discards - new developments in 2011 - seafish - seafish€¦ · discards – new developments in...

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Discards – new developments in 2011 Developments in 2008, 2009 and 2010 can be found at: http://www.seafish.org/fishermen/responsible-sourcing/protecting-fish-stocks/discards Contents Chronological progress of Fish Fight Campaign and follow on Page 2 activities Electronic monitoring/Catch quota management Page 9 Scotland

General policy/Gear technology trials 3 England/Wales/Northern Ireland/Southern Ireland Gear technology trials Page 15 General policy Page 17 Norway/France/Belgium/Faroe Islands/Germany Page 22 European perspective and CFP reform Page 23 For further information: Seafish http://www.seafish.org/fishermen/responsible-sourcing/protecting-fish-stocks/discards

• Revised Seafish Guide to Discards – December 2010. http://www.seafish.org/media/Publications/SeafishGuidetoDiscards_201012.pdf

Defra http://ww2.defra.gov.uk/environment/marine/cfp/discards/ CEFAS http://www.cefas.co.uk/our-science/fisheries-information/marine-fisheries/fishing-gear-technology.aspx

Discards – new developments in 2011

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FISH FIGHT CAMPAIGN and developments from this - launched Nov 2010 1. Launch - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall launches a specific anti-discards campaign on web, facebook and twitter on 16 November: http://www.fishfight.net Now has just over 663,000 supporters. 2. Zac Goldsmith Early Day Motion. 2 December 2010. That this House welcomes the resolution of the `Fish Fight' campaign to eliminate the environmentally and economically damaging practice of discarding fish before landing; is concerned that up to half of all fish trawled in the North Sea are thrown back either dead or dying; further welcomes the campaign's support for the sustainable use of discard species by retailers, suppliers and restaurants to stimulate the creation of new markets for lesser known species; and calls on the Government to demand strong reform of the European Union Common Fisheries Policy to institute a regionalised, ecosystems-based management framework which incentivises the use of selective gear, uses real-time management, including temporary closures, and establishes ecosystem catch quotas rather than single-species landing quotas. Signed by 204 MPs. http://www.edms.org.uk/edms/2010-2011/1123.htm 3. Hugh’s Fish Fight - three programmes by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall on Channel 4 – focus on the three fish we eat the most in the UK: cod, tuna and salmon. He heads out into the North Sea in search of cod and discovers that up to half the fish being caught in the North Sea is being thrown back into the sea dead, due to crazy EU rules. Launch of Hugh’s Fish Fight + campaign for mackerel baps to appear in UK fish and chip shops. Seafish/industry view Programme didn't reveal any surprises - it was largely sympathetic to fishermen but it didn't offer solutions on discards. Minister didn't offer much detail on his own efforts to reduce discards. Hugh's first programme was refreshing in at least one respect - it was probably the only high profile treatment of discarding by a campaigner that hasn't demonised fishermen. Three points:

1. We only saw two fisheries - a big boat in the northwest and a small boat in the southeast - so viewers may well have been left with the impression that they were representative of the UK industry as a whole….. The 'regulatory discards' that we saw are an important part of the problem but there are many other reasons than perverse regulations.

2. No solutions. The only suggestions were either to scrap quotas and introduce days at sea, or to reallocate quota from the over 10m sector to the under 10s. Apart from being mutually incompatible, these ideas would be anathema to fleet sectors that weren't featured.

3. The programme made very little of one of the most biologically significant aspects of discarding - that most of it simply isn't properly counted. If we don't know how many fish we kill by fishing, how can we manage stocks effectively and reduce waste?”


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This created a lot of press coverage and industry support – sample below: What constitutes victory for Hugh's Fish Fight? 14 January 2011. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's campaign to end the practice of discarding dead fish has amply achieved its initial goal of whipping up anger at the absurd way in which the EU's system of fish quotas forces fishermen to throw away millions of tonnes of dead fish every year. But the visceral anger this scandal has provoked rather begs the question: what next? In fact, for all its undoubted effectiveness Hugh's Fish Fight has broken one of the first rules of campaigning: know precisely for what you are campaigning. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jan/14/hugh-fish-fight Blaming foreigners for the vanishing fish. 13 January 2010. It is emotionally satisfying to side with "our" British trawlermen, who risk their lives doing a dangerous yet somehow romantic job in wild seas, and dream of British fish being protected by British coastguard cutters ready to ram and biff foreign invaders. But alas, the true tragedy of EU fisheries policy is a lot more complicated. http://www.economist.com/blogs/bagehot/2011/01/britain_and_eu A Turning Point in European Fisheries? 17 January 2011. Will Hugh Fearnley-Wittingstall’s Fight for Fish campaign mark a turning point in the Common Fisheries Policy? Or will the celebrity chef now move on to turn the spotlight on some other aspect of food production, leaving us pretty much where we are? In particular, what will the campaign, backed by last week’s major Channel 4 focus on fish and fishing, achieve in terms of reducing discards? http://www.nffo.org.uk/news/turning_point.html Eat underused species – but proceed with caution. 5 February 2011. Fish industry experts have played down claims that increasing consumption of underused fish – such as the bycatch species championed by HFW – is not sustainable. The Grocer HFW blog. February 2011. It’s important to mention that this is the first stage of a reform process that will take more than a year to complete and no decisions are going to be made at this point. Claims of “victory” for the campaign would be very premature. http://www.fishfight.net/hugh-blog-contents/ Fishermen attack ‘superficial TV’ discards ban. 1 March 2011. Fishermen have attacked EU chiefs for bending to a “superficial” campaign by television chefs to ban the controversial practice of discarding fish. Bertie Armstrong, the SFF’s chief executive, warned a total ban on discards would be a “draconian step too far” and “could have very serious consequences for a vitally important economic sector that supports many communities around our coasts. It is a knee-jerk response to populist TV coverage which has accurately described the problem, but which offers no solutions,” he said.


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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/8354266/Fishermen-attack-superficial-TV-discards-ban.html HFW article in the Guardian. 1 March 2011. The aim of our campaign was never to dictate policy in Brussels. We set out to show the extent of public outrage on discards, and force politicians to act on it. The Commissioner has made a bold move, but is just the beginning of the debate. I can only hope they come back with a new CFP that both eliminates discards and provides fishermen with a chance to make a living. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/01/plan-end-discards-protects-fishermen?CMP=twt_gu Industry split at plan to halt fish discards. 5 March 2011. EU fisheries commissioner Maria Damanaki has caused a rift in the UK industry after announcing plan to ban fish discards at sea. The Grocer. Retailers get credit in ‘positive’ Fish Fight 2. 26 March 2011. Retailers can breathe a sigh of relief as a summer follow-up to Hugh's Fish Fight looks set to take a more positive tone than the three-part series in January. http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/Articles.aspx?page=articles&ID=216947 Messages of support from: Defra, Scottish Government, Sainsbury’s, Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs, NUFTA, Marks & Spencer, Labour Party, Birds Eye, Seafish, Co-operative Society, Findus, SFF, NFFO, Icelandic, New England Seafoods and Nationwide Caterers Association. http://www.fishfight.net/government-and-industry-supporters/ Hansard debate – 12 May 2011 The following motion was carried: That this House welcomes the Fish Fight campaign; and calls on the Government to vote against proposed reforms of the EU Common Fisheries Policy unless they implement an ecosystems-based approach to fisheries management, end discards in relation to all fish and shellfish with derogation only for species proven to have a high survival rate on discarding, require that all fish and shellfish are harvested at sustainable levels by 2015, ensure the involvement of fishers and other stakeholders in decision-making processes and enable the UK to introduce higher standards of management and conservation in respect of all vessels fishing within its territorial waters, taking into particular account vessel size and environmental impact. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm110512/debtext/110512-0004.htm Project Ocean. 12 May 2011. The Project Ocean event took place on 12th May 2011 in the Oxford Street branch of Selfridges, and is part of a five week programme. The first talk in the series was chaired by Charles Clover, columnist for the Sunday Times, and


