barents sea cod
fishery improvement partnership
Our Fisheries Improvement Partnership for this major fishery evaluated its management based largely on data from the International Council for Exploration of the Sea (ICES). We identified the following areas of mutual concern:
- Illegal landings of 166,000 metric tons in 2005 pushed the total harvest 35 percent above quota.
- These illegal landings undermine management. ICES observed that illegal fishing on this scale renders the fishery’s harvest rule ineffective to the point that, over time, “it is unlikely that the rule itself can protect the stock and future fisheries.”
- The persistence of extensive over-quota fishing also reveals additional weaknesses in governance. These include shortcomings in monitoring, control, surveillance and enforcement, loopholes in catch documentation, reporting failures by nations that import products of the fishery, and other vulnerabilities.
Seafood purchasing companies and the governments of Norway and Russia and the EU have already taken steps to remedy weaknesses in post-harvest tracking of the catch, including virtual elimination of difficult-to-trace reefer vessels flying flags of convenience, commitments to import cod products only through reporting ports; and efforts to verify legality of cod products before buying.
In addition to these initial measures, we recommended the following actions:
- Design supplier contracts to ensure that raw materials are sourced only from the legal catch – with reliable auditing by independent third parties – and to ensure that the terms are feasible for fishers and raw material supplies.
- Maximize the industry-wide use of these contracts as a tool to eliminate illegal fish from supply chains.
- Implement a real-time fish purchases reporting system to help block market access for illegally caught fish.
- Lobby for stronger monitoring, control, surveillance and enforcement in the Barents Sea. While private actions by seafood companies can help to stanch demand for illegally caught cod, government action on this problem is necessary to ensure their success.
February 2010 Update
The latest scientific advice for NE Arctic Cod considers the stock to be harvested sustainably, the agreed management plan was considered by ICES to be consistent with the precautionary approach and IUU has declined significantly. However, the Joint Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission JRNFC has set the 2010 quota at 607.000 tonnes (a 16% increase – which although still within precautionary biomass limits, is above the 10% depicted by the management plan) and ICES considers that the “deviation from the management plan in is not considered to be a precautionary practice”.
Haddock TAC increased by 25% to 243,00 t].
Although the stock status is robust and is broadly meeting the agreed FIP objectives, the FIP continues to monitor the fishery, ensure IUU continues to decline and is looking to mitigate the environmental footprint of the fishery) as seabed impacts remain a concern.
Industry-led iniatives (e.g. sea-bed mapping) – codes of supply / procurement conditions are under development. These voluntary mitigation measures will be implemented via codes of vessel conduct and / or supply conditions will provide conservation benefits and reflect the willingness of the supply chain to contribute to the sustainable management of the Barents Sea demersal fisheries. Additionally, private sector constructive engagement with the authorities will assist in more effective management of marine bioresources.
November 2007 Update
SFP helped seven major buyers send a letter to the Norwegian government seeking more effective ways to identify vessels fishing illegally, and advised Esperen and other companies on the design of an industry-wide standard supplier contract. Following the adoption of the contract, official figures estimated illegal catches of cod and haddock were reduced by 23% and 55% respectively. In October, SFP met with leading companies to discuss future work and formalize the Fishery Improvement Partnership.