European Fisheries Management

1
European Fisheries Management

• Rainer Froese
• IFM-GEOMAR

2
European Fisheries Management

• Crash Course in Fisheries Biology
• Crash Course in ICES Assessment
• The EC Common Fisheries Policy
• The Management Process
• Management in Action in the Baltic
• Exercise Present and discuss ICES Advice for
  selected North Sea Stocks (www.ices.dk)

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Natural Mortality of Cod
4
Growth in Weight of Cod
5
Year Class Biomass of Cod
Biomass
Survivors
Weight
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Reproduction of Cod
1. Maturity at 3 years
Optimum size at 8 years
Mean reproductive phase 5 years
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Fishing after Optimum Size
Mean reproductive phase
8
Fishing after Maturity
½ reproductive phase
9
ICES AssessmentCatch and Fishing MortalityFpa
and Flim
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ICES Asessment Stock-Recruitment Relationship
Blim and Bpa
Recruits
Bpa
Blim
SSB
11
ICES AssessmentThe Precautionary Framework
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The Common Fisheries Policy

• A common policy in the sphere of agriculture and
  fisheries, 1958
• First common measures in 1970 on equal access to
  fishing grounds outside a coastal band
  subsidies for modernization of fishing vessels
  etc.
• 200 nm EEZ in 1976
• Common Fisheries Policy since 1983

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The Common Fisheries Policy

• Ensure exploitation of living aquatic resources
  that provides sustainable economic, environmental
  and social conditions.
• Precautionary approach to
• protect and conserve living aquatic resources
• provide for their sustainable exploitation
• minimise the impact of fishing activities on
  marine ecosystems
• efficient fishing activities within an
  economically viable and competitive fisheries and
  aquaculture industry
• provide a fair standard of living for those who
  depend on fishing
• take into account the interests of consumers.

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The Management Process

• DG Fish asks ICES for scientific information and
  advice.
• ICES working groups assess stocks and recommend
  total allowable catch (TAC) including discards
  and unaccounted catch, based on a framework
  aiming to prevent the collapse of stocks.
• Several official committees (ACFA, STECF, RACs)
  apply pressure for higher TACs.
• DG Fish recommends higher TACs (10-30 beyond
  ICES recommendation, ignoring discards and IUU
  catches).
• Council of Agriculture Ministers sets TACS 10-30
  beyond DG Fish recommendation.

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Examples for the Baltic
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Stock Size and Fishing Mortality for Eastern
Baltic Cod
TACs for 2008 ICES recommendation 0
t EC recommendation 31,561 t Council of
Ministers ?? t
17
Stock Size of Western Baltic Cod
TACs for 2008 ICES recommendation lt 13,500
t EC recommendation 17,930 t
(33) Council of Ministers ?? t
18
Eastern Baltic Herring
TACs for 2008 ICES recommendation lt 195,000
t DG Fish recommendation 148,407 t Council of
Ministers ?? t
19
Stock Size of Baltic Sprat
TACs for 2008 ICES recommendation lt
432,000 t DG Fish recommendation 432,000
t Council of Ministers
?? t
20
Landings of Plaice in the Western Baltic
TACs for 2008 ICES recommendation None,
not enough data DG Fish recommendation
3,201 t Council of Ministers
?? t
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Exercises

• Go to www.ices.dk, Latest Advice, Ecoregion North
  Sea
• Select Cod, Plaice and Haddock
• Show current position of stocks in precautionary
  diagram