Overview of Northeast Atlantic Stocks Seminar State of Fish Stocks in European Waters (Brussels, September 17, 2013) Carmen Fernández, ICES ACOM vice-chair

Summarize biological status of main stocks of interest for EU fisheries presentation focuses on stocks for which ICES has provided advice so far this year not all stocks are here...! Related work: mixed fisheries, multispecies Summarize biological status of main stocks of interest for EU fisheries presentation focuses on stocks for which ICES has provided advice so far this year not all stocks are here...! Related work: mixed fisheries, multispecies

ECOREGIONS Iceland and East Greenland Seas Barents Sea Faroe Plateau Ecosystem Norwegian Sea Celtic Sea and West of Scotland North Sea Bay of Biscay and Iberian Waters Baltic Sea Oceanic northeast Atlantic

General trends in the Northeast Atlantic all ecoregions ICES (2012). Report of the ICES Advisory Committee. Book 1, 140 pp analysis, based on 46 of the assessed stocks: F has strongly decreased Proportion of stocks with F at or below F MSY has increased over time

ICES assesses status of stocks annually, as: Spawning stock biomass (SSB) Fishing mortality (F) ICES Advice ICES advises annually on catch options for next year based on: Agreed Management Plans (if precautionary) ICES MSY Approach (or Transition to MSY approach in 2015) ICES Precautionary Approach For stocks without full assessment and forecast, quantitative advice provided since 2012 based on: Data Limited Stocks methods

Celtic Sea & West, Southwest Ireland Cod (VIIe-k) Haddock (VIIb-k) Whiting (VIIe-k) Plaice (CS; VIIh-k; VIIbc) Sole (CS; VIIh-k; VIIbc) Northern hake Anglerfish (VIIb-k, VIIIabd) Megrim (VIIb-k, VIIIabd) Nephrops (FUs ) Western Channel Plaice (VIIe) Sole (VIIe) West of Scotland & Rockall Cod (VIa; VIb) Haddock (VIa; VIb) Whiting (VIa; VIb) Anglerfish (IIIa,IV,VI) Megrim (IVa-VIa; VIb) Nephrops (FUs ) Irish Sea Cod Haddock Whiting Plaice Sole Nephrops (FUs ) Celtic Seas ecoregion

1/7 just above F MSY + 3/7 at F MSY or less Celtic Seas: Cod, Haddock, Whiting, Hake ref. points 4/6 above MSY Btrigger trends

Celtic Seas: Plaice, Sole, Megrim ref. points 2/5 at F MSY or less 4/5 above MSY Btrigger trends

North Sea ecoregion NORTH SEA: Cod (IV, Skagerrak, VIId) Haddock (IV, Skagerrak) Whiting (IV, VIId) Saithe (IV, IIIa, VI) Plaice (IV) Sole (IV) Cod in Kattegat Whiting in Skagerrak & Kattegat Plaice in Skagerrak Plaice in SD Sole in Skagerrak, Kattegat & SD New quantitative advice this year (DLS): Brill, Dab, Flounder, Lemon sole, Turbot (IV; IIIa), Witch Short lived: Sandeel, Norway pout, Sprat (IV, IIIa) Nephrops EASTERN CHANNEL Plaice (VIId) Sole (VIId)

North Sea: Cod, Haddock, Whiting, Saithe 2/3 at F MSY or less ref. points trends 1/3 above MSY Btrigger + 1/3 just below

North Sea: Plaice, Sole 2/5 just above F MSY + 2/5 at F MSY or less ref. pointstrends 3/4 above MSY Btrigger

North Sea: 2/5 at F MSY or less Nephrops 3/4 below MSY Btrigger Sandeel, N pout, sprat 2/4 above MSY Btrigger + 1/4 just below

Celtic Seas, N Sea: Herring West of Scotland Celtic Sea & S Ireland N&W Ireland Irish Sea North Sea Western Baltic

Celtic Seas, N Sea: Herring 4/5 at F MSY or less ref. points 2/3 above MSY Btrigger trends

Bay of Biscay & Iberia ecoregion IBERIA (VIIIc, IXa): Hake Anglerfish (pisc.) Anglerfish (budeg.) Megrim (whiff.) Megrim (bosc.) Sardine H. mackerel (IXa) BAY OF BISCAY: Sole Anchovy Nephrops VIIIc, IXaN IXaS VIIIab New stocks (DLS): whiting plaice sole pollack grey gurnard sardine 7+8abd sea bass

Biscay & Iberia: all stocks 1/7 just above F MSY + 4/7 at F MSY or less ref. points 3/3 above MSY Btrigger trends

Baltic ecoregion Cod SD Cod SD HERRING: Bothnian Bay Bothnian Sea Gulf Riga Central Baltic Sprat SD Flatfishes (DLS): Plaice, Brill, Dab, Flounder, Turbot Salmon & Trout

1/6 just above F MSY + 4/6 at F MSY or less Baltic: Cod, Sprat, Herring ref. points 6/6 above MSY Btrigger trends

Overall conclusions: Improving situation over the years F has come down strongly (many stocks now at F MSY ) SSB increasing some stocks still having problems

Mixed fisheries (technical interactions) Fisheries catch several species at the same time If ignored in management, this can lead to: under- or over-utilization of fishing opportunities discarding jeopardize recovery of weak stocks Since 2012, ICES North Sea advice presents an analysis of mixed fishery implications under current TAC and effort regimes: highlights main points of friction between single-species objectives Similar analyses developing for West of Scotland & Iberian Waters Other approaches (taking into account spatial and technical effects across a species assemblage) also considered Requires interaction with managers and stakeholders

Mixed fisheries analysis for North Sea: 5 example scenarios * Individual stock objectives can not all be achieved simultaneously * In 2014, the TAC (single-stock advice) for cod is the most limiting * Max scenario leads to F(2014) > F pa for cod, saithe and sole in VIId (not precautionary) * Individual stock objectives can not all be achieved simultaneously * In 2014, the TAC (single-stock advice) for cod is the most limiting * Max scenario leads to F(2014) > F pa for cod, saithe and sole in VIId (not precautionary) Landings bigger than TAC Landings below TAC

Responses of stocks to changes in fishing pressure affected by biological interactions (predation, competition...) Multispecies (biological interactions): expected increases in stock abundance based on an individual-stock MSY approach unlikely to occur simultaneously

Some multispecies aspects incorporated in ICES single-stock advice (e.g. natural mortality dependent on predator populations) More comprehensive incorporation under development (but complex and requires dialogue to foster further development): Advice should present precautionary boundaries & highlight main trade-offs Started with Baltic Sea & North Sea In Baltic: trade-offs between cod and (herring & sprat) In North Sea: all species strongly affected by F of cod and saithe indirect predation effects also important (e.g. cod, haddock, sandeel) Data needs (stomach data) of vital importance for advice development Multispecies (biological interactions):

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