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panellists included celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, the Food and Drink Federation, Jerry Percy of New Under Ten Fishermen's Association Ltd (NUTFA), and fashion designer Katharine Hamnett. The debate focused on how we can best prevent overfishing without destroying the livelihoods of those in the fishing industry. http://www.selfridges.com/en/StaticPage/ProjectOcean/?cm_mmc=PPC-_-google-_-na-_-brand+sitelink+-+project+ocean&utm_medium=cpc#/Home/About New Sustainable Seafood Coalition launched. First meeting 12 May 2011. A new seafood coalition endorsed by Fish Fight campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has been formed to take the lead on eliminating fish discards. Major businesses selling seafood including Waitrose, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, The Co-operative, Birds Eye, the Icelandic Group (parent company of The Saucy Fish Co.), Young's Seafood Limited (and parent company Findus Group) and Fish4ever are the first members of the newly formed Sustainable Seafood Coalition (SSC). they have voluntarily decided to sell seafood that is currently underutilised or discarded and to encourage consumers to eat a wider variety of sustainable seafood. http://www.fishupdate.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/15247/Top_seafood_businesses_sign_up_to_ffishing_coalition.html http://www.worldfishing.net/news101/new-sustainable-seafood-coalition-formed http://www.fishnewseu.com/latest-news/uk/5675-sustainable-seafood-coalition-formed-to-eliminate-fish-discards.html Fish Fight lands stunning catch. 21 May 2011. The seafood supply and retail industry feared the worst from Hugh’s Fish Fight, but the chef’s campaigning has brought a sea change, boosting sales of less familiar species, encouraging greater sustainability and spurring the EU into action. The Grocer TV chef takes fish fight to Brussels. 1 June 2011. Celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley- Whittingstall took his high-profile Fish Fight campaign international yesterday, launching a European version in Brussels. http://fishupdate.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/15496/Hugh_takes_Fish_Fight_message_to_Europe.html Now or never for European fisheries says Damanaki. 8 June 2011. European Fisheries Commissioner, Maria Damanaki gave a speech today at Selfridges in London at the opening of the GLOBE World Oceans Day Forum. http://www.fishnewseu.com/latest-news/world/5947-now-or-never-for-european-fisheries-says-damanaki.html http://www.seafish.org/about-seafish/seafood-blog/2011/6/8/world-oceans-day-%E2%80%93-from-the-cfp-to-the-filet-o-fish and http://www.seafish.org/about-seafish/seafood-blog/2011/6/8/how-to-lose-friends-and-influence


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Sainsbury Offers Customers To Switch The Fish. 17 June 2011. Sainsbury’s launched 'switch the fish', a sustainability campaign to encourage customers to eat alternative fish species instead of the popular 'Big 5': cod, haddock, tuna, salmon and prawns. In a move to reduce pressure on the 'Big 5' species, 17 June was the first day when Sainsbury's customers asking for one of the 'Big 5' species of fish from its fish counters will be offered an alternative, lesser known species for free (while stocks last). http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/14994/sainsbury-offers-customers-to-switch-the-fish Waitrose sees long-term changes in fish shopping habits. 5 August 2011. With the follow-up of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Fish Fight programme due to air on Monday (Ch.4, 9pm), Waitrose is gearing up for a surge in sales of alternative fish to the 'big five' fish - as shoppers diversify their fish eating habits. http://www.fishupdate.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/15897 Seafood supplier says restaurant trade has important role in fish debate. 11 August 2011. M&J Seafood, one of Britain's main fish suppliers, is urging chefs and restaurateurs to take time to study the fish discards debate, arguing that they have an important role to play in educating the public on alternative species. http://www.fishupdate.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/15937 Fish Fight brought EU fisheries' waste into our homes. 16 August 2011. The Fish Fight campaign organised by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has achieved something quite remarkable in galvanising public attention on the terrible waste caused by fish being thrown back into the sea dead. Because discarding is something that happens over the horizon it was out of our consciousness. Imagine if half the lambs slaughtered were allowed to litter the countryside – there would have been an outrage right from the start. The Fish Fight has brought the horrible sight of discards into our homes. So Hugh has managed to do something that no politician can. Through four hours of television, he's shown what happens at sea and the disastrous impact of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). He has united the public in calling for change. Source: Richard Benyon. http://fis.com/fis/worldnews/search_brief.asp?l=e&id=45241&ndb=1 Volume of alternative fish sold is up 62% says M&J Seafood. 19 August 2011. The volume of sales of alternative fish gurnard are on the rise according to figures released by leading foodservice supplier M&J Seafood. http://www.fishupdate.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/15985 Hugh’s Fish Fight: The Battle Continues. 8 August 2011. This covered: diversification of consumer tastes, including clips of Sainsbury’s Switch The Fish campaign and M&S work on lesser known fish; Coverage of the Discard Free Town trial in North Shields, Hugh giving the over-quota fish to the


