The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) on Friday said its advice on fish stocks for 2014 will be based on the amount of fish actually caught at sea instead of what is brought to shore.
According to ICES, the shift from landings to catches emphasizes the reality of fishing in fisheries management advice.
“Managing fisheries based on what is caught — rather than what is landed — makes a biological difference. In most cases, fish don’t survive after being caught, whether they are brought to land or discarded at sea, and there is no difference biologically between those caught for commerce and those caught for recreation,” said Poul Degnbol, ICES advisory program head. “Advice based on catches will also be more relevant for the current and future political process, as decision-makers have shifted focus regarding fish stocks from commercial landings to actual catches.”
ICES will provide catch advice on all fish stocks, where sufficient data are available, but this will not be possible in cases where the discard amounts are not known or cannot be reliably estimated.
ICES advice is based on the compilation of relevant data and analysis by experts from ICES member countries. The data originate from sampling of fisheries and from research surveys. The advice is used by international commissions and governments, such as the European Commission, to establish sustainable fishing quotas.
