(Mytilus Edulis) Fishery and the Linked Ireland Bottom Grown
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MSC 2nd Surveillance Report For The Northern Ireland Bottom Grown Mussel (Mytilus edulis) Fishery and the linked Ireland Bottom Grown Mussel (Mytilus edulis) Fishery Facilitated By the The Cross Border Aquaculture Initiative (CBAIT) And Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) Assessors: Géraldine Criquet, Lead Assessor Fergal Guilfoyle, Assessor Dave Garforth, Assessor Report Code: MSC 07-08/SUR02 Date of Submission: 9th November 2015 SAI Global Assurance Services 3rd Floor, Block 3 Quayside Business Park Mill Street Dundalk Co.Louth Ireland. T + 353 42 932 0912 F + 353 42 938 6864 www.saiglobal.com/assurance Form 13g Page 1 of 64 Issue No: 7, Issue Date: March 2015 When harvesting from cultivation sites within Northern Ireland (NI) Client Name Cross Border Aquaculture Initiative (CBAIT) and Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) Fishery Units Species: Mytilus edulis Geographical Area Seed location: Coastal waters (FAO 27) within ROI’s 12nm Fishing Limit and NI 12nm Fishing Limit in VIa, VIIa, VIIg, VIIj and VIIb Harvest location: Belfast Lough, Lough Foyle, Carlingford Louth North Shore, Dundrum,and Lough Larne Method of Capture: Modified Dutch Bottom Dredge (with limited hand raking) th Date of Report 9 November 2015 Certification Date 30th July 2013 Assessment Team (Lead Assessor) Géraldine Criquet (Assessor) Fergal Guilfoyle (Assessor) Dave Garforth th th On-site audit 10 and 11 September 2015 Surveillance Audit completion X Surveillance Audit 1: th X Surveillance Audit 2: 9 November 2015 Surveillance Audit 3: Surveillance Audit 4: Re-certification Audit: Certificate Holder Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) P.O. Box 12 Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin Ireland SAI Global Correspondence to: Jean Ragg [email protected] Form 13g Page 2 of 64 Issue No: 7, Issue Date: March 2015 When harvesting from cultivation sites within Republic of Ireland (ROI) Client Name Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) and the Cross Border Aquaculture Initiative (CBAIT) Fishery Units Species: Mytilus edulis Geographical Area Seed location: Coastal waters (FAO 27) within ROI’s 12nm Fishing Limit and NI 12nm Fishing Limit in VIa, VIIa, VIIg, VIIj and VIIb Harvest location: Permitted harvest areas within identified bays of Lough Swilly, (Cromane) Castlemaine, Youghal harbour, Waterford harbour, Wexford harbour, Lough Foyle and Carlingford Lough South Shore, Lough Foyle Method of Capture: Modified Dutch Bottom Dredge (with limited hand raking) Date of Report 9th November 2015 Certification Date 30th July 2013 Assessment Team (Lead Assessor) Géraldine Criquet (Assessor) Fergal Guilfoyle (Assessor) Dave Garforth On-site audit 10th and 11th September 2015 Surveillance Audit completion X Surveillance Audit 1: X Surveillance Audit 2: 9th November 2015 Surveillance Audit 3: Surveillance Audit 4: Re-certification Audit: Certificate Holder Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) P.O. Box 12 Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin Ireland SAI Global Correspondence to: Jean Ragg [email protected] Form 13g Page 3 of 64 Issue No: 7, Issue Date: March 2015 Glossary AA Appropriate Assessment AFBI Agri Food and Biosciences Unit BGMCF Bottom Grown Mussel Consultative Forum BIM Bord Iascaigh Mhara – Irish Sea Fisheries Board CAB Conformity Assessment Body - Certifier CBAIT Cross Border Aquaculture Initiative DAFM Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine DARD Department of Agriculture and Rural Development HCRs Harvest Control Rules MSC Marine Stewardship Council NI Northern Ireland PI Performance Indicator ROI Republic Of Ireland SAC Special Area of Conservation SPA Special Protection Area VMS Vessel Monitoring System Form 13g Page 4 of 64 Issue No: 7, Issue Date: March 2015 Contents 1. Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 6 2. Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 8 3. The Surveillance Process ................................................................................................................. 9 4. Summary of stakeholder and client meetings .............................................................................. 10 5. Fishery observations ..................................................................................................................... 12 6. Relevant changes to Legislation and Regulations ......................................................................... 12 7. Relevant changes to Management Regime .................................................................................. 12 8. The General Conditions of Certification ....................................................................................... 