lynn gilmore (2011)

supporting the seafood industry for a sustainable, profitable futuresupporting the seafood industry for a sustainable, profitable future

An industry-led strategy for brown crab management in Northern Ireland

Lynn Gilmore (Seafish), Dick James (NIFPO) and Rod Cappell (Poseidon ARM Ltd.)

SAGB Conference, Fishmongers Hall London, 18th

May 2011


OverviewBackgroundGetting startedAims of the project- ToRThe brown crab fishery in NI

landings, fleet, marketsConsulting the expertsProposed management measuresConsulting the experts part 2Other information

ResearchMarketing

Proposed organisationNext steps


BackgroundSignificant brown crab (Cancer pagurus) fishery in the inshore waters of Northern Ireland.Fleet of small vessels targeting crab from July to December and targeting a variety of other species outside this season- velvets, lobster, Palaemon, buckie whelks. Estimated that this industry is worth in the region of £1 million annually.Taken together all inshore fishery landings are approaching the value of NI Nephrops landings- very significant. Report produced by Nautilus consultants in 2009 (engaged by the Transnational Brown Crab Working Group) on the Future Management of Brown Crab in the UK and Ireland confirmed that the Northern Ireland brown crab fishery is discreet with no overlap in inshore and offshore areas. It is worked on an inshore basis due to the ground topography around the NI coast and is unique in its self containment. Opportunity for this to be local management BUT . It s a tight squeeze!

supporting the seafood industry for a sustainable, profitable futuresupporting the seafood industry for a sustainable, profitable futureSource: AFBI


Getting started

NIFPO were awarded funding from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) with a grant from the European Fisheries Fund to develop a management strategy. Opportunity for local management using a bottom-up approachNIFPO set up a steering group- industry representation from catching and processing sectors from around the coast as well as cross border representation. Group facilitated by Seafish. Steering group developed Terms of Reference and appointed Poseidon ARM Ltd. to carry out research.


Aims of project (ToR)Assess the relative merits & impacts of key management measures for the Northern Ireland brown crab fishery. Examine the potential for development of a voluntary code of practice to manage crab stocks. Define quality standards required by processors and look at the potential for sorting catch at sea to reduce mortality of crabs which are unsuitable for the market. Define the size and area of crab fisheries around Northern Ireland e.g. plotting of information on GIS to include areas fished, gear used and key spawning grounds. Assess the framework for enabling local management of brown crab resourcesLook at marketing of crab and lobster in NI & recommend a strategy.


First stepsPreliminary research was carried out on the fleet, the NI industry, markets.Desk based and one-to-one consultation with industry, Department, fisheries scientists.


The Brown Crab fishery in Northern Ireland

landingsfleetmarket


Brown crab landings-by location

10% landed on North coast & growing

30% from Ards peninsula / Strangford

60% crab from south Down ports


Landings-Over time


95- 05: 22% increase in <10m fleet & 34% drop in over 10 s

05-now: increases in both (9% in <10m & 3% in over 10 s)

184 <10m vessels (86%) hold a shellfish entitlement.

23 >10m vessels (16%) hold a shellfish entitlement

NI Fleet-all sectors


Most going to Co. Down & Donegal processors, some live.

Price has dropped due to over-supply

No payment/ poor payment for low quality crab supplied

BUTno clear disincentive to land it.

800t of NI crab landed in 2009 (3% of the UKs 24,400t)

NI crab operators are price-takers

Small volume + added transport = difficult market position.

The NI Brown Crab market


Consulting the expertsFirst round of stakeholder meetings in November/ December 2010-Annalong, Bangor and Cushendall. Key element of the project. Main aim of meetings- narrowing down potential management tools.