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local school children, and emphasizing that to avoid discards of undersized fish we need to avoid catching them in the first place, but noting that if they are still being caught then there may be a potential use for them in fishmeal. The MMO has granted dispensation for undersized fish to be landed by two vessels, as part of a scientific scoping study undertaken by Cefas, to see what would happen if a larger scale initiative was planned; Filming at the UFI fishmeal factory in Grimsby; Filming of Hugh with Richard Benyon and Damanaki; Coverage of the progress of the CFP and discard ban, including the Motion passed by House of Commons, put forward by Zac Goldsmith, at the Brussels meetings in March and May; at ESE; at the Selfridges event, and at the European launch of the Fish Fight campaign. http://www.seafish.org/media/499891/press%20release%20-%20seafish%20welcomes%20the%20return%20of%20hughs%20fish%20fight.pdf http://www.seafish.org/about-seafish/seafood-blog/2011/8/5/hugh%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98fish-fight%E2%80%99-%E2%80%93-the-round-up-show-by-phil-macmullen By-catch fish for UK plates. 14 September 2011. A new campaign aimed at promoting consumption of lesser-known fish species in the UK foodservice sector has been launched. http://www.intrafish.no/global/news/article292251.ece?mobile=&lots=comnews&mobile=&lots=comnews Seafood competition launched to promote sustainable home cooking. 14 September 2011. Chefs have been challenged to come up with the nation’s best sustainable fish recipe in a competition designed to highlight how tasty cooking with a conscience can be. http://fis.com/fis/worldnews/search_brief.asp?l=e&id=45990&ndb=1 http://www.intrafish.no/global/news/article292298.ece Direct Seafood’s launches coastal fish campaign to Britain’s top chefs. 13 September 2011. Direct Seafoods, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bidvest Group, today launched the “Coastal Fish” campaign to help Britain’s troubled local fishermen and save endangered fish stocks. The campaign will encourage the UK’s top chefs and the British public to try many types of fish, some of which may be new to them. http://www.fishupdate.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/16148 http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/articles.aspx?page=articles&ID=221093 Chefs, vessels sign up to UK alternative species project. 8 December 2011. More than a thousand chefs and 136 fishing vessels have signed up to a new campaign that offers to market the entire catch of UK coastal fishermen including lesser known species such as dab and gurnard. http://www.intrafish.com/global/news/article1262507.ece http://www.fishnewseu.com/latest-news/uk/7219-support-builds-strongly-for-incredible-coastal-fish-campaign.html


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Fish Fight update. 16 December 2011. With the ongoing debates amongst MEPs on CFP reform HFW has been encouraging supporters to email their MEP. Fish Fighters have now sent over 50,000 emails in just 48 hours to their MEPs demanding an end to the horrendous waste of discards. That's an astonishing achievement that will yet again make massive waves in Brussels. Thank you so much and well done. Click here to read the MEPs responses. http://www.fishfight.net/MEPs Response from Struan Stevenson. To ensure sustainable fisheries, we need a sustainable solution. Species with a 100% survival rate such as sharks and crustaceans must be excluded from the regulation. To have a land-all policy applied to species which would otherwise have been returned alive to the sea would increase mortality. A blanket one-size-fits-all ban will not work. In addition, what the fishfight campaign must remember is that a ban on discards will not completely solve the problems that we have with the current CFP. We need to solve the reason why fishermen discard fish in the first place. For example, the current TAC and quota system, whilst suitable in clean fisheries, is not working in mixed fisheries. What I am pushing for in the current reform, is for the Commission to allow Member States to choose from a basket of fisheries management options which are suitable for their fisheries and which would not lead to discarding fish in the first place. A blanket ban on discards without solving the fisheries management issue would be catastrophic for the sector. The two elements need to go hand in hand. http://www.fishfight.net/struan-stevenson-MEP


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ELECTRONIC MONITORING/CATCH QUOTA MANAGEMENT 1. Scots in bid to cut fish discards. 2 December 2011. Negotiations have concluded on the 2012 bilateral deal between the EU and Norway. The deal, secured by a negotiating team that included senior Scottish representation, sees an increase in a number of key Scottish stocks, including haddock and herring, and a continuation of its catch quota scheme where fishermen have to land everything they catch, although Norway opposed any expansion of the this anti-discard measure. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2011/12/03122158 2. Apply now for English 2012 catch quota trials (North Sea and Western stocks). 17 November 2011. Applications are invited for new trials of catch quota schemes in the North Sea and in Western Waters for 2012. The schemes may be extended to include further species such as plaice, anglerfish and saithe. The scheme is run by the MMO and follows successful trials for cod and sole in 2011 which saw discards of cod and sole cut to 0.25 percent. Successful vessels will be allocated additional quota of relevant species, subject to the outcome of negotiations at December Council. Vessel owners who expect to fish in the North Sea or Western Waters from January 1 to December 31 2012 can apply. Only English registered vessels in membership of a producer organisation are eligible. http://www.marinemanagement.org.uk/news/news/111117.htm 3. Trials show fishermen can reduce discards. 7 November 2011. The report, published by the Marine Management Organisation, shows that fishermen involved in the trials are discarding less than one per cent of the cod and sole they catch. This is far less than the 21 per cent average across the EU for North Sea cod and the estimated nine per cent of sole discarded by all English and Welsh vessels in the Western Channel. Catches of undersized fish in the trial are also low, suggesting that boats are fishing more selectively. The UK will work to secure additional quota in this year’s negotiations on total allowable catches and quotas so that trials can be expanded to enable more vessels to participate and to test the system in other fisheries. http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2011/11/07/fishermen-can-reduce-discards/ http://www.marinemanagement.org.uk/fisheries/monitoring/documents/cqt_interim.pdf

4. Scottish trials show success of scheme. 22 August 201. (Builds on the September 2010 interim report) An early and recognisable feature of the catch quota trials is that it clearly provides the incentives for skippers to optimise their gear selectivity to maximise the economic return of their catches and indeed the areas of the sea that they go to accommodate such changes. The economic drivers, highlighted in this report, are amongst the most powerful ones at our disposal.


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• Participation in the 2010 catch quota trial appears to have increased the volume of landings of all species in comparison to a control group. However, this was at the expense of a small relative decrease in the price received for such landings.

• Overall, this led to an estimated increase in net fishing revenues of approximately £114,000 per participating vessel.

• However, this increase in fishing revenues should be set against an increase in operating costs, including both the potential leasing in of cod quota and greater effort. For example, it is estimated that the average vessel spent an additional eight days at sea through participating in the trial.

• Taking a narrower focus on the value of the additional quota allocated through the trial, this is estimated to be approximately £57,000 per vessel once the impact of a greater proportion of small and undersized fish being landed is taken into account.

• Analysis conducted on the direct value of the additional quota suggests that all vessels participating in the trial should have increased net fishing revenues, with the average increase being 5% of the total landings value throughout the year.

• There appears to be provisional support for the scheme from skippers who are participating in the trial. In particular, nearly all felt that catch quotas could be a useful management tool. In contrast, the skippers interviewed who were not taking part in the trial felt generally negative about its impacts.

• There is some evidence that fishers have adapted their fishing techniques in order to maximise the benefit they receive from participating in the trial. In particular, this includes an increase in gear selectivity and spatial/temporal measures.

• There is mixed support for expanding the scheme to other species, with a clear warning that this would need to be managed with care.

• There is also a strong suggestion that the operation of the trial has led to an increase in leasing costs for cod quota and that this may have a strong detrimental impact on some sectors of the whitefish fleet.

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/Sea-Fisheries/17681/CQMS082011 5. Seafish fact sheet. July 2011. During 2009 - 2011 electronic monitoring, associated to a system of sensors, has been recording all fishing and processing activities on board a number of Member State vessels. The participating fishermen have been obliged to count all catches of cod against their quotas, including those fish that were below minimum landing size and which could not therefore be sold. The participating vessels have been given access to an additional quota of cod (up to a limit of 75% of the expected discard rate). This has allowed fishermen to keep more of what they catch, and at the same time reduce overall fishing mortality. By no longer being allowed to discard small, low value fish, an incentive is created to avoid catching these through greater selectivity and avoidance of grounds abundant with small fish. The results have shown that discards have been reduced.


