North Sea Cod Recovery: A look at management options

John PowellCountryside and Community Research Institute

• Explore a range of alternative management options for fisheries management

• Describe the effects of different approaches to managing mixed fisheries

• Describe impact on operation of fishing vessels

• Describe fishermen’s perceptions of the options

Aims of the project

Sample Characteristics

• 19 useable responses• All operate in the North

Sea, 4 in WoS, 2 in E. Channel, 4 in other areas.

• Majority using demersal trawl

• 12 targeting Cod• Cod quota ranges 0 – 500

tonnes. Only 4 have quota >100t

• 10 have Haddock quota >100t

Species Targeted

Management Approaches: Description

• Continue the current management plan (landing TACs, effort controls)• Simplified derogations for fleets reducing cod catch

1• Mixed fishery catch quotas reduced to match across species• In-year increases if Cod catches kept below limit

• Individual vessel/business catch quotas set at single species level• Vessel must tie up once any single quota is exhausted

• Effort based real-time incentives• Each vessel allocated ‘fishing credits’

2

3 4

Management Option 1: Effects

Management Option 1: Financial impacts

Management Option 1: Problems & Benefits

“Even when targeting other species Cod are unavoidable...and I am fed up with any system which makes me throw away good fish...”

“Leasing costs are a major issue if you can access the quota...last 8 months of the year is a killer, high lease costs, closing species, no profit”

“Possible cut in days at sea”

“Quotas need to increase to realistic level”

“Too much Cod in the North Sea”

“There are no benefits”

“High catching Cod vessels have invested in Cod quota to cover catches, work large mesh sizes and have little discards”

I would prefer this as I still hold enough quota to fish”

“Still a bit of flexibility”

Management Option 2: Effects

Management Option 2: financial impact

Management Option 2: Problems & Benefits

“Sea is full of fish, reducing quotas is main problem”

“With quota levels low on any species one good haul can put our year’s fishing in jeopardy”

Keeping Cod quota artificially low does not work and results in high discards of both maturae and juvenile Cod”

“It is impossible to reduce the North Sea to a negative discard fishery as long as quotas exist”

“Reducing catch possibilities”

“It’s still very much a non-profit scenario”

“Leasing costs should decrease”

“Banking and borrowing is a good idea”

“None”

Management Option 3

Management Option 3: financial impact

Management Option 3: Problems & Benefits

“I cannot take all my quota”

“It’s impossible to fish and avoid Cod due to their abundance”

“Will not work because the small quota on Whiting would stop you fishing within weeks”

“Unworkable – impossible to stop fishing when one species is caught”

“There has always been a dominant species, - trying to regulate the fishery on one species will always result in abuse and discards of the dominant species”

“CCTV is very good on reducing Cod discards and making the skipper think where to fish and with what size”

“Vessels with high quota will be able to fish as they should those that have no quota will have to stop fishing sooner”

“Reducing discards and getting extra quota in long term will reduce leasing costs”

“Banking and borrowing with 15% limit”

Management Option 4

Management Option 4: financial impact

Management Option 4: Problems & Benefits

“If a vessel stopped for too long we would lose men to other industries.”

“Appears to be the best – but still a big question mark – some boats get bigger credits than others – how do you pay the banks when you have been tied up for 6 months?”

“Deciding the areas – making a complex job even more so - policing”

“Would probably be tied up too long”

“No fishing for the market”

“Easy to shaft the fleet again because we will never get enough credits”

“..increased costs are not of our making”

“None for larger vessels”

“If done correctly could be a way forward, fishing becoming a part-time job with full-time expenses”

“It might stop discards”

“Free for all for a limited time, making everyone equal, and doing away with quota leasing system”

“Less regulations than the current system”

Management options: ease of enforcement

Management option

Very easy Easy Difficult Very difficult

Option 1 1 8 3 1

Option 2 0 4 6 3

Option 3 4 2 2 4

Option 4 3 3 4 2

Perceptions of impactsActivity Harder No different/easier

Fishing effort > Half say 3 and 4 is harder 25% say all Options are easier

Controlling costs Options 2 and 3 appear more negative

Option 4 has fewer negative responses

Controlling quota For Cod 2 & 3 appears more negative

Option 1 appears easiest for other species

Reducing discards For Cod and other species Options 2&3 appear more negative

For Cod and other species Option 1 no different

Using my knowledge Options 2 & 3 more negative

Fishing safely Majority saying no difference under all Options

Adapting effort to controls Option 3 has most negative responses

Majority saying no difference under all Options

Overall impressions

• Option 3 seems least preferred

• Strong focus on quota issues – if you have quota there are fewer problems

• Option 4 – more uncertainty – but has potential

• Financial impacts more negative on Option 3 – more uncertain for Option 4

• Enforcement – easiest for Option 1, hardest for Option 2, less certain for 3 & 4

Overall impressions...

• Options range from the known and familiar to the unknown...

• Small sample size• Major focus on quota

and perception of Cod abundance

• Support for CCTV and banking/borrowing

• Leasing Cod quota imposes high costs