Jul 09, 2012
Partner advice – North East Atlantic Mackerel
SFP would like to bring to the attention of all stakeholders the significant risks to the sustainability of the North East Atlantic Mackerel fisheries caused by levels of fishing above ICES scientific advice.
According to FishSource, catches in 2009 and 2010 considerably exceeded the levels advised by ICES and imposed by the management plan.
This undermines the management plan, which is only precautionary if the
TAC accounts for all removals (which it currently does not). Since no
effective international agreement exists between all fishing nations the
sum of unilateral TACs for 2011, totaling 959,000 mt (ICES, 2011),
is considerably above the advised TAC of 529-672,000 mt (ICES, 2011).
This has led to the suspension of all North East Atlantic Mackerel MSC certifications from 30 March 2012.
SFP recommends supporting the adoption of, and adherence to, the management plan by all fishing nations. If this does not happen there is a significant risk to fish stocks that could result in long-term negative economic impacts on the harvest sector and supply chain.
Contact: Iain Pollard, iain.pollard@sustainablefish.org