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In 2010, 23 vessels, six in England and 17 in Scotland, took part in a trial where participating vessels must retain on board all the cod that is caught and in return were given increased catch quotas. (The Defra scheme is to count all fish against quota, regardless of size and marketability). Participating vessels agreed to make use of closed circuit television cameras (CCTV), associated to a system of sensors, that record all fishing and processing activities, on board vessels. They got an additional 5% of the EU share of the cod TAC in 2010. The scheme has been expanded in 2011 and vessels have been given an additional 12% of the EU share of the cod TAC. Scotland: In Scotland the number of approved vessels has increased to 26. The scheme provides an effort free regime for participating vessels. Vessels must retain onboard and land all catches of cod and must cease fishing operations when the cod-catch ceiling is reached. The Scottish scheme was greatly oversubscribed - over 50 applicants. England: In England three vessels in the South West and twelve vessels in the North Sea are taking part. Vessels taking part are not permitted to discard any West Channel sole or North Sea cod including those below the minimum size (all catches count against quota). Once the quota for these stocks is used up the vessels must stop fishing for all species, whereas under current rules vessels can continue to fish but discard over-quota fish and risk over-exploitation of the stocks. Vessels taking part have been awarded additional quota for sole and cod to account for a proportion of the fish that might otherwise have been discarded. The trials are due to finish in February 2012. The MMO will then report back to Defra on the viability of catch quota management in mixed fisheries. Once the pilots are concluded a final combined UK report will look to compare the difference in approaches. http://www.seafish.org/media/publications/SeafishFactSheet_ElectronicMonitoring_201107.pdf 6. MMO extend deadline for signing up to Sole discard reduction trial. March 2011. The Marine Management Organisation extended the deadline to 16 March for applications to the sole discard reduction trial in response to industry feedback and queries. http://www.fishnewseu.com/latest-news/uk/5375-mmo-extend-deadline-for-signing-up-to-sole-discard-reduction-trial.html 7. Expansion in 2011. 21 January 2011. Fifty eight Scottish skippers have applied to join the Cod Catch Quota Scheme in Scotland. It is anticipated that offers will be made to 26. Defra opened applications on 21 January for fishermen in England who want to join the North Sea Cod Catch Quota Scheme and to take part in a new Catch Quota Scheme for Channel sole. Closing date is 21 February 2011. Fishing News.


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8. Parliamentary Question. Written answers. 3 February 2011. Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of catch-quota schemes in reducing the discarding of fish; and if she will make a statement. Richard Benyon: In 2010, the UK ran two voluntary trials in England and Scotland to test the effectiveness of the catch quota system at reducing discards of cod in the North sea. Six vessels participated in England and 17 in Scotland. Initial results from both trials indicate that the catch quota system is very effective at reducing discards of cod. For UK vessels, the three year (2007-09) average discard rate for cod in the North sea was 51%-in comparison the discard rates for participants in the English trial were between 1% and 7%. A full analysis of the results of both trials will be available in the spring. The UK is running an expanded catch quota trial in 2011 for North sea cod and south-west sole. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm110203/text/110203w0002.htm


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SCOTLAND - general 1. Scottish discards news The Marine Scotland discards page now includes 2011 ICES data on discards in Scottish waters. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/Sea-Fisheries/19213/discards

Stock

Discard Rate

(% of total catch discarded)

Discards Estimate (tonnes)

EU quota

(i.e. total allowable landings)

North Sea Cod 20 5,570 22,279 North Sea Haddock 26 9,287 26,432 North Sea Whiting 37 7,840 13,349 North Sea Plaice 43 51,948 68,862 North Sea Herring < 0.1 580 115,464 West of Scotland Cod 83 889 182 West of Scotland Haddock 51 900 2,005

2. West Coast Haddock. 5 August 2011. Raise west coast haddock TAC and change the by-catch rule or see a massive increase in discards as stock improves. Mike Park, Chief Exceutive of the Scottish White Fish Producers Association, argues that the European Commission must respect the facts on the health of haddock stocks in Area Via and act accordingly. Fishing News. 3. Fish discards on Scottish government meeting agenda. 15 March 2011. The controversial issue of the forced dumping of fish at sea will be the focus of a meeting convened in Brussels by the Scottish government. The seminar, hosted by Scottish Government officials, will be attended by EU Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki and involve Scottish MEPs and Fisheries Committee members Struan Stevenson and Ian Hudghton. The findings of Scotland's independent Inquiry into Future Fisheries Management will help guide discussion. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-12744356 Gear technology trials in Scotland 1. Fishermen's Trust Supports Discards Research. 20 September 2011. Scottish fishermen have been spearheading a range of initiatives to reduce the problem of discarding of fish at sea - including the use of more selective types of nets and real time fishing closures. Now the Scottish fishing industry, through the Scottish Fishermen’s Trust, is funding research at the University of Aberdeen into effective ways of monitoring with the use of remote electronic monitoring or REM the discarding of fish at sea. http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/15594/fishermens-trust-supports-discards-research


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2. New net design showing 80% discard reduction. 12 August 2011. A Peterhead trawler recently set sail complete with new revolutionary net designed to reduce the capture of juvenile fish. Fishing News Friday 12 August 2011 no web version 3. Prawn-net trials aim to reduce discards. 31 May 2011. Scottish prawn fishermen are to test new nets over the coming months, with a view to having two “workable” designs ready by January and two more later next year. Scotland’s prawn fishermen have joined forces with net manufacturers and designers in a bid to devise new trawling gear which will allow unwanted fish species to escape from their langoustine nets. http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Scottish-fishermen-have-designs-on.6777047.jp http://www.fishnewseu.com/latest-news/scottish/5887-prawn-fishermen-aim-to-reduce-discards.html 3. Scottish Industry/Science Partnership (SISP). 2010/2011 programme. Marine Scotland is funding research ideas to enhance the existing cooperation between the Scottish catching sector and fisheries science providers. In 2011 £50,000 trials of coverless and low headline trawls aimed at reducing whitefish catches in Nephrops fisheries, and £14,000 in the Western Isles to look at effects of mesh size and escape panels on catch composition in Nephrops creel fishery.


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ENGLAND/WALES/NORTHERN & SOUTHERN IRELAND Gear technology trials in England, Wales, Northern and Southern Ireland 1. CEFAS 2011/2012 Fisheries Science Partnership (FSP) Project. Call for ideas by 9 January 2012. Ideas must be completed during 2012/13. The FSP is a Defra initiative to encourage fishermen and scientist to work together to provide robust scientific data. Defra has confirmed funding for the next year and invited ideas from fishermen which must:

• Provide information from commercial catches on key stocks to supplement data sources traditionally used in ICES assessments.