13 9. The Specific Conditions of Certification ........................................................................................ 15 10. Harmonization of Certificates ....................................................................................................... 55 11. Conclusions and Recommendations ............................................................................................. 56 12. Outcome of SAI Global Assurance Services Decision ................................................................... 56 13. Information Sources ..................................................................................................................... 57 Appendices ........................................................................................................................................... 60 Form 13g Page 5 of 64 Issue No: 7, Issue Date: March 2015 1. Summary This report contains the findings of the second surveillance audit in relation to the Cross Border Aquaculture Initiative (CBAIT) and Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) certificate of the Northern Ireland Bottom Grown Mussel (Mytilus edulis) Fishery and the linked Ireland Grown Bottom Mussel (Mytilus edulis) Fishery. The second surveillance audit focused on the any changes to the fishery and its management since the 1st surveillance audit, and monitoring continued compliance with the MSC Principles and Criteria. Also, the assessment team evaluated progress against the 8 conditions (PIs 1.2.2. Harvest Control Rules and Tools, 2.2.3 Bycatch Species Information/Monitoring, 2.4.2 Habitats Management Strategy, 2.4.3 Habitats Information/Monitoring, 2.5.2 Ecosystem Management Strategy, 2.5.3 Ecosystem Information/Monitoring, 3.2.2 Decision Making Processes, and 3.2.4 Research Plan). SAI Global determines that: The Northern Ireland Bottom Grown Mussel (Mytilus edulis) Fishery and the linked Ireland Grown Bottom Mussel (Mytilus edulis) Fishery continues to operate a well-managed and sustainable fishery and therefore, continued certification to the MSC Principles and Criteria for Sustainable Fishing is awarded. On behalf of the MSC client, the Cross Border Aquaculture Initiative (CBAIT) and Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), SAI Global would like to extend thanks to the management organisations and stakeholders of the Northern Ireland Bottom Grown Mussel (Mytilus edulis) Fishery and the linked Ireland Grown Bottom Mussel (Mytilus edulis) Fishery who took part in this surveillance audit. • Lead Assessor: Dr. Géraldine Criquet manages technical functions of SAI Global’s MSC Fishery Program and is an approved MSC Fishery Team Leader. • Assessor: Fergal Guilfoyle is a contractor for SAI Global with an extensive experience in the shellfish aquaculture sector in Ireland. • Assessor: Dave Garforth is the Seafood Business Manager for SAI Global and is a lead IRCA approved auditor with an extensive knowledge of the Irish fishery industry. Although Dave Garforth was a member of the full assessment team, the surveillance team is different from the original team due to SAI Global staff turn-over; this team is the same as for the 1st surveillance audit. Skills and experience are summarised below. Form 13g Page 6 of 64 Issue No: 7, Issue Date: March 2015 Géraldine Criquet - Lead Assessor Géraldine is an MSC approved Fisheries Team Leader for SAI Global - experienced fishery scientist in both Finfish and Shellfish fisheries, and ecosystems considerations. Géraldine holds a PhD in Marine Ecology (École Pratique des Hautes Études, France) which focused on coral reef fisheries management, Marine Protected Areas and fish ecology. She has also been involved during 2 years in stock assessments of pelagic resources in the Biscay Gulf, collaborating with IFREMER. She worked 2 years for the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) at Reunion Island for studying fish target species growth and connectivity between fish populations in the Indian Ocean using otolith analysis. She served as Consultant for FAO on a Mediterranean Fisheries Program (COPEMED) and developed and implemented during 2 years a monitoring program of catches and fishing effort in the Marine Natural Reserve of Cerbère-Banyuls (France). Géraldine is an experienced full time MSC Lead Assessor with SAI Global, successfully leading MSC certifications and assessment teams and acting as Principle 2 expert for multiple MSC Pre, Full and Surveillance audits. Fergal Guilfoyle – Assessor Fergal has a degree in Marine Biology from Trinity College Dublin, a Masters in Fisheries and Marine Science from Aberdeen University and a postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Management from the University of Ulster. Fergal is currently managing director of Treanbeg Shellfish Ltd, a small oyster farming business based in Mayo. Treanbeg Shellfish also trades as Treanbeg