MRAG-MSC-F13-v1.2 October 2020 8950 Martin Luther King Jr. Street N. #202 St. Petersburg, Florida 33702-2211 Tel: (727) 563-9070 Fax: (727) 563-0207 Email: [email protected] President: Andrew A. Rosenberg, Ph.D. U.S. Acadian Redfish, Pollock and Haddock Otter Trawl Fishery Announcement Comment Draft Report March 31st, 2021 Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) MRAG Americas, Inc. Amanda Stern-Pirlot (team leader), Erin Wilson, Giuseppe Scarcella, Blanka Assessment team Lederer Fishery client The Sustainable Groundfish Association, Inc. Assessment type Reassessment Date March 31st, 2020 1 MRAG Americas, Inc. US2749 US Acadian redfish, pollock and haddock fishery ACDR MRAG-MSC-F13-v1.2 October 2020 Document Control Record Document Draft Submitted By Date Reviewed By Date ACDR EW, ASP, GS, BL March 28, 2021 ASP March 30, 2021 2 MRAG Americas, Inc. US2749 US Acadian redfish, pollock and haddock fishery ACDR MRAG-MSC-F13-v1.2 October 2020 1 Contents 1 Contents .......................................................................................................... 3 2 Glossary .......................................................................................................... 5 3 Executive summary ......................................................................................... 7 4 Report details .................................................................................................. 8 4.1 Authorship and peer review details ......................................................................... 8 4.2 Version details .......................................................................................................9 5 Unit(s) of Assessment and Unit(s) of Certification and results overview ......... 9 5.1 Unit(s) of Assessment and Unit(s) of Certification ................................................... 9 5.1.1 Unit(s) of Assessment ................................................................................................. 9 5.1.2 Unit(s) of Certification ................................................................................................ 11 5.2 Assessment results overview ............................................................................... 12 5.2.1 Determination, formal conclusion and agreement ...................................................... 12 5.2.2 Principle level scores................................................................................................. 13 5.2.3 Summary of conditions .............................................................................................. 13 5.2.4 Recommendations .................................................................................................... 13 6 Traceability and eligibility .............................................................................. 14 6.1 Eligibility date ....................................................................................................... 14 6.2 Traceability within the fishery ............................................................................... 14 6.2.1 Introduction .................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined. 6.2.2 Traceability within the fishery........................................ Error! Bookmark not defined. 6.2.3 Findings ....................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 6.3 Eligibility to enter further chains of custody ........................................................... 15 6.4 Eligibility of Inseparable or Practicably Inseparable (IPI) stock(s) to enter further chains of custody 15 7 Scoring .......................................................................................................... 16 7.1 Summary of Performance Indicator level scores ................................................... 16 7.2 Principle 1 ............................................................................................................ 17 7.2.1 Principle 1 background .............................................................................................. 17 Acadian Redfish (Sebastes fasciatus).................................................................................. 17 Pollock (Pollachius virens) ................................................................................................... 19 Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus)................................................................................ 21 7.2.2 Fishery management................................................................................................. 26 7.2.3 Data collection Programme ....................................................................................... 28 7.2.4 Catch profiles ............................................................................................................ 30 7.2.5 Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and catch data .............................................................. 30 7.2.6 Principle 1 Performance Indicator scores and rationales ............................................ 31 ........................................................................................................ 31 ................................................................................................... 35 .................................................................................................. 36 ............................................................................ 40 3 MRAG Americas, Inc. US2749 US Acadian redfish, pollock and haddock fishery ACDR MRAG-MSC-F13-v1.2 October 2020 .................................................................................. 43 ................................................................................. 45 7.3 Principle 2 .......................................................................................................... 48 7.3.1 Principle 2 background .............................................................................................. 48 7.3.2 Overview of Non-target Catch ................................................................................... 48 7.3.3 Overview of Habitats and Ecosystems ....................................................................... 58 7.3.4 Principle 2 Performance Indicator scores and rationales ..................................... 69 .................................................................................... 69 ................................................................................ 76 ..................................................................... 90 ...................................................................................... 94 ................................................................................................ 96 ............................................................................ 98 ........................................................................................... 100 .......................................................................................... 102 ...................................................................... 103 ...................................................................................... 105 Principle 3 ........................................................................................................................ 107 7.3.5 Area of operation .................................................................................................. 107 7.3.6 Jurisdiction .............................................................................................................. 107 7.3.7 Recognized groups with interests in the fishery and details of the fleet .................... 107 7.3.8 Legal and policy framework ..................................................................................... 108 7.3.9 Resolution of Disputes ............................................................................................ 110 7.3.10 Respect of Rights .................................................................................................... 111 7.3.11 Consultation, roles, and responsibilities ................................................................... 112 7.3.12 Decision making process......................................................................................... 114 7.3.13 Objectives for the Acadian redfish, haddock and pollock fishery .............................. 116 7.3.14 Regulatory framework and measures to meet objectives ......................................... 117 7.3.15 Monitoring, control and surveillance......................................................................... 121 7.3.16 Management evaluation .......................................................................................... 123 7.3.17 Principle 3 Performance Indicator scores and rationales ................................... 124 .................................................................... 124 .............................................................. 129 ......................................................................................... 133 ................................................................................. 135 ............................................................................... 137 ............................................................................ 143 ........................................ 148 8 References .................................................................................................. 150 9 Appendices