Recent Trends in Global and European Fisheries Bio-Resources from the Oceans Berlin, Nov 2011 Rainer Froese, IFM-GEOMAR

Overview Status and trends in global fish stocks Status and trends in European fish stocks Comments on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy Summary

Status and Trends in Global Fish Stocks

Fish Used to Be Big..

.. and numerous

Development of the fishery 1376 First bottom trawls 1880 – Steam engine replaces sails and men Modern fishery: huge trawls can be operated anywhere

The Atlantic Dawn (now Annelies Ilena), built with European subsidies and operated from Ireland and the Netherlands, is the largest trawler of the World, with 144 m length, 14,000 HP, and 63 crew members, operating off West-Africa. She may catch during one trip as much as 7000 African fishers in one year.

Destruction of the Seafloor Photos: Dr. K. Sainsbury, CSIRO before after

The trails of otter boards courtesy F. Grassle

Shrimp Fishers off China QuickBird satellite on 20 February 2003, off the coast of Jiangsu province near the mouth of the Yangtze River

In the Gulf of Mexico Photo courtesy of Dr. Kyle van Houten (Duke University)

(t/km 2 ) Biomass of commercial fish1900 Christensen et al. 2003

and in 2000…. Christensen et al. 2003

Catch per 100 Hooks Blue Marlin Swordfish Bluefin Tuna Mahi mahi

Source: Myers and Worm Nature 423:

Source: Myers and Worm Nature 423:

Source: Myers and Worm Nature 423:

Source: Myers and Worm Nature 423:

Source: Myers and Worm Nature 423:

Source: Myers and Worm Nature 423:

Source: Myers and Worm Nature 423:

Source: Myers and Worm Nature 423:

Source: Myers and Worm Nature 423:

Source: Myers and Worm Nature 423:

Source: Myers and Worm Nature 423:

Source: Myers and Worm Nature 423:

Source: Myers and Worm Nature 423:

Source: Myers and Worm Nature 423:

Source: Myers and Worm Nature 423:

Source: Myers and Worm Nature 423:

Source: Myers and Worm Nature 423:

Source: Myers and Worm Nature 423:

Source: Myers and Worm Nature 423:

Source: Myers and Worm Nature 423:

Source: Myers and Worm Nature 423:

Source: Myers and Worm Nature 423:

Source: Myers and Worm Nature 423:

Source: Myers and Worm Nature 423:

Source: Myers and Worm Nature 423:

Source: Myers and Worm Nature 423:

Source: Myers and Worm Nature 423:

Source: Myers and Worm Nature 423:

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Trends in Global Fish Stocks Froese & Kesner-Reyes 2002, Worm et al. 2006, Froese et al. 2008, Froese et al. submitted

About 1/3 of global catches are reduced to fish meal and fish oil

Status and Trends in European Fish Stocks

Ray Beverton and Sidney Holt 1957 Founders of modern fisheries science

Three Terms Biomass (B) is the body weight of the fish in the water MSY is the Maximum Sustainable Yield that can be taken from a population (=stock) of fish indefinitely B msy is the biomass that a fish stock must have, so that it can deliver the maximum sustainable yield MSY

Legal Background The Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982), in force since 1994, requires countries to maintain stocks in their EEZ such that they can produce MSY The precautionary principle is contained in the EU-Contract. It requires that in case of uncertainty, the less dangerous margin of error has to be used as target. This is explicitly applicable to the use of natural resources. So far, UNCLOS has been implemented only by New Zealand, Australia and the USA. And Europe? 50

How does European Fisheries Management work (until 2009) ? Scientists advise catch levels that just prevent the collapse of the stocks The European Commission—after interventions of ‘stake holders’—proposes slightly higher catches The 27 European Ministers of Agriculture decide catches that are on average 48% above the scientific advice Fishers exceed the allowed catches by up to 40% (through discards)

Biomass Reference Points Cod, Eastern Baltic Froese & Proelß Fish & Fisheries 2010