Cushendall

Bangor

Annalong


Proposed management measures

These were categorised into 4 areas:INPUTSOUTPUTSQUALITYCONSERVATION


INPUTS

Stakeholders considered:Limit on shellfish licenses- sunset clause to remove unused shellfish licences (latent capacity)/ permit

Maximum vessel size in inshore waters

Pot Limits

Gear measures - permit certain types or sizes


OUTPUTSIntroduce TACs and quotas

Increase MLS

Further restriction on hobby fishermen

Curfews


QUALITY

Ban the landing of cripple crabs

Landing of crab claws

Landing of white crab

Landing of diseased crab

Ban on landing berried crab


CONSERVATION

Stock conservationClosed seasons to protect spawning or soft-shelled crab

Wider conservationClosed areasEscapement

Biodegradable clipsEscape gaps

MSC Certification??


Assessment of measures

Industry consulted at meetings

Given opportunity to give views afterwards by:Contacting the team directlyCompleting a simple questionnaire

Analysis of costs/ benefits and practicality of measures carried out by consultants


Management measure Sub-optionsChange in legislation

Code of conduct

a Permitc. Crab permit based on track record

x

b Limit type of vessels permitted inshore a. size of vessel x

c Increase Minimum Landing Size

d Limit on hobby fishermen xe Prevent the landing of white crab x

f Ban landing crab claws

g Ban on landing berried crab

h Escapementa. Escape gap

i Eco-labelling e.g. MSCx


Consulting the experts part 2

This table of proposed management measures was proposed to industry- April 11. Aim- to ensure we were on the right lines. Wide support for all the measures proposed but divided opinion on whether these should be parcelled up in a permit.


ResearchTo better understand the NI crab fishery and inform its management:

1. Improve the knowledge and resolution of inshore potting activity by introducing GPS/VMS for inshore vessels (link to improved catch reporting as below);

2. Develop a monitoring programme that collects individual log book records from volunteer skippers whole fleet or sentinel fleet?

3. Gain a better understanding of stock dynamics and status through larval surveys and a tagging & recapture project.

4. Develop a long-term stock assessment programme assessment methods require size and sex ratio information could work with processors may have some historic information on grades & sexes


Marketing Overall Northern Ireland crab remains in a difficult market position as it is:

highly dependent on an export market; logistically more remote than competing suppliers; with a comparatively low volume of landings; and no clear market distinction of Northern Irish product

So the marketing strategy should: 1.Focus on the catching sector. Promote the positive actions and buyers can then incorporate as they see fit.

2. Establish quality assurances: adopting an industry-wide code of conduct including landing of white and diseased crab.

3. Highlight sustainable credentials: low impact, small scale, improved management. Further support this with MSC labelling (pending pre-assessment result).


Northern Ireland

Shellfish Management

Plan

North Coast Shellfish Assoc.

Strangford Lough Shellfish Assoc.

South Down Shellfish Assoc.

North Down Shellfish Assoc.

local code

local code

local code

local code

4 area associations feed into the plan.Each represented on the main council delivering the plan.

Proposed Organisation


NI Shellfish Management Plan

Scientists (AFBI & Unis) & industry:

data collection & applied research

DARD:legislation & enforcement

NI Shellfish Council:Chair (?)Seafish (sec & liaison)North Coast Assoc. (2)North Down Assoc. (2)Strangford Assoc. (2)South Down Assoc. (2)DARDAFBIIrish link (BIM rep?)Others?

Delivering the plan

Proposed Organisation 2


Next steps

Review feedback from these 3 meetings- permit accepted in 2 of 4 areas

Draft a final report by end of May

Steering group will review and when approved, will submit to DARD as a proposal.

Present to industry at a workshop in June

Meeting with DARD to agree process likely to be more formal sector consultation on the management plan

Revise where necessary and look to implement the final management plan

So realistically could see management in place from next year (2012) onwards.


Thank you for your attention

And thanks to project team:NIFPODr Rod Cappell (Poseidon) Dr Colin Bannister Steering Group members

Contact details:Lynn [email protected]

This document was created with Win2PDF available at http://www.win2pdf.com.The unregistered version of Win2PDF is for evaluation or non-commercial use only.This page will not be added after purchasing Win2PDF.

http://www.win2pdf.com

lynn gilmore (2011)

Documents