cod - Icelandic 8 10.0 8.1 10.0 8.0 Atlantic cod - Barents Sea 8.0 10.0 9.9 10.0 9.1 Atlantic cod - Baltic sea eastern 8 9.9 10.0 8 8.7 Atlantic cod - Baltic sea western 8 10.0 10.0 9.1 8.1 Atlantic cod - St. Pierre Bank < 6 7.6 10.0 6 6 4 stocks now exceed MSC unconditional requirements on 5 key management and stock status indicators (as measured by FishSource). Iceland introduces formal target reference points. St. Pierre Bank: status unchanged. FIP aims to introduce biomass targets and a harvest control rule. Scientific advice score should improve. 8
Atlantic Cod bottom of the league Management Quality scores Stock status scores Scientific advice Managers precautionary compliance Majority of cod stocks by number are still depleted Fishers compliance Relative Biomass Fishing Mortality Fishery name Atlantic cod - North Sea 3.2 10.0 0.0 4.7 5.2 Atlantic cod - W of Scotland 1.8 0.0 10.0 3.7 3.8 Atlantic cod - Norwegian coastal 0.5 0.0 8.5 2.8 2.5 Atlantic cod - Gulf of Maine 6 10.0 8.4 2.3 0.0 Atlantic cod - S Scotian Shelf and Bay of Fundy 3.2 0.0 10.0 2.2 5.2 Atlantic cod - S Gulf of St Lawrence < 6 10.0 10.0 2.1 < 6 Atlantic cod - Georges Bank 6 10.0 10.0 1.4 5.4 Atlantic cod - S Grand Bank 6 10.0 0.0 1.3 < 6 Atlantic cod - N Gulf of St. Lawrence 3.2 10.0 10.0 0.8 5.2 Atlantic cod - Newfoundland < 6 10.0 < 6 < 6 6 Atlantic cod - N Scotian Shelf < 6 10.0 8 < 6 < 6 Atlantic cod - N Labrador < 6 10.0 10.0 < 6 N/A Newfoundland (2J3KL): Still at historically low levels, but some early signs of rebuilding. Ensure recovery continues and leads back to full health. Requires government support to catch sector to maintain offshore moratorium / keep F low, until SSB recovers or strong year classes recruit to the fishery. Same applies to other historically smaller Canadian and US stocks 9
Cod Improvement Priorities SFP convenes a roundtable of European and North American suppliers to engage and support multiple US and Canadian cod FIPs being run by local producers. Roundtable met in Boston last year, discussed the following conditions for resuming sourcing from reopening fisheries: Biomass should be above levels needed for healthy breeding and new recruitment Maybe, if a huge year-class is confirmed, fishery can responsibly reopen at a lower biomass level If a fishery reopens before rebuilding above minimum levels, avoid sourcing until rebuilding is more advanced 10
Biomass and Limits Fishery name Biomass estimate (in 1000 tonnes) Year Biomass Limit Reference Point (in 1000 tonnes) Limit Reference Point: Official or Unofficial? Atlantic cod - Georges Bank (NAFO 5Z) 17.67 2007 74.04 Atlantic cod - Gulf of Maine 33.88 2007 29.12 Atlantic cod - N Gulf of St. Lawrence (NAFO 3Pn, 4RS) [ 32 2009 140 Official Atlantic cod - N Labrador (NAFO 2G, H) 0.78 2006 None NA Unofficial, half of Btarget (SFP) Unofficial, half of Btarget (SFP) Unofficial (based on a q- corrected Research Vessel data - FS) Atlantic cod - N Scotian Shelf (NAFO 4Vs, W) 13.08 2007 RK 50 =23.94, BH 50 =33.67 Atlantic cod - Newfoundland (NAFO 2J, 3KL) 29 2007 >300 Atlantic cod - S Grand Bank (NAFO 3N, O) 12.73 2010 60 Official Atlantic cod - S Gulf of St. Lawrence (NAFO 4T, Vn) 28.24 2009 80 Official Atlantic cod - S Scotian Shelf and Bay of Fundy (NAFO 4X, 5Yb) 9 2008 Atlantic cod - St. Pierre Bank (NAFO 3Ps) Ratio of 1.07 above limit 2010 25, also set as target 13 and 36, set as Brecovery Unofficial (Rivard and Rice 2003) Official Official 11
Other Whitefish status by volume The share of current global whitefish supply now green rated on stock health grew from 51% in 2011 to 68% in 2012. The share of global supply green rated for precautionary low levels of fishing mortality stayed flat: 68% in 2011 and 66% in 2012. The share red-rated on stock stayed the same. 12
