Section 3 State of the Environment
This section of the report provides a baseline assessment of the UK's marine and coastal characteristics and the current trends in key related biological and socio-economic indicators and its likely evolution without the EFF5. It then goes
Section 3 State of the Environment
This section of the report provides a baseline assessment of the UK's marine and coastal characteristics and the current trends in key related biological and socio-economic indicators and its likely evolution without the EFF5. It then goes on to identify the main environmental issues relevant to fisheries and aquaculture development over the seven year planning period.
3.1 Baseline conditions and trends
In 2005 the fishing industry in the UK had 6,341 fishing vessels, with a further 381 vessels registered in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Some 708,000 tonnes of sea fish were landed into the UK and abroad by the UK fleet with a total value of £571 million. In addition the UK imported some £1,686 million of fish. The UK also exported fish and fish products to the value of £925 million. The UK has a substantial fish processing industry of around 573 businesses, which employ some 18,383 people. At the retail level there were approximately 1.3 thousand fishmongers in the year 2005. 85 per cent in volume and 80 per cent in value of chilled and frozen products were sold through supermarkets. This does not include canned produce. Fish is also consumed in restaurants and in 'take away' from fish and chip shops. A small proportion of the catch is used to make fish oils and animal feeds. Some of the species caught by UK fishing vessels find a better market abroad and these species are usually exported or landed directly abroad. In 2005, UK vessels landed directly into non- UK ports 216 thousand tonnes of sea fish with a value of £115 million (Marine and Fisheries Agency, 2007). Aquaculture in the UK directly employs some 3,980 people, increasing at around 5.4% per annum.
A number of broad environmental topics are identified in Schedule 2 of S.I. 1633 (2004). The main environmental elements relevant to the OP are examined below in terms of their current baseline conditions, historical trends and likely direction without implementation of the OP.
3.1.1 Biodiversity, flora and fauna
The main biological elements affected by fisheries are the target species being removed, the non-target species being impacted in terms of incidental catch, and the physical habitat and its biological communities being affected by controlled and abandoned / lost / discarded fishing gear ( ALDFG). These are examined in more detail below.
Target fish stocks
Each year the International Centre for Exploration of the Seas ( ICES) is asked by fisheries management bodies, such as the European Commission ( EC) and the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission ( NEAFC), to provide advice on the status of fish stocks and on future catch levels. Increasingly that advice is sought and given in a form which provides for a precautionary approach to fisheries management. In recent years, some seriously depleted stocks have become the subject of emergency measures and recovery plan proposals. Since 2003, the TAC and fishing mortality limits for these stocks has been linked to effort control measures such as restricting the number of fishing days at sea. Since the 2002 reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, efforts have been made to put stock management onto a long term basis and management plans have been developed for Western Channel sole, North Sea flatfish, and are being developed for West of Scotland herring. There are also joint long term management arrangements with Norway and other third countries for North Sea herring, saithe, haddock, blue whiting and mackerel. In the light of this and our obligation to the WSSD objectives ICES are developing target fishing mortality rates that are consistent with a large stock strategy.
The UK targets a wide range of demersal and pelagic fisheries. Many of these stocks are shared with other European nations and are managed accordingly. Demersal fisheries in the area are mixed fisheries, with many stocks exploited together in various combinations in different fisheries. In these cases management advice must consider both the state of individual stocks and their simultaneous exploitation in demersal fisheries. Stocks in the poorest condition, particularly those which suffer from reduced reproductive capacity, become the overriding concern for the management of mixed fisheries, where these stocks are exploited either as a targeted species or as a by-catch. The stocks below the Safe Biological Limits ( SBL) that are of particular concern for ICES are shown in Table 2, which indicates the spawning stock biomass and recruitment of age 1 fish over the period 2002 - 2006.
During the 1990s the percentage of fish stocks considered to be 'harvested sustainably' was no more than 20 per cent. By 2000 this was 10 per cent, but has increased to 35 per cent in 2005. Despite such increases, these trends show that around 70 to 75 per cent of fish stocks in seas around the UK have suffered reduced reproductive capacity and have been harvested unsustainably each year since 2001. These are briefly examined below.
According to ICES ( ICES, 2007a) most demersal stocks in the North Sea (IVabc) and Eastern Channel (VIId) are subject to quotas and other controls. In many cases, there is continuing concern over the state of the stocks with some notable exceptions. Key stocks include:
- Cod in the North Sea and Eastern Channel fishing mortality remains above target agreed in the recovery plan despite a marked reduction in fishing effort, although the most recent stock assessment did indicate a modest improvement. The future for gadoid fish is complicated by climate change that compounds the effects of fish mortality.
- Haddock in the North Sea is harvested sustainably and in full reproductive capacity. The long term management plan agreed with the EU and Norway has set a target fishing mortality that is consistent with a large stock strategy. This year the quota has been reduced because the fishing mortality remains above target.
- Anglerfish:, survey data indicate that biomass has been