• Investigate concerns raised by fishermen on scientific assessments, or on stocks not currently assessed; investigate innovative scientific methods and/or selective/environmentally friendly fishing methods.

• Support work of Regional Advisory Councils. http://www.cefas.defra.gov.uk/industry-informayion/fisheries-science-partnership.aspx 2. Grant To Reduce Fish Discards. 21 June 2011. The EFF, MMO and Defra are providing over £300,000 towards two projects, which aim to help reduce fish discards in England. The funding, awarded to CEFAS is being used towards helping fishermen in the southwest and northwest to adapt their fishing equipment and make it more selective. In, Cornwall, 19 skippers of otter trawlers have collaborated with Cefas scientists to design and test modified trawl equipment, which it is hoped will reduce discards of dab, gurnards, plaice, dogfish and whiting. The three year pilot, called the SWOT (South West Otter Trawl) project is due to finish in summer 2011 and is being supported by a £100,000 (70%) EFF grant. In Cumbria and Lancashire a further £100,000 (43%) grant from the EFF is being used towards the North West Discards Project. This project is using the knowledge and skills of local fishermen and net makers to develop modified trawl equipment which it is hoped will help reduce the numbers of juvenile flatfish discarded during prawn catching. http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/15056/grant-to-reduce-fish-discards 3. Square mesh Codend Selectivity trial A recent trip by fishermen from the South West, to the Flume tank in Hirtshalls, Denmark, highlighted an excessive number of whiting, haddock and cod under the minimum landing size being discarded from their demersal trawls at certain times of the year. It was agreed that the most appropriate method to reduce these discard was to trial a square mesh codend that would be uniquely designed with four panels to enable the meshes to remain open - to improve water flow through the codend and increase the opportunity of escape, and improve the survivability of the smaller undersized fish. 4. CEFAS 2010/2011 Fisheries Science Partnership Project. http://www.cefas.co.uk/data/fisheries-science-partnership-(fsp)/20102011-programme.aspx


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This programme is the final year in the latest three-year commitment of Defra to the FSP initiative, and a further £1m has been allocated for the year. The agreed new one-off projects that focus on discards are:

• Project 17. Square mesh panels trials on twin/multi rig working inshore grounds in the northern Thames Estuary

Purpose: To investigate the potential of more selective/environmentally friendly fishing methods by fitting square mesh panels to 80mm otter trawls, (i.e modified trawl design) to reduce discard rates of fish and benthos in the northern Thames Estuary. Timing: June - October 2010. http://www.cefas.co.uk/media/138454/smp-on-twin-or-multi-rig-itt.pdf

• Project 19. Bristol Channel 100mm cod end trials Purpose: To understand the effects on landings and discards of moving to a 100 mm mesh cod-end compared with a standard 80mm cod end. Timing: June - October 2010. http://www.cefas.co.uk/media/138514/bristol-channel-100m-cod-end-trials-itt.pdf

• Project 20. Cornwall red mullet gill net fishery discard reduction Purpose: To look at the capture of red mullet, and associated species, with different mesh sizes of gill nets. A range of nets will be used within the range 50 - 80mm and made into identical fleets to help determine the desirable net size to reduce the number of discards. Timing: June - October 2010. http://www.cefas.co.uk/media/138544/red-mullet-gill-net-fishery-discard-reduction-itt.pdf

• Project 21. Modified commercial trawl survey Purpose: To know more about the behaviour of cod and other fish as they enter the net by modifying a standard NE coast trawl to hold two separator panels running the entire length of the net. A series of hauls will be undertaken to see where cod and the other fish are captured in the net. This will lead to better designs of cod avoidance gears. Timing: June - August 2010. http://www.cefas.co.uk/media/138574/modified-commercial-trawl-survey-itt.pdf 5. Collaborative project between Seafish, CEFAS & Marine Scotland, Aberdeen. The aim of this project is to propose, design and trial experimental modifications to a demersal trawl that will provide an indication where and how the different fish species are entering the mouth of the trawl. This will give fisheries scientists a better understanding of the fish behaviour when they encounter a trawl enabling them to fit selective devices in the most effective positions for the particular species. This in turn should allow modifications to the design of commercial demersal trawls to make them more species selective. 6. Other trials 6.1 Assessing discard mortality of commercially caught skates (Rajidae) – testing results concluded from laboratory experiments


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Purpose: The project aim is to identify skate species discarded in representative UK fisheries, their condition and discard survival rates. CEFAS. Timing: July 2009 to March 2011. 6.2. Assessing survivability of bycaught porbeagle and spurdog and furthering our understanding of movement patterns in UK marine waters Purpose: The project aim is to assess the survivability of porbeagle (Lamna nasus) and spurdog (Squalus acanthias) which are by-caught but returned. Timing: July 2009 to March 2012. 6.3. Bycatch And Discards: Management Indicators, Trends and location (BADMINTON) Purpose: The project aim is to develop operational indicators and propose discard mitigation tools for fisheries management. This project proposes to do the following: 1. An analysis of total catch in terms of species and size composition; 2. develop indicators of discard issues; 3. Analyse the factors that determine discard amounts; 4. Investigate fishers’ behaviour to understand how discarding is part of their fishing strategy; 5. Based on all previous steps, recommend potential mitigation measures. CEFAS. Timing: August 2009 to August 2012. 6.4. Mitigating Cetacean Bycatch Purpose: The project is to develop methods to reduce cetacean bycatch in nets by testing some specific mitigation measures (pingers), in collaboration with industry and Seafish. St Andrews University. Timing: April 2008 to March 2011. Policy - England, Wales, Northern and Southern Ireland 1. Defra web page Reducing fish discards for more sustainable fisheries http://sd.defra.gov.uk/2011/12/reducing-fish-discards-for-more-sustainable-fisheries/ The Big Fish Fight http://sd.defra.gov.uk/2011/01/the-big-fish-fight/ 2. House of Commons. 7 November 2011. Mr Alan Reid (Argyll and Bute) (LD): There is widespread agreement that discarding has to end, but it must end in a way that is practical for fishermen. Can the Minister tell us what is the Government’s view on how to take that forward? Richard Benyon: On the specific point of discards, I certainly can. I actually think that the commission is pulling in the right direction. The work that it has done and the words that it has used show a perfectly admirable vision. We have to ensure that the policies we create are practical. I would consider the reform to


