FOOD CERTIFICATION INTERNATIONAL LTD Findhorn House, Dochfour Business Centre, Dochgarroch, Inverness, IV3 8GY, Scotland, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1463 223 039 Fax: +44 (0) 1463 246 380 www.foodcertint.com MSC SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES CERTIFICATION DFPO Denmark North Sea Plaice Fishery Public Certification Report June 2011 Prepared For: Danish Fishermen’s Producers Organisation (DFPO) Prepared By: Food Certification International Ltd version 1.0 (18/10/10) FOOD CERTIFICATION INTERNATIONAL LTD Public Certification Report June 2011 Authors: T. Southall, P. Medley, N.Pfeiffer, S.Sverdrup-Jensen, A.Hervás, M.Gill Certification Body: Client: Food Certification International Ltd Danish Fishermen’s Producer Organisation (DFPO) Address: Address: Findhorn House Nordensvej 3 Dochfour Business Centre Taulov Dochgarroch DK-7000 Inverness IV3 8GY Fredericia Scotland, UK Denmark Contact : Melissa McFadden Contact : Jonathan Broch Jacobsen Tel: +44(0) 1463 223 039 Tel: +45 (7010) 4040 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Web: www.foodcertint.com MSC SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES June 2011 Public Certification Report – DFPO Denmark North Sea Plaice FOOD CERTIFICATION INTERNATIONAL LTD Contents Glossary of Terms ......................................................................................................................... i Summary ..................................................................................................................................... 1 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 4 1.1 Scope ............................................................................................................................................ 4 1.2 Report structure ........................................................................................................................... 4 1.3 Inspections & Consultations ......................................................................................................... 5 2. The Fishery .............................................................................................................................. 6 2.1 The unit of certification (UoC) ...................................................................................................... 6 2.2 The Danish Fisherman’s Producer Organisation .......................................................................... 7 2.2.1 Organisational structure and role ......................................................................................................... 7 2.2.2 DFPO Code of Conduct .......................................................................................................................... 8 2.3 Fishing Fleet & Fishing Method .................................................................................................. 10 2.3.1 Demersal Trawl .................................................................................................................................. 11 2.3.2 Trammel Net & Gill Net ....................................................................................................................... 12 2.3.3 Danish Seine ........................................................................................................................................ 13 2.4 Target species ............................................................................................................................. 14 2.4.1 Geographic Range ............................................................................................................................... 14 2.4.2 Lifecycle............................................................................................................................................... 15 2.4.3 Diet ..................................................................................................................................................... 15 2.5 Catches and landings .................................................................................................................. 16 2.5.1 Landing patterns and trends ............................................................................................................... 16 2.5.2 Catching Areas and Landing ports....................................................................................................... 16 2.5.3 Internal division of catch allocations .................................................................................................. 17 3. Target stock status & harvest controls (P1) ............................................................................. 19 3.1 Status of the Stock ...................................................................................................................... 19 3.2 Reference Points ......................................................................................................................... 21 3.2.1 Biological Limit Reference Points ........................................................................................................ 21 3.2.2 Precautionary reference Points .......................................................................................................... 21 3.2.3 Target Reference Points ...................................................................................................................... 21 3.3 Rebuilding Stocks ........................................................................................................................ 22 3.4 Harvest Strategy ......................................................................................................................... 22 3.5 Harvest Control Rule and Tools .................................................................................................. 24 3.6 Information and Monitoring ....................................................................................................... 25 MSC SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES June 2011 Public Certification Report – DFPO Denmark North Sea Plaice FOOD CERTIFICATION INTERNATIONAL LTD 3.6.1 Total Catch .......................................................................................................................................... 26 3.6.2 Catch Sampling.................................................................................................................................... 27 3.6.3 Abundance Index ................................................................................................................................ 27 3.7 Stock Assessment ....................................................................................................................... 28 4. Environmental Elements (P2) .................................................................................................. 30 4.1 Retained Bycatch ........................................................................................................................ 30 4.1.1 Setnet (Gill and Trammel) ................................................................................................................... 30 4.1.2 Demersal Trawl ................................................................................................................................... 30 4.1.3 Danish Seine ........................................................................................................................................ 31 4.1.4 Species specific considerations ........................................................................................................... 31 4.2 Discarding/Bycatch ..................................................................................................................... 32 4.2.1 Demersal Trawl ................................................................................................................................... 33 4.2.2 Danish Seine ........................................................................................................................................ 33 4.2.3 Setnet .................................................................................................................................................. 34 4.3 Endangered, threatened and protected species (ETP) ............................................................... 35 4.3.1 Common skate, Spurdog and Allis shad .............................................................................................. 35 4.3.2 Harbour porpoise ................................................................................................................................ 36 4.3.3 Seals .................................................................................................................................................... 36 4.4 Habitat ........................................................................................................................................ 37 4.4.1 Demersal Trawl ................................................................................................................................... 38 4.4.2 Danish Seine ........................................................................................................................................ 39 4.4.3 Setnet .................................................................................................................................................. 40 4.5 Ecosystem ..................................................................................................................................