Report of the ICES Reports/ICES Advice... Report of the ICES Advisory Committee 2012. ICES Advice, 2012

ICES ADVICE 2012 AVIS DU CIEM

Books 1- 10

Report of the ICES Advisory Committee 2012

Book 4 The Faroe Plateau Ecosystem

International Council for the Exploration of the Sea Conseil International pour l’Exploration de la Mer

H.C. Andersens Boulevard 44-46 DK-1553 Copenhagen V Denmark Telephone (+45) 33 38 67 00 Telefax (+45) 33 93 42 15 www.ices.dk info@ices.dk Report of the ICES Advisory Committee 2012. Books 1 - 10 December 2012 Recommended format for purposes of citation: ICES. 2012. Report of the ICES Advisory Committee 2012. ICES Advice, 2012. Book 4. 33 pp. For permission to reproduce material from this publication, please apply to the General Secretary.

ISBN 978-87-7482-119-9

BOOK 4 Section Page 4 THE FAROE PLATEAU ECOSYSTEM ............................................................................................................... 1

4.1 Ecosystem Overview ...................................................................................................................................... 1 4.2 Human impacts on the ecosystem .................................................................................................................. 1

4.2.1 Fishery effects on benthos and fish communities ........................................................................... 1

4.3 Assessments and advice ................................................................................................................................. 1

4.3.1 Assessments and advice regarding protection of biota and habitats ............................................... 1 4.3.2 Assessments and advice regarding fisheries................................................................................... 1

4.4 Stock summaries ......................................................................................................................................... 4

4.4.1 Cod in Subdivision Vb1 (Faroe Plateau) ........................................................................................ 4 4.4.2 Cod in Subdivision Vb2 (Faroe Bank).......................................................................................... 11 4.4.3 Haddock in Division Vb .............................................................................................................. 15 4.4.4 Saithe in Division Vb ................................................................................................................... 24

ICES Advice 2011, Book 4 1

4 FAROE PLATEAU ECOSYSTEM 4.1 Ecosystem overview This Section has not been updated in 2012. The most recent ecosystem overview is available in ICES Advisory Report 2008, Section 4.1. This overview can also be found on the ICES website: http://www.ices.dk/committe/acom/comwork/report/2008/2008/4.1-4.2%20Faroe%20plateau%20ecosystem%20overview.pdf 4.2 Human impacts on the ecosystem 4.2.1 Fishery effects on benthos and fish communities This Section has not been updated in 2012. The most recent description on Fishery effects on benthos and fish communities is available in ICES Advisory Report 2008, Section 4.2. This description can also be found on the ICES website http://www.ices.dk/committe/acom/comwork/report/2008/2008/4.1-4.2%20Faroe%20plateau%20ecosystem%20overview.pdf: 4.3 Assessments and Advice 4.3.1 Assessment and advice regarding protection of biota and habitats In 2012, ICES has not provided advice regarding protection of biota and habitats for this area. 4.3.2 Assessments and Advice regarding fisheries Mixed fisheries and fisheries interactions This Section has not been updated in 2012. The most recent description on mixed fisheries and fisheries interactions is available in ICES Advisory Report 2008, Section 4.3. This description can also be found on the ICES website: http://www.ices.dk/committe/acom/comwork/report/2008/2008/4.3%20Faroe%20Islands%20Fisheries%20Advice.pdf. Sources of Information ICES. 2008. Report of the ICES Advisory Committee, 2008. ICES Advice, 2008. Book 4.

http://www.ices.dk/committe/acom/comwork/report/2008/2008/4.1-4.2%20Faroe%20plateau%20ecosystem%20overview.pdf http://www.ices.dk/committe/acom/comwork/report/2008/2008/4.1-4.2%20Faroe%20plateau%20ecosystem%20overview.pdf http://www.ices.dk/committe/acom/comwork/report/2008/2008/4.3%20Faroe%20Islands%20Fisheries%20Advice.pdf

2 ICES Advice 2010, Book 4

The state and advice of the individual stocks are presented in the stock sections. The state of stocks and advice (according to the Section 1.2) are summarized in the table below. Table 4.3.2.1 State of the stock and advice in the Faroe Plateau ecoregion. Stock State of the stock Outlook options ICES advice Fishing mortality

in relation to FMSY

Fishing mortality in relation to precautionary approach (FPA/Flim)

Spawning biomass in relation to MSY Btrigger

Spawning biomass in relation to precautionary approach (BPA/Blim)

MSY approach (within the precautionary approach)

Precautionary approach / considerations

Management plan

(in tonnes or effort)

Faroe Plateau Cod Above target

Increased risk

Below trigger

Increased risk

Effort should be reduced such that fishing mortality in 2013 will be no more than F = 0.20, corresponding to a 63% reduction in the present fishing mortality

F below Fpa of 0.35 translate into reduction in fishing mortality by 30% as compared to the average of the last 3 years

- MSY approach: F

ICES Advice 2011, Book 4 3

Table 4.3.2.3 Status of data rich stocks (n=3) for the Faroe Plateau ecoregion relative to MSY and PA reference points for Fishing Mortality (F) and Spawning Stock Biomass (SSB). Table shows percentage of stocks per stock status. Values in brackets denote the number of data rich stocks per stock status.

Spawning Stock Biomass…

is at or above MSY Btrigger SSB2012 > MSY Btrigger

is below MSY Btrigger SSB2012 < MSY Btrigger

is not defined

M SY

A pp

ro ac

h

Fishing Mortality…

is at or below MSY

(F2011 < FMSY)

- - -

is above MSY (F2011 > FMSY)

33% (1) 67% (2) -

is not defined

- - -

is at or above PA SSB2012 > Bpa

is at increased risk Bpa > SSB2012 > Blim

is below limit SSB2012 < Blim

is not defined

Pr ec

au tio

na ry

A pp

ro ac

h Fishing Mortality…

is at or below PA (F2011 < Fpa)

- - - -

is at increased risk

(Flim > F > Fpa) - 33% (1) 33% (1) -

is above PA (F2011 > Fpa)

33% (1) - - -

is not defined

- - - -

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4 ICES Advice 2012, Book 4

4.4.1 Advice June 2012 ECOREGION Faroe Plateau ecosystem STOCK Cod in Subdivision Vb1 (Faroe Plateau) Advice for 2013 ICES advises on the basis of the MSY approach that effort should be reduced such that fishing mortality in 2013 will be no more than F = 0.20, corresponding to a 63% reduction in the present fishing mortality. Stock status

F (Fishing Mortality) 2009 2010 2011

MSY (FMSY) Above target Precautionary approach (Fpa,Flim)

Increased risk

SSB (Spawning-Stock Biomass) 2010 2011 2012

MSY (Btrigger) Below trigger Precautionary approach (Bpa,Blim)

Increased risk

Figure 4.4.1.1 Cod in Subdivision Vb1 (Faroe Plateau). Summary of stock assessment (weights in thousand tonnes). Top

right: SSB/F for the time-series used in the assessment. SSB has remained around Blim since 2005. Fishing mortality has decreased since 2002 and is now between Flim and Fpa, but still above FMSY. The 2009 year class is estimated to be below average. Management plans A group representing the Ministry of Fisheries, the Faroese industry, the University of the Faroe Islands, and the Faroe Marine Research Institute has developed a management plan based on general maximum sustainable yield (MSY) principles developed by ICES. The plan has not yet been discussed by the political system.

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