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be an abject failure if we were just transferring a problem that exists at sea to landfill. We have to create new markets. For the 54% of discards that exist because people do not eat the species caught—it is nothing to do with quotas—we have to ensure that the new quota allocation of our national resource system is better and it has to be practical. It must be done on a fishery-by-fishery basis and, in some cases, on a species-by-species basis. We must understand what it means to a fisherman in the fish room on his boat in a high sea when we ask him to land everything that he has caught. We must work from the basis of strength, and strength is in working with the fishing industry. We have done that with catch quotas, which will see zero discards of species such as cod on most boats in the scheme this year. We have seen massive reductions through incentivising fishermen to different gear, such as in Project 50% in the south-west and a new project that we have started in the north-west. CEFAS is running a land-all scheme in North Shields, which is seeing fish landed and followed right through the food chain to ensure that we can build on the work of the “Fishing for the Market” scheme, which was set up by DEFRA last year. Much good work has been done, but I really want the Commission to understand that the solution must be practical. I understand that the 700,000 people who supported the Fish Fight campaign will be satisfied only when they see the words “discards” and “ban” in the same headline, but in order to be absolutely successful the scheme must be rooted in practical applications. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmtoday/cmstand/output/euro/eo111107-01.htm 3. August 2011 to January 2012 Six articles in Fishing News on reducing discards, using expertise of Mike Montgomerie, gear technologist at Seafish. 4. House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. Written Evidence (22 responses). December 2011. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmenvfru/writev/fisheries/fisheries.pdf Seafish summary of discard elements http://www.seafish.org/media/550636/seafishsummary_writtenevidencetoefrarediscardsincfpreformdiscard_201112.pdf 5. Minister Coveney calls on other EU member states to support Irish industry efforts to deal with discard problem. 8 November 2011. Commenting on the first ever Irish Discards Atlas, which was launched today, Minister Simon Coveney said: “Ireland has now taken the lead in the debate on


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discards and this Atlas will inform the process to achieve real change and a significant reduction in discarding within the new Common Fisheries Policy”. http://www.fishnewseu.com/latest-news/world/7014-discard-altas-published-by-irish-authorities.html 6. EFRA COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS. 6 September 2011. EFRA 9. "Defra must continue its research to understand and exploit the market for less popular fish with a view to creating a more diverse and sustainable market. The issue of discards has received considerable public attention in recent months; Defra must not waste the opportunity that this presents and should work with the industry and other interested parties to develop innovative approaches to market diversification."

We agree that further work is necessary to encourage consumption and better use of under-utilised fish species that are often discarded as a result of weak or absent markets. Defra is currently considering the recommendations made in the Fishing for the Markets report to understand where and how it can make the most effective contribution to bring this about on a consistent and sustainable basis. Many of the issues will not be solved by government alone, so Defra will work with industry and other interested parties to help develop innovative solutions that contribute towards market diversification and solving the issue of discards.

We have been impressed by the independent formation of the Sustainable Seafood Coalition and the range of initiatives that individuals and organisations have been involved to help raise awareness and diversify the range of sustainable seafood that the British public eat. We hope for continued momentum from all those wanting to make a difference in this area.

EFRA 10. "We recommend that Defra take steps to apply the approach of Project 50% across English fisheries to reduce discard levels and better protect juvenile fish stocks. The Department must produce and implement an action plan to address this as a priority."

The key to getting long term buy-in and uptake of measures to tackle discards is to work collaboratively with the industry and other stakeholders to identify, trial and implement solutions that are tailored to the individual fishery or a particular problem. This is the approach that Defra adopted with Project 50%, where fishermen working with scientists put their own ideas into practice and delivered a significant reduction in discards.

We agree that the collaborative and tailored approach adopted by Project 50% should be applied across English fisheries—this is essential if we are to identify practical, effective and affordable solutions. Defra is already working to this end across a range of different projects that are identifying and trialling a range of different solutions. Examples include:


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i. The Northwest Discard project based in Cumbria, which is being run in collaboration with the fishing industry and is looking at how we can reduce discards in the Nephrops fishery by making changes to fishing gear.

ii. Catch Quota Trials—This new way of managing fisheries encourages fishermen to use their skills and knowledge to fish much more selectively in order to maximise the value of their catch. Results from the 2010 North Sea cod trial demonstrated that discards of cod for participating vessels were reduced significantly. In 2011, we have expanded the North Sea trial to include more vessels and have also commenced a trial in the South-West for sole. All cod caught in the North Sea trial and all sole caught in the south west trial have to be landed and so there will be no discards of these species by participating vessels.

iii. Of course it is not just cod that gets discarded—under-utilised species account for about half of the discards in the English fleet. Defra's 'Fishing for the Markets' project is a new initiative looking to encourage consumption of under-utilised, sustainable species that are often discarded. The project includes specific work on improving the communication of consumer and buyer information on sustainable fish; developing a list of sustainable species; understanding fish eating habits in order to help understand how to change attitudes to encourage the consumption of more sustainable species; and to identify business development and marketing skills in the industry.

Defra will continue to work with the industry and other stakeholders to identify, trial and implement solutions. It is important to be flexible and open to ideas and initiatives—and these should not always be Government led. Whilst we will continue to initiate and drive work in this area, rather than prescribe a plan of action we will also be looking to encourage local and regional partnership approaches between the industry and the wider food chain to tackle the problem.

EFRA 11. "We welcome the increased focus on discards at the European level and we look forward to examining the Commission's proposals for reform of the Common Fisheries Policy in greater detail later in the year. We urge Defra to continue to press for a reduction in discards as a key element in the forthcoming negotiations. The Department must also ensure that the interests of the inshore fleet are represented in the next round of reforms."

We agree with the recommendation. We see this as a top priority for our negotiations and will be working to ensure that the reformed CFP provides the incentives and regulatory framework necessary to drive the required changes in fishing activity and behaviour. Importantly, we will be able to use the evidence gathered from the UK's domestic discard reduction work to influence and shape the reform so that the right solutions are taken forward.

We have discussions with a range of people about Common Fisheries Policy reform including a reduction in discards. These include regular discussions with


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the EU Fisheries Commissioner and other MS Ministers. The Minister and officials are also regularly meeting representatives of the fishing industry—both large scale and under-10 metre fleets, MEPs, retailers, and non-government organisations. Engagement is vital to achieve the UK's aims for CFP Reform and Defra will have further discussions in pressing the case for radical CFP reform. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmenvfru/1485/148504.htm 7. Fish discards ban could land whopping processing costs. 25 Aug 2011. Much higher processing costs will result if trawlermen are forced to land what they catch as part of radical reforms to the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy, according to the pan-fishing industry body, Seafish. Phil MacMullen comments. http://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/Regulation/Fish-discards-ban-could-land-whopping-processing-costs 8. UK Government consultation on Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy and the Common Organisation of the Markets in Fishery and Aquaculture Products. 10 August 2011. Consultation closed on 10 November 2011. http://www.defra.gov.uk/consult/2011/08/10/cmo-cfp/ 9. Campaigners demand selective fishing after £1bn cod discarded. 1 August 2011. Britain has discarded nearly £1 billion in cod from one population in the last 50 years, a report has revealed. ‘Money Overboard: Why discarding fish is a waste of jobs and money’. http://www.neweconomics.org/publications/money-overboard 10. Discards ban 'will boost fisheries', says new research. 24 June 2011. Dr Bryce Beukers-Stewart, co-author and supervisor of the study added "I have no doubt that a ban on discarding in the North Sea will benefit both fish stocks and fishermen." http://www.firstscience.com/home/news/breaking-news-all-topics/discards-ban-will-boost-fisheries-says-new-research-page-2-1_108144.html 11. Fishing for the markets launch of website and reports. June 2011. Project was commissioned by Defra to encourage consumption of under-utilised, sustainable species that are often discarded by gathering knowledge and experience from a range of individuals and organisations along the supply chain about existing market practices and un-tapped potential for under-utilised species. http://www.fishingforthemarkets.com/ 12. NFFO publishes ten point plan for CFP reform As the European Commission prepares its proposals for Common Fisheries Policy reform, the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations has published its 10 point plan for a new CFP. http://www.fishnewseu.com/latest-news/uk/5487-nffo-publishes-ten-point-plan-for-cfp-reform.html