Biomass and Yield of Eastern Baltic Cod Froese & Proelß Fish & Fisheries 2010

Status of European Fish Stocks 54 Landings from ICES 2010, MSY from Froese and Proelß 2010

Fishing Mortality of European Fish Stocks Average fishing pressure on European fish stocks. The lower arrow indicates the path if 75% of the stocks were to be fished at the maximum sustainable rate in However, with the trend since 2000, that target will be missed by more than 30 years. Froese and Proelß Fish & Fisheries 2010 UNCLOSCFPFAO/UNFSAJPOIDamanaki

Why Should Europe Care about Global Fisheries? 42% of the global trade in fish and fish products is imported by Europe A CFP reform that correctly implements the Law of the Sea, such as done by USA, NZ and AUS, will force others to follow A failed CFP reform will encourage continued overfishing, in Europe and globally US$ 1.2 billion European fish exports into the USA will be endangered 56

Comments on the Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy The Commission has published in 2009 a Green Book that correctly names most of the problems and issues to be dealt with The Commission has published in 2011 a reform proposal that tackles many, but not all of the issues

Two ‚Make-or-Break‘ Issues in the EC Reform Proposal Positive: Stocks are to be maintained ABOVE levels that can produce the maximum sustainable yield MSY

Status of European Stocks Froese et al Fish and Fisheries

Below MSY Level Stressed ecosystems Small fish Small stock size High fluctuations Low, uncertain catch High effort /cost Low / no profit Low impact impossible Subsidies necessary Social status low (exploiters) Above MSY Level Healthy ecosystems Large fish Large stock sizes Low fluctuations High, certain catch Low effort /cost High profit Low impact possible Subsidies not necessary Social status high (custodians) 60

Two ‚Make-or-Break‘ Issues in the EC Reform Proposal Positive: Stocks are to be maintained ABOVE levels that can produce the maximum sustainable yield MSY. Negative: The Council of Ministers continues to fix annual fishing opportunities. Rather, the Councils should only fix long-term mangement plans.

Summary Despite positive developments in NZ, Australia, USA, and some EU stocks, the number of collapsed stocks continues to rise globally In Europe, overfishing continues in many stocks, even if these are outside of safe biological limits The CFP reform proposal of the Commission is a major step in the right direction: its positive elements need to be defended, its major shortcoming (micro-management) needs to be fixed

Refs and Acknowledgements Froese, R., D. Zeller, K. Kleisner and D. Pauly. Submitted. What catch data can tell us about the status of global fisheries. Pauly, D. and R. Froese. In press. Comments on FAO's State of Fisheries and Aquaculture, or 'SOFIA 2010'. Marine Policy. Froese, R. and M. Quaas Three options for rebuilding the cod stock in the eastern Baltic Sea. Marine Ecology Progress Series 434: Froese, R Fishery reform slips through the net. Nature 475:7 Froese, R., T.A. Branch, A. Proelß, M. Quaas, K. Sainsbury and C. Zimmermann Generic harvest control rules for European fisheries. Fish and Fisheries 12: Khalilian, S., R. Froese, A. Proelss, T. Requate Designed for Failure: A Critique of the Common Fisheries Policy of the European Union. Marine Policy 34: Froese, R. and A. Proelß Rebuilding fish stocks no later than 2015: will Europe meet the deadline? Fish and Fisheries 11: Froese, R., A. Stern-Pirlot and K. Kesner-Reyes Out of new stocks in 2020: a comment on “Not all fisheries will be collapsed in 2048”. Marine Policy 33: Froese, R., A. Stern-Pirlot, H. Winker and D. Gascuel Size Matters: How Single-Species Management Can Contribute To Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management. Fisheries Research 92: Froese, R Keep it simple: three indicators to deal with overfishing. Fish and Fisheries 5:86-91 Froese, R. and S. Luna No Relationship between Fecundity and Annual Reproductive Rate in Bony Fish. Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria 34(1):11-20 Froese, R. and K. Kesner-Reyes Impact of fishing on the abundance of marine species. ICES CM 2002/L:12, 15 p.

Thank You Rainer Froese IFM-GEOMAR, Kiel