Acoura Marine Final Report SSMO Shetland inshore brown & velvet crab and scallop fishery MSC SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES CERTIFICATION SSMO Shetland inshore brown & velvet crab and scallop fishery Final Report January 2018 Prepared For: The Shetland Shellfish Management Organisation Prepared By: Acoura Marine Ltd Authors: Rod Cappell, Bert Keus and Julian Addison Acoura Marine Full Assessment Template per MSC V2.0 02/12/2015 Acoura Marine Final Report SSMO Shetland inshore brown & velvet crab and scallop fishery Contents 1 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................ 6 2 Authorship and Peer Reviewers ......................................................................................... 8 2.1 Assessment Team ........................................................................................................ 8 2.1.1 Peer Reviewers ......................................................................................................... 9 2.1.2 RBF Training ............................................................................................................ 10 3 Description of the Fishery................................................................................................. 11 Unit(s) of Assessment (UoA) and Scope of Certification Sought .............................. 11 Final UoC(s) ............................................................................................................... 12 Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and Catch Data ............................................................ 12 Scope of Assessment in Relation to Enhanced Fisheries & ISBF ....................... 14 Overview of the fishery ............................................................................................. 14 Management of the fishery ............................................................................... 14 Gears used ......................................................................................................... 14 Principle One: Target Species Background ............................................................... 17 Biology and life history of the species ............................................................... 17 Stock delineation ............................................................................................... 20 Harvest strategy ................................................................................................. 20 Information and Data Collection ....................................................................... 23 Principle Two: Ecosystem Background...................................................................... 50 Retained species ................................................................................................ 50 Bycatch (including discarding) ........................................................................... 53 Endangered, threatened or protected species (ETP) ........................................ 56 Habitat ............................................................................................................... 58 Ecosystem impacts ............................................................................................. 67 Principle Three: Management System Background .................................................. 69 Shetland Shellfish Management Organisation (SSMO) ..................................... 70 Roles and responsibilities .................................................................................. 71 4 Evaluation Procedure ....................................................................................................... 73 Harmonised Fishery Assessment .............................................................................. 73 Previous assessments ................................................................................................ 73 Assessment Methodologies ...................................................................................... 75 Evaluation Processes and Techniques ...................................................................... 75 Site Visits ............................................................................................................ 75 Acoura Marine Full Assessment Template per MSC V2.0 02/12/2015 Acoura Marine Final Report SSMO Shetland inshore brown & velvet crab and scallop fishery Consultations ..................................................................................................... 75 Evaluation Techniques ....................................................................................... 76 5 Traceability ....................................................................................................................... 77 Eligibility Date ............................................................................................................ 77 Traceability within the Fishery .................................................................................. 77 Eligibility to Enter Further Chains of Custody ........................................................... 78 Evaluation Results .................................................................................................................... 79 Principle Level Scores ................................................................................................ 79 Summary of PI Level Scores ...................................................................................... 79 Recommendations .................................................................................................... 80 Determination, Formal Conclusion and Agreement ................................................. 80 References ............................................................................................................................... 81 Appendices ............................................................................................................................... 87 Appendix 1a – MSC Principles & Criteria ............................................................................. 87 Appendix 1.1 Performance Indicator Scores and Rationale ............................................... 91 Evaluation Table for PI 1.1.1 UoC 1 Brown Crab .............................................................. 91 Evaluation Table for PI 1.1.2 UoC 1 Brown Crab ............................................................. 93 Evaluation Table for PI 1.1.3 UoC 1 Brown Crab .............................................................. 97 Evaluation Table for PI 1.2.1 UoC 1 Brown Crab .............................................................. 99 Evaluation Table for PI 1.2.2 UoC 1 Brown Crab ............................................................ 103 Evaluation Table for PI 1.2.3 UoC 1 Brown Crab ........................................................... 107 Evaluation Table for PI 1.2.4 UoC 1 Brown Crab ............................................................ 110 Evaluation Table for PI 1.1.1 UoC 2 Velvet Crab ............................................................ 113 Evaluation Table for PI 1.1.2 UoC 2 Velvet Crab............................................................ 117 Evaluation Table for PI 1.1.3 UoC 2 Velvet Crab............................................................ 123 Evaluation Table for PI 1.2.1 UoC 2 Velvet Crab............................................................ 128 Evaluation Table for PI 1.2.2 UoC 2 Velvet Crab............................................................ 133 Evaluation Table for PI 1.2.3 UoC 2 Velvet Crab............................................................ 137 Evaluation Table for PI 1.2.4 UoC 2 Velvet Crab............................................................ 140 Evaluation Table for PI 1.1.1 UoC 3 Scallop .................................................................... 143 Evaluation Table for PI 1.1.2 UoC 3 Scallop .................................................................... 146 Evaluation Table for PI 1.1.3 UoC 3 Scallop .................................................................... 150 Evaluation Table for PI 1.2.1 UoC 3 Scallop ................................................................... 152 Evaluation Table for PI 1.2.2 UoC 3 Scallop ................................................................... 156 Evaluation Table for PI 1.2.3 UoC 3 Scallop ................................................................... 160 Acoura Marine Full Assessment Template per MSC V2.0 02/12/2015 Acoura Marine Final Report SSMO Shetland inshore brown & velvet crab and scallop fishery Evaluation Table for PI 1.2.4 UoC 3 Scallop ................................................................... 165 Evaluation Table for PI 2.1.1 (UoC 1 Brown crab and UoC2 Velvet crab ....................... 168 Evaluation Table for PI 2.1.2 UoC 1 Brown crab and UoC2 Velvet crab ........................ 174 Evaluation Table for PI 2.1.3 UoC 1 Brown crab and UoC2 Velvet crab ........................ 177 Evaluation Table for PI 2.2.1 UoC 1 Brown crab and UoC2 Velvet crab ........................ 180 Evaluation Table for PI 2.2.2 UoC 1 Brown crab and UoC2 Velvet crab ........................ 184 Evaluation Table for PI 2.2.3 UoC 1 Brown crab and UoC2 Velvet crab ........................ 187 Evaluation Table for PI 2.3.1 UoC 1 Brown crab and UoC2 Velvet crab ........................ 190 Evaluation Table for PI 2.3.2 UoC 1 Brown crab and UoC2 Velvet crab........................