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NORWAY/FRANCE/HOLLAND/FAROE ISLANDS/GERMANY 1. Historic agreement to ban discards. 23 November 2011. The ministers of fisheries in Norway, Sweden and Denmark have today in Stockholm signed a joint declaration forbidding discards of fish in the waters of Skagerrak. “A ban on discards in Skagerrak marks a milestone in our efforts to ensure sustainable management of our joint marine resources,” says Norway’s Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs Lisbeth Berg-Hansen. “I hope this will also have a positive impact on other waters and that we are able to influence reforms in the right direction. We are now working on behalf of future fishermen and consumers of seafood. http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/fkd/Press-Centre/Press-releases/2011/historic-agreement-to-ban-discards.html?id=663935 http://www.regjeringen.no/upload/FKD/Diverse/2011/Skagerrak.pdf 2. New research says discards ban worked in Norway. 27 June 2011. Banning fisheries discards in the North Sea will promote fish stock recovery and increase fishermen’s incomes, according to new research by scientists at the University of York. In the North Sea up to 75 per cent of fish are currently dumped after being caught, with the result that many fisheries are now badly overfished. In comparison, discards were banned in Norwegian waters in the late 1980s and their fisheries are now some of the most prosperous in the world. http://www.fishnewseu.com/latest-news/uk/6077-new-research-says-discards-ban-worked-in-norway-.html

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EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE AND CFP REFORM 1. 38th Plenary meeting report of the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries. 7 – 11 November 2011. Brussels. Very useful sections on Celtic Sea (Section 6.1 Page 27 – 39) Technical Measures in the Celtic Seas and on the use of CCTV (Section 8.8 Page 84 – 86). https://stecf.jrc.ec.europa.eu/c/document_library/get_file?p_l_id=53301&folderId=251047&name=DLFE-14501.pdf 2. TACs for 2012 Seafish has produced a summary document showing the TACs agreed by the EU in December 2011 for 2012, compared with ICES scientific advice. The table shows 97 stocks with the agreed TAC - colour coded relative to ICES advice. This shows 54 stocks in green - either below or comply exactly with ICES advice; nine stocks yellow - within 10% of ICES advice; six red – more than 10% above ICES advice; 28 stocks - with no colour as have not got all the information. There is an accompanying explanation for the yellow and red coding. See: http://www.seafish.org/media/publications/SeafishSummary_TACs2012_ICESAdvice_201201.pdf 3. Maria Damanaki Renewal of the EU Fisheries Policy – minimised bycatch and ban on discards Stockholm, 23 November 2011. Retailers are now responding to sustainability concerns. I need to tell you that this perception is gaining ground in Europe. The campaign that started in the UK has already moved to the rest of Europe..... Fishermen will also receive financial support for participating in trials to reduce discards and we will fund the building of storage mechanisms on shore and pay for marketing initiatives to interest consumers. In the UK sales of lesser known fish have gone up 45% after the TV shows on sustainable consumption. I believe that if it can work in the UK, it can work in Sweden and elsewhere. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/11/802&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en 4. 'Discard' fish may be given to poor Damanaki tells Commons. 28 Oct 2011. Fish which once would have been thrown back into the sea because it was over the quota limit may in future be distributed to charities, the Commons was told. EU Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki, appeared before a group of MPs at a House of Commons environment and food select committee in London yesterday to explain her proposals for reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. Ms Damanaki told MPs that she is now looking at plans to give fish that would otherwise have been thrown back to charities to help the poorer members of society. However, just how it will be distributed to the various charities and exactly who will take on the task has not yet been decided. http://www.fishupdate.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/16448/_Discard__fish_may_be_given_to_poor_Damanaki_tells_Commons.html


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5. Tough questions for European Commission test legal waters of CFP reform. 13 October 2011. Struan Stevenson MEP, in his capacity as a rapporteur on a key legislative part of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), has submitted a series of written questions to the European Commission’s Legal Services department, seeking clarity on crucial aspects of the reforms. http://www.fishupdate.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/16345 6. Concern over latest European Commission fishing plans European proposals for catching limits next year could lead to more healthy fish having to be discarded, it has been claimed.

• FIS Wednesday 28 September 2011 http://fis.com/fis/worldnews/worldnews.asp?l=e&ndb=1&id=46352

• Intrafish Tuesday 27 September 2011 (subscription only) http://www.intrafish.com/global/news/article1256966.ece

7. Annex 1 Open call for tenders No MARE/2011/07. Studies for carrying out the Common Fisheries Policy. Closing date 1 September 2011. Lot 1 - Reduction of gear impact and discards in deep sea fisheries in the North East Atlantic. The study's objective is: to identify and study trawl modification and alternative gear that aim at reducing the impact of the gear on the sea bottom when engaged in deep-sea fisheries; to identify and study a measure for discard reduction in deep-sea fisheries or fisheries having deep-sea species as a by-catch, pursued with trawls or nets. The measure could consist in gear modifications or catch purification based on the skipper’s strategy to avoid unwanted fish. http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/maritimeaffairs_fisheries/contracts_and_funding/calls_for_tender/2011_07/specifications_en.pdf 8. CFP Reform. 13 July 2011. The first legislative reform package published on 13 July 2011 includes:

• an overarching communication - on the reformed international dimension of the CFP covering the Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) and the Fisheries Partnership Agreements (FPAs);

• a basic regulation of the European Parliament (EP) and Council for the new CFP;

• a regulation on markets; • a communication on the external dimension (international issues); • a financial regulation (to be adopted separately).

