Agreed Record Of Conclusions Of Fisheries Consultations On The Management Of The Norwegian Spring-Spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) Herring Stock In The North-East Atlantic For 2002
Source: Unofficial
1. A Delegation of the European Community, headed by Mr. Ole TOUGAARD, a Delegation of the Faroe Islands, headed by Mr. Andras KRISTIANSEN, a Delegation of Iceland, headed by Mr. Tómas H. HEI?AR, a Delegation of Norway, headed by Mr. Johán H. WILLIAMS, and a Delegation of the Russian Federation, headed by Mr. Yuri ARSENTJEV, met in London on 5 - 9 November to consult on the management of the Norwegian Spring-Spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) herring stock for 2002. This meeting was a continuation of a meeting held in Harstad on 15 - 17 October 2001.
2. The Heads of Delegations agreed to recommend to their respective authorities the arrangement for the regulation of the Norwegian Spring-Spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) herring stock in 2002 set out in Annex I to this Agreed Record. Furthermore, they agreed to recommend to their respective authorities the revised long-term management arrangement set out in Annex II.
3. This Agreed Record, including the bilateral arrangements related to the implementation of this Agreed Record, shall be applied provisionally from 1 January 2002 and enter into force when all Parties have notified each other of the completion of their necessary procedures.
Done at London 9 November 2001 in five originals in English. The Parties shall agree on official texts of this Agreed Record in English, Faroese, Icelandic, Norwegian and Russian.
For the Delegation of the
European Community
Ole TOUGAARD
For the Delegation of Iceland
Tomas H. HEI?AR
For the Delegation of the
Russian Federation
Yuri ARSENTJEV
For the Delegation of the
Faroe Islands
Andras KRISTIANSEN
For the Delegation of Norway
Johán H. WILLIAMS
ANNEX I
1.The Parties agreed to take as a basis a TAC (total allowable catch) for the Norwegian Spring-Spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) herring stock, hereinafter referred to as herring, of 851,500 tonnes in 2002.
2.In keeping with the above, the Parties agreed to restrict their fishing on the herring stock in 2002 to a maximum limit of 850,000 tonnes on the basis of the following quotas:
European Community………….71,260 tonnes *
Faroe Islands………….………46,420 tonnes *
Iceland……………….………132,080 tonnes
Norway………….………….484,500 tonnes
Russian Federation………….115,740 tonnes
*Within the bilateral arrangements, the Faroe Islands and the European Community will exchange 2,580 tonnes.
3.Further arrangements, including arrangements for access and other conditions for fishing in the respective zones of fisheries jurisdiction of the Parties, are regulated by bilateral arrangements.
4. The Parties agreed to submit the following request to ICES:
ICES is requested to provide information about the stock development in accordance with the Annex of the Memorandum of Understanding with NEAFC. Furthermore, it should provide catch options for 2003 based on fishing mortalities in the range F = 0.08 to 0.15 including F=0.125.
ICES should evaluate the probability that the SSB will fall below Bpa of 5,000,000 tonnes and Blim of 2,500,000 tonnes in a 5 and 10-year period at various levels of constant fishing mortalities while the SSB is above Bpa, including values in the range of F= 0.05, 0.08, 0.10, 0.125, 0.15, 0.2.
For each of these combinations, evaluate the expected average percentage change in catches from year to year and the expected average catches over the same ten-year period.
ICES should particularly continue to evaluate adaptive recovery strategies, including an option with linear reduction in F, in the event SSB falls below Bpa of 5,000,000 tonnes. The strategies should aim at preventing the SSB from falling below Blim with a high probability and ensure the safe recovery of the stock to above Bpa at various time horizons.
ICES is requested to provide this information before 15 September 2002.
Annex II
arrangement on the long-term management of the norwegian spring-spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) herring stock
The Parties agreed to implement a long-term management plan for the Norwegian spring-spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) herring stock, which is consistent with a precautionary approach, intended to constrain harvesting within safe biological limits and designed to provide for sustainable fisheries. The plan shall consist of the following:
1. Every effort shall be made to maintain a level of Spawning Stock Biomass (SSB) greater than the critical level (Blim) of 2,500,000 tonnes.
2. For the year 2002 and subsequent years, the Parties agreed to restrict their fishing on the basis of a TAC consistent with a fishing mortality rate of less than 0.125 for appropriate age groups as defined by ICES, unless future scientific advice requires modification of this fishing mortality rate.
3.Should the SSB fall below a reference point of 5,000,000 tonnes (Bpa), the fishing mortality rate, referred to under paragraph 2, shall be adapted in the light of scientific estimates of the conditions then prevailing to ensure a safe and rapid recovery of the SSB to a level in excess of 5,000,000 tonnes. The basis for such adaptation should be at least a linear reduction in the fishing mortality rate from 0.125 at Bpa (5,000,000 tonnes) to 0.05 at Blim (2,500,000 tonnes).
4.The Parties shall, as appropriate, review and revise these management measures and strategies on the basis of any new advice provided by ICES.
