MOODY MARINE LTD Public Comment Draft Report for the: SFSAG NORTH SEA HADDOCK TRAWL & DANISH SEINE FISHERY Client: The Scottish Fisheries Sustainable Accreditation Group (SFSAG) Certification Body: Client Contact: Moody Marine Ltd Scottish Fisheries Sustainable Accreditation Group Moody International Certification (SFSAG) Merlin House c/o Scottish White Fish Producers Association Ltd Stanier Way North Lodge Wyvern Business Park Bath St Derby. DE21 6BF Stonehaven United Kingdom AB39 2DH United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 1633 544663 Fax: +44 (0) 1633 675020 01569 767573 & 0771 0504773 FN 82040 Public Comment Draft Report 07 May 2010 Page 1 CONTENTS 1 SUMMARY ............................................................................................................... 1 2 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 9 2.1 THE FISHERY PROPOSED FOR CERTIFICATION ..................................................................... 9 2.2 REPORT STRUCTURE AND ASSESSMENT PROCESS .............................................................. 10 2.3 STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS ATTENDED ................................................................................ 11 2.4 OTHER INFORMATION SOURCES ........................................................................................... 12 2.5 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS USED IN THE REPORT .................................................. 24 3 BACKGROUND TO THE FISHERY ................................................................. 26 3.1 BIOLOGY OF THE TARGET SPECIES ..................................................................................... 26 3.2 HISTORY OF THE FISHERY ..................................................................................................... 27 3.3 FISHING LOCATIONS ............................................................................................................... 29 3.4 FLEET AND GEAR DESCRIPTION .......................................................................................... 29 3.5 LANDINGS AND TRENDS IN THE FISHERY ........................................................................... 31 3.6 SAMPLING PROGRAMME BY SFF OBSERVERS ...................................................................... 33 4 STOCK ASSESSMENT ......................................................................................... 34 4.1 MANAGEMENT UNIT .............................................................................................................. 34 4.2 ASSESSMENTS AND STOCK STATUS ....................................................................................... 34 4.3 MANAGEMENT ADVICE .......................................................................................................... 36 4.4 OTHER FISH STOCKS ................................................................................................................ 37 5 FISHERY MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK ...................................................... 38 5.1 FISHING RIGHTS AND LICENSING ......................................................................................... 38 5.2 ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS AND BOUNDARIES .................................................... 39 5.3 LEGISLATION AND REGULATION ......................................................................................... 41 5.4 HARVEST CONTROLS .............................................................................................................. 45 5.5 MONITORING, CONTROL AND SURVEILLANCE .................................................................. 47 5.6 COMMUNICATION, CONSULTATION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION ................................... 48 5.7 FISHERY-RELATED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ........................................................ 50 5.8 MONITORING & EVALUATING MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE ...................................... 50 6 ECOSYSTEM CHARACTERISTICS .................................................................... 51 6.1 DESCRIPTION OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT .................................................................. 51 6.2 RETAINED BY-CATCH AND DISCARDING ............................................................................ 53 6.3 SURVIVAL OF DISCARDS AND ESCAPEES THROUGH COD-END .......................................... 60 6.4 INTERACTIONS WITH ENDANGERED, THREATENED OR PROTECTED (ETP) SPECIES 61 6.5 HABITAT IMPACTS ................................................................................................................... 62 6.6 ECOSYSTEM EFFECTS .............................................................................................................. 69 7 OTHER FISHERIES AFFECTING TARGET STOCK ..................................... 72 7.1 HADDOCK FISHERIES ............................................................................................................. 72 7.2 NEPHROPS-DIRECTED FISHERIES ......................................................................................... 72 8 STANDARD USED ............................................................................................... 74 8.1 PRINCIPLE 1 ............................................................................................................................. 74 8.2 PRINCIPLE 2 ............................................................................................................................. 74 8.3 PRINCIPLE 3 ............................................................................................................................. 75 FN 82040 Public Comment Draft Report 07 May 2010 Page 2 9 BACKGROUND TO THE EVALUATION ........................................................ 77 9.1 EVALUATION TEAM ................................................................................................................ 77 9.2 PREVIOUS CERTIFICATION EVALUATIONS ........................................................................... 77 9.3 INSPECTIONS OF THE FISHERY ............................................................................................. 78 10 STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION ................................................................. 79 10.1 STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION ........................................................................................... 79 10.2 STAKEHOLDER ISSUES ............................................................................................................ 79 11 OBSERVATIONS AND SCORING ..................................................................... 80 11.1 INTRODUCTION TO SCORING METHODOLOGY .................................................................. 80 11.2 SCORING OF THIS FISHERY..................................................................................................... 80 12 LIMIT OF IDENTIFICATION OF LANDINGS FROM THE FISHERY ...... 82 12.1 TRACEABILITY ......................................................................................................................... 82 12.2 AT-SEA PROCESSING ............................................................................................................... 82 12.3 POINTS OF LANDING .............................................................................................................. 82 12.4 ELIGIBILITY TO ENTER CHAIN OF CUSTODY ...................................................................... 82 13 ASSESSMENT RESULTS .................................................................................... 83 13.1 SUMMARY SCORES ................................................................................................................... 83 13.2 CONDITIONS ............................................................................................................................ 83 Appendices APPENDIX A: SCORING TABLE .................................................................................................................................................... 90 APPENDIX B: PEER REVIEW REPORTS ..................................................................................................................................... 124 APPENDIX C: CLIENT ACTION PLAN ....................................................................................................................................... 140 APPENDIX D: STAKEHOLDER COMMENTS.............................................................................................................................. 141 APPENDIX E: REGISTERED VESSELS FISHING IN FISHING AREA ELIGIBLE TO TRADE MSC CERTIFIED SPECIES NAME TO THOSE COMPANIES AND THEIR PROCESSING PLANTS LISTED IN TABLE 1 ........................................................ 142 Tables TABLE 1: CERTIFICATION UNIT .................................................................................................................................................... 9 TABLE 2: PEOPLE CONSULTED OVER THE ASSESSMENT PERIOD .......................................................................................... 11 TABLE 3: LANDINGS OF HADDOCK BY ALL VESSELS TO SCOTTISH PORTS IN 2007 ........................................................... 28 TABLE 4: DETAILS OF CLIENT FLEET ........................................................................................................................................ 30 TABLE 5: GEAR DESCRIPTIONS AND CODES USED BY SFPA TO RECORD LANDINGS DATA IN SCOTLAND .................. 31 TABLE 6: SUMMARY OF STOCK ASSESSMENT FOR HADDOCK IN ICES SUB-AREA IV (NORTH SEA) & DIV. IIIA NORTH (SKAGERRAK),