1 Jan 2013 – entry into force of reviewed CFP. Under the proposal - Discarding of fish is no longer acceptable. Discarding casts a negative image on the industry and has harmful impacts on sustainable stock exploitation, marine ecosystems, the financial viability of fisheries, and may influence the quality of scientific advice. The elimination of discards must be part of the objectives of the reformed CFP. An obligation for the industry to land


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catches of regulated species is introduced in the proposed Basic Regulation. This obligation will enter into force by groups of species under an ambitious, but realistic timeline, and will be accompanied by flanking measures. Species with a high expected survival rate when thrown back into the water after being caught should not be covered by the landing obligation. http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/reform/ 9. “Careful evaluation” needed before quota system is extended. 23 May 2011. A meeting in Denmark has come out with the “adamant” view that there should be no automatic or blanket extension of the catch quota system to additional stocks or fisheries, without careful evaluation of the specific mixed fishery issues. But abandoning the voluntary, incentivised, approach which the system involves for a blanket requirement, as suggested recently by the EU Fisheries Commissioner, would alienate fishermen. http://www.fishnewseu.com/latest-news/world/5836-careful-evaluation-needed-before-quota-system-is-extendedq.html 10. Stakeholders' hearing on discarding. 3 May 2011. The issue of ending discards is high on Commissioner Damanaki's agenda. On March 1st, the subject was debated with Member States and Members of the European Parliament and the Court of Auditors. Now the Commissioner would like to hear the opinions of stakeholders on this. An exchange of views will be held in Brussels on the afternoon of May 3rd 2011. http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/index_en.htm http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/news_and_events/events/030511/report_en.pdf 11. Fishermen give Brussels warning on discard rules Scottish fishermen's leaders yesterday warned the European Commission that an outright ban on dumping fish at sea will "seriously damage" the Scottish fishing fleet and threaten the viability of fragile communities. Jon Harman, Operations Director from Seafish is quoted. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/03/fishing-industry-eu-discards-plan http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland/Fishermen-give-Brussels-warning-on.6762064.jp http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/2251571 http://fis.com/fis/worldnews/worldnews.asp?l=e&ndb=1&id=42479 http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/politics/Fish-discard-battle-with-Brussels.6761585.jp http://www.scotlandfoodanddrink.org/news/article-info/2095/crucial-discards-meeting-in-brussels-today-.aspx http://fis.com/fis/worldnews/worldnews.asp?l=e&ndb=1&id=42427 http://news.stv.tv/scotland/north/246389-warning-over-fish-discards-ban/ http://www.fishnewseu.com/latest-news/scottish/5731-sff-warn-of-serious-implications-if-inappropriate-regulation-used-for-discards-ban.html


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12. Meeting in Brussels meeting. Damanaki speech. 1 March 2011. She proposes banning discards gradually through CFP reform, and suggests it could be achieved either through managing effort, or by the quota system, but in either case all catch is landed. Whilst she recognises specifically the efforts in the UK to deal with the problem, she says these are not enough. http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/damanaki/headlines/speeches/2011/03/20110301_en.pdf 13. March 1 joint declaration on discards. This has resulted in a joint declaration on discards under a reformed Common Fisheries Policy – signed by Denmark, France, Germany and the UK. There are 17 points in total. http://www.seafish.org/fishermen/responsible-sourcing/protecting-fish-stocks/discards/discard-projects under key documents. Summary of the key points:

• Reinforce the commitment to an ambitious reform of the CFP based on the principle of sustainable development.

• Reiterate their strong commitment to the sustainable use of fisheries resources based on the best available scientific knowledge and the need to develop a more robust pool of scientific expertise at European level.

• Reaffirm their support for the basic pillars of the CFP. • Note that management systems based on fishing effort in the present form

are not suited as a means of ensuring the sustainability of mixed fisheries. • Reiterate their view that the wasteful practice of discarding significant

quantities of fish , that is tolerated and in some cases even promoted by the current structure of the management system, must be ended.

• Encourage the Commission to undertake an impact assessment in order to consider the extent of discarding in the various fisheries.

• Call for discard bans to be gradually introduced where appropriate by changing to a system of genuine catch quotas as part of a ‘tool box’ of measure to avoid discards, after a sound evaluation of exiting pilot projects, and to improve control and data on the overall mortality and state of fish stocks.

• The role of Producer Organisations should be strengthened and that within a system of genuine catch quotas the PO should be given the task of ensuring each fishermen has the required quotas for target species and by-catches.

• In the transitional phase toward genuine catch quotas the participation of fishermen should be on a voluntary basis.

• Call upon the Commission to make the avoidance of discards and the introduction of genuine catch quota systems one of the central elements of the reformed CFP.

Response • The EC is expected to unveil proposals on the practice of discarding, in

Brussels today (1 March 2011). Seafish, the authority on seafood, is pleased Commissioner Damanaki is giving special attention to the issue of


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discarding in the context of reforming the Common Fisheries Policy but urges decision-makers to work closely with the seafood industry. Seafish.

• NFFO says Damanaki isn’t listening to the fishing industry The National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations has claimed that the current European Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, Maria Damanaki is not listening to the views of the fishing industry Fish News EU Friday 25 February 2011 http://www.fishnewseu.com/latest-news/uk/5313-nffo-says-damanaki-isnt-listening-to-the-fishing-industry.html Fish Update Monday 28 February 2011 http://www.fishupdate.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/14950/Damanaki_accused_of_igorning_fishing_sector.html Fish News EU Monday 28 February 2011 http://www.fishnewseu.com/latest-news/scottish/5329-scottish-fishermens-federation-calls-for-sensible-approach-to-managing-discards-problem.html

14 Fish selector – to sort fish by size and species The Fish Selector gives the following advantages:

• The equipment is pre-programmed to automatically sort fish underwater by certain size and specie

• Unwanted fish are automatically bypassed and swim away • No more discarding of fish • Counting of caught fish and bypassed fish • Helps skipper with decision making of selecting fishing area • Increased value of the catch

http://www.star-oddi.com/products/45/fish-sorting/default.aspx 15. Expert Consultation on International Guidelines for Bycatch Management and Reduction of Discards (Dec 2009). UN Food and Agriculture Organisation. Issued January 2011. The first global guidelines for bycatch management and reduction of fishing discards. Endorsed by the Committee on Fisheries. Intended to be the first guidelines to cover all species encountering fishing gear. The guidelines extend the principles of fishery management to all species and all areas of concern. Although the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries refers to bycatch and discards, these guidelines elaborate more clearly how countries should address bycatch and discard problems in practice. The guidelines cover bycatch management planning, improvement of fishing gear, fisheries closures, economic incentives to facilitate uptake of measures, monitoring, R&D and development, building the capacity of states to follow the guidelines and other relevant issues. http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/i1672e/i1672e00.pdf 16. IUCN workshop/report - Selective Fishing and Balanced Harvest in Relation to Fisheries and Ecosystem Sustainability’. January 2011. The workshop examined the extent to which selective fishing as currently and traditionally practiced is able to contribute effectively to both ecosystem and


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fisheries sustainability. The workshop contributed to the debates on bycatch, discards and species conservation in an ecosystem approach to fisheries. The workshop also discussed what a shift from the gear/fishery selectivity approach to a more ‘balanced harvest’ would imply for the ecological and management dimensions of sustainability. http://data.iucn.org/dbtw-wpd/edocs/2011-001.pdf 17. COUNCIL REGULATION (EU) No 57/2011 of 18 January 2011 fixing for 2011 the fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks, applicable in EU waters and, for EU vessels, in certain non-EU waters. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:024:0001:0125:EN:PDF

discards - new developments in 2011 - seafish - seafish€¦ · discards – new developments in...

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