Other Whitefish climbers Management Quality scores Stock status scores Scientific advice Managers Fishers Relative Fishing Fishery name precautionary compliance compliance Biomass Mortality Haddock - Barents Sea 8 10 9.6 10 9.1 Hoki - New Zealand Eastern 8 10 10 10 10 Haddock - North Sea 8.7 10 9.1 10 8.9 Shallow-water Cape hake - South African stock 8 10 10 10 8 Haddock - S Scotian Shelf and Bay of Fundy 10 10 10 9.2 10 Hoki - New Zealand Western 8 10 10 8.6 9.5 Alaska pollock - E Bering Sea 8.4 8.4 10 8.1 9.9 Alaska pollock - Sea of Okhotsk 10 9.1 6 10 8.3 North Pacific hake 6 10 10 10 9.4 Saithe - Barents Sea 7.5 10 10 10 8.2 Alaska pollock - W Bering Sea 8 6 6 10 6 Haddock - Georges Bank 7.0 10 10 10 9.4 Saithe - Icelandic 6 6 8.7 8.4 6.7 New Zealand Southern blue whiting - Campbell Island Rise 6 10 10 8.1 8 Haddock - Gulf of Maine 6 10 10 8.0 9.7 Deep-water Cape hake - South African stock 8 10 10 7.5 6 New Zealand Southern blue whiting - Bounty platform 6 10 10 7.4 6 Alaska pollock - Aleutian Islands 10 10 10 7.3 10 Southern hake - Pacific Patagonian 6 9.3 6 6.3 6 Haddock - Icelandic 6 8.9 7.5 6 6.7 Russian pollock FIP: good catcher and supply chain engagement with regulators North Pacific hake biomass rebuilt Icelandic saithe and haddock score better after reference points introduced 13
Other Whitefish league bottom Management Quality scores Stock status scores Scientific advice Managers Fishers Relative Fishing Fishery name precautionary compliance compliance Biomass Mortality Saithe - Faroese < 6 < 6 6 10 6.6 Southern blue whiting - Chilean 6 0 10 8.5 6 Hoki - Argentine < 6 4.4 10 8.0 6 Saithe - North Sea 8.7 10 10 6.6 4.1 Alaska pollock - Japanese Pacific 6 4.4 9.7 6 7.9 Peruvian hake 6 10 10 6 0.4 Argentine hake - South of 41ºS 5.0 7.7 6.9 5.8 7.0 Haddock - Faroese < 6 0 0 5.6 < 6 Hoki - Chilean < 6 0 10 4.5 < 6 South Pacific hake - Chilean < 6 4.2 10 4.0 9.8 Deep-water Cape hake - Namibian < 6 7.1 9.8 3.6 N/A Argentine hake - North of 41ºS 1.5 2 < 6 2.7 3.5 Faroese saithe, Chilean SBW: improvements required in management. N Sea saithe, Peru hake: require urgent reductions in F. Namibia: lack of public data / recent assessments of great concern. Chile southern hake, South Pacific hake; declining stocks. Argentine hake: still in serious trouble and showing little improvement. 14
Whitefish in FIPs / MSC 15
Whitefish in FIPs / MSC Whitefish fisheries with SFP FIP and yet to engage with MSC (15%) Whitefish fisheries with no SFP FIP and no MSC engagement (5%) Whitefish fisheries with MSC engagement and nothing to do with SFP (38%) Whitefish fisheries with MSC as a result of SFP FIP (42%) 16
Whitefish biomass trends 2000-2011 Total biomass (47 main stocks, with some guestimates for 2011) 17
Main Conclusion Successful rebuilding efforts in several major fisheries means outlook for stocks and rawmaterial supply is positive. But significant room for improvement globally: Progress on reducing environmental impacts is slower. Many fisheries still require significant improvements, including many overfished ones that have historically been very significant sources of fish. MSC-certified fisheries need to close conditions. 18
Improvement Needs in MSC- C Fisheries FIPs/improvements should be carried out in fisheries un4l they can reach the level of an uncondi4onal pass if applied to the MSC standards. Nearly all fisheries upon ini4al cer4fica4on to the MSC standards have condi4ons (i.e., improvement needs) 4ed to them. FIPs provide a structured and transparent way to close out MSC condi4ons. Examples: Barents Sea cod/haddock open condi4ons are focus of the FIP 19
Improvement Needs in BoHom- trawl Fisheries Many bozom- trawl fisheries are healthy and well- managed. In those cases, NGO focus shi]s to impact on environment and biodiversity. If impacts on the benthic environment are known and adequate protec4ons of representa4ve benthic biodiversity of high value can be demonstrated, no further ac4on needed. If bozom fishing is occurring in an area/ecosystem and it isn't known whether the impacts are acceptable or whether exis4ng protec4ons are adequate, then freeze the fishing footprint and gather data/conduct analysis. 20
Improvement Needs in BoHom- trawl Fisheries SFP Report with prac4cal steps for benthic protec4on Official report release in Brussels (April 2012) 21
Canadian cod FIP: Ongoing work 22
Gulf of Maine cod: FIP scoping 23
Russian pollock FIP: Ongoing work 24
South America FIPs: Ongoing work 25
Buyer Feedback on Whitefish FIPs How are these FIPs helping major buyers meet their expecta4ons / fulfilling their public commitments? progress, lessons, observa4ons? Any buyers in the room care to share thoughts? 26
QuesUons/Discussion 27