Beaked redfish

No analytical assessment is conducted, but survey and catch and effort data are collected, and biological sampling is conducted. The assessment of stock status is qualitative and based primarily on acoustic and trawling survey data (ICES, 2009b, 2013a,b).

Catch data raises problems as reporting by several countries is problematic (ICES, 2011b). Survey data also raises problems: acoustic surveys are limited by depth and coverage; and the data series in the trawl surveys is relatively short and surveys only conducted every second year. No dependable recruitment indices exist yet (ICES, 2009b, 2013a,b).

In the absence of quantitative information, as in previous years ICES advised that the directed fishery should be closed for 2014 and by-catch be reduced as far as possible. A lack of management agreement over TAC allocations (namely the unilateral quotas set by the Russian Government) have resulted in catches exceeding ICES advice and presenting an increased risk of over-exploitation (ICES, 2013a). ICES have thus advised that a recovery plan which takes into account the uncertainties in the data and the properties of the fishery should be developed and formally implemented (ICES, 2013a).

Technical measures protecting juvenile fish such as sorting grids in shrimp fisheries are advised to be maintained (ICES, 2013a).

Last updated on 24 Oct 2013

No reference points could be defined due to data uncertainties and the lack of an analytical assessment (ICES, 2013a,b).

There are no biological reference points defined. According to ICES’ latest qualitative evaluation, the stock biomass is “stable at very low levels”. Latest biomass index estimates suggest that stock size “has declined to less than 5% of the estimates at the beginning of the survey time-series in the early 1990s”. The exploitation rates are not known (ICES, 2013a).

Last updated on 24 Oct 2013

What was initially a slope fishery for redfish expanded to the pelagic distribution of the species in the Irminger Sea in 1982, with initial landings reaching 60,600 t (ICES, 2009d). A peak of 105,000 t in 1986 had decreased to 27,000 t in 1991 due to a reduction in effort (ICES, 2008a). The last peak in landings was observed in 2003 (56,700 t), but they have been dropping ever since, and stabilized around 2,500 from 2008 (except in 2011) (ICES, 2013a). However, landings are most likely underestimated however, due to incomplete reporting (ICES, 2013b).

Stock status cannot be quantitatively evaluated, but available indices suggest that stock size has dropped sharply during 90s and has remained at very low levels since then (ICES, 2013a).

The redfish pelagic fishery in the Irminger sea is managed by the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC). No formal management plan has been develop or implemented yet (ICEs, 2013a). In 2011, a multiannual interim set of management measures was agreed by Northeast Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) contracting parties. For 2011, and according to ICES advice, NEAFC agreed that there should be no fishery in this management area. Fisheries for 2012 to 2014 would depend upon the development of a recovery plan and from future scientific advice (NEAFC, 2011a,b).

Russian Federation has however objected this set of management measures for 2011-2014 (NEAFC, 2011b), and decided on unilateral quotas for both shallow and deep pelagic stocks. Despite ICES advice of “no directed fishery” a Russian unilateral quota for 2013 was set at 27,000 t (ICES, 2013a). According to ICES, the inability of the current management system in restraining catches increases the risk of over-exploitation (ICES, 2013a).

Last updated on 24 Oct 2013

No recovery plan has been adopted or formally implemented, but ICES has continuously advised that such a plan be developed (ICES, 2009b, 2011a, 2013a).

Satellite vessel detection studies have provided estimates indicating that reported effort may account for only 80% of total effort (ICES, 2009c). Misreporting of catches continues to be a problem in the fishery (ICES, 2013b). According to available data, discarding is not thought to be significant (ICES, 2013b).

A number of species of sharks and skates are known to be taken in the Icelandic fisheries, but information on catches is incomplete, and the status of these species is not known (ICES, 2009c).

Overwintering seabirds are an important part of the west Greenland ecosystem. The effects of fishing are unknown but harvesting of seabirds is a current problem and a management regime is being developed (ICES, 2008b). There are fewer species of seabirds in Iceland but they are abundant and none is listed on IUCN’s Red List (IUCN, 2010; IMFA, undated 1).

Marine mammal species diversity is broad, reflecting the region’s Atlantic and Arctic proximities (ICES, 2008b). Of these, hooded seals and sperm whales are considered on the Red List to be vulnerable and fin whales and sei whales to be endangered (IUCN, 2010), although other reports consider fin whales, which are commercially taken by Iceland, to be increasing in the East Greenland-Iceland area for the past 20 years and to be close to “pre-exploitation abundance” (ICES, 2008b; NAMMCO, 2003). Both belugas and narwhals, which occur in the more northerly parts of west Greenland, are considered to be ‘near threatened’ (IUCN, 2010). Additionally killer whales, long-finned pilot whales, northern bottlenose whales and walruses are present but their stock status are unknown (IUCN, 2010).

The leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), a Red List critically endangered species, has been reported in Icelandic waters but there are no records of fishing bycatch (IMFA, undated 2).

The pelagic redfish fishery is thought to have an insignificant effect on other fish and invertebrate species due to low by-catch and discard rates (ICES, 2009c, 2013b).

Juvenile redfish was an important bycatch species in the shrimp fisheries off Greenland and Iceland and was behind the introduction of sorting grids as a mandatory measure (ICES, 2009c).

A southwestern shift in the pelagic redfish fishery has been observed since 1996, related to environmental changes (ICES, 2009d) as an overall warming of the Irminger Sea has been registered (ICES, 2009c). This pelagic redfish fishery is considered to have a negligible impact on the ecosystem (ICES, 2009c, 2011b, 2013a).

Last updated on 24 Oct 2013

Iceland operates a number of area closures: a quick closure system prohibits fishing for two weeks if juveniles exceed a set percentage of catches (in the case of redfish, over 20% of fish under 33 cm); temporary or permanent closures protect juveniles; and closures of spawning grounds of cod, plaice and wolfish are also enforced (ICES, 2009c; IMFA, undated 3).

Eight Marine Protected Areas have been designated around Iceland (Wood, 2007), of which it is known that dragged fishing gear is forbidden in Surtsey, traditional fishing practices are permitted in Hornstrandir and Búðahraun and no fishing restrictions operate in Breiðafjörður (EAI, 2002; Wood, 2007). Off the northwest coast of Iceland, fishing with Danish seines, bottom and pelagic trawl is not allowed within the 12 nm line from the coast. Off the remaining coast bottom trawling is only permitted within the 12 nm line for smaller vessels (some restrictions still apply) (IMFA, undated 3).

Greenland National Park covers a broad marine portion (111,000 km²) but regulations covering fishing are not known (Wood, 2007). Area closures are also employed (ICES, 2008b).