1. Status and Exploitation of European Fish Stocks
Rainer Froese, GEOMAR
Pew Fellows Meeting 2016
21 October 2016, Noordwijk, Netherlands

2. Overview Crash course in fisheries management
Main prescriptions of the CFP
Status of European stocks
Policy evaluation
Economic aspects
Conclusions

3. Quick & Dirty Definitions
MSY is the maximum catch that a stock can support; taking more will shrink the stock and will shrink future catches
Bmsy is the smallest biomass (stock size) that can support MSY
F is the proportion of fish in the water (on average over the year) that are killed by the fishery
Fmsy is the maximum F that is compatible with the MSY concept; Fmsy will lead to MSY and Bmsy, albeit very slowly
Bmey is the biomass with maximum profit for the fishers
Bpa is the biomass below which reproduction may be compromised

4. The MSY Framework

5. Outside safe biological limits
The MSY Framework
High biomass
High profit
High catch
Overfishing
CFP 2013
Recovering
Outside safe biological limits

6. Common Fisheries Policy (CFP, 2013)
All fish stocks have to be rebuilt above the level that can produce maximum sustainable yields (MSY)
Until 2015, fishing pressure has to be reduced at least to a level compatible with MSY (exceptions possible until 2020)
Additional measures such as minimum landing sizes and protected areas are to be established to protect juvenile fish
Negative impacts of fishing on the ecosystem are to be minimized

7. European Stocks in 2013-2015 ◄ Management Decision ►
◄ F & Reproduction & Growth ►
Analysis of 397 stocks in European Seas and adjacent waters, Froese et al (in press)

8. CFP compliance
by Ecoregion

9. Stocks with CFP-compliant Fishing Pressure
Analysis of 397 stocks in European Seas and adjacent waters, Froese et al (in press)

10. Stocks with CFP-compliant Stock Size
Analysis of 397 stocks in European Seas and adjacent waters, Froese et al (in press)

11. Median Fishing Pressure in European Seas
Analysis of 397 stocks in European Seas and adjacent waters, Froese et al (in press)

12. Median Biomass relative to Bmsy
Analysis of 397 stocks in European Seas and adjacent waters, Froese et al (in press)

13. Reducing Fishing Pressure to Fmsy by 2015
Example: North Sea
Analysis of 45 stocks in European Seas and adjacent waters, Froese et al (in press)

14. The Foregone Sustainable Catch
If stocks are rebuilt above the level that can produce MSY, and if 90% of MSY is taken as a precautionary target, the catches from European waters can be increased by 57%.
Because there will be many more fish in the water, these catches can be taken with less effort, less by-catch, less impact, less cost, and higher profits.
Analysis of 397 stocks in European Seas and adjacent waters, Froese et al (in press)

15. Catch and Profit as a Function of F/M
If fish are caught at the right size, the maximum economic yield (MEY) is obtained at about 60% of Fmsy .
EC- Fisheries
Relative yield and value as a function of fishing pressure.
F/M < 0.83 results in B > 0.5 B Minimizing impact of fishing, Froese et al. 2016

16. Conclusions
The CFP sets the correct goal of rebuilding stocks above levels that can produce MSY
An analysis of all European stocks shows that the goal of F <= Fmsy by 2015 has been missed by a large margin
Therefore, there is no visible trend of rebuilding European fish stocks
The Council has to be forced to implement the CFP

17. Thank You