This corrigendum should replace the corresponding sections in the Part 2 of the STECF Review of advice for 2012 (STECF 2011. Review of scientific advice for 2012 – Part 2. Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, EUR 24897 EN, JRC66020)

Casey, J.

Doerner, H.

European Commission

Vanhee, W.

Open Marine Archive

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
STECF advice on hake (Merluccius merluccius) in Division Vb (1), VI 
and VII, VIII and XII, XIV (Northern hake) 
 
 
CORRIGENDUM ISSUED ON 28 SEPTEMBER 2011  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Scientific, Technical and Economic 
Committee for Fisheries (STECF) 
 
REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC ADVICE FOR 2012
Part 2 (STECF-11-09) 
 
CORRIGENDUM
Edited by John Casey, Willy Vanhee and Hendrik Doerner 
EUR 24951 EN -  2011 
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 3
SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC COMMITTEE FOR FISHERIES (STECF) 
 
REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC ADVICE FOR 2011 Part 2 
CORRIGENDUM 
 
The text below should replace the corresponding sections in the Part 2 of the STECF Review of advice for 
2012 (STECF 2011. Review of scientific advice for 2012 – Part 2. Publications Office of the European 
Union, Luxembourg, EUR 24897 EN, JRC66020). 
 
 
7.2  Hake (Merluccius merluccius) in Division Vb (1), VI and VII, VIII and XII, XIV 
(Northern hake)  
 
 The management area covers Skagerrak, Kattegat, IIa, IIIb,c,d, IV, VI, VII, VIII, XII and XIV with separate 
TAC's for these Divisions.  
FISHERIES: Hake is caught in mixed fisheries together with megrim, anglerfish and Nephrops. Discards of 
juvenile hake can be substantial in some areas and fleets. An important increase in landings has occurred in the 
northern part of the distribution area (Division IIIa, and Subareas IV and VI) in recent years. Since the 
introduction of the high vertical opening trawls in the mid-1990s, no significant changes in fishing technology 
have been introduced. Landings have increased since 2006 and reached 73100 t in 2010, the highest figure since 
1973.  
SOURCE OF MANAGEMENT ADVICE: The main management advisory body is ICES. The advice is 
based on a length-based assessment using commercial catch data and survey data. This stock was benchmarked 
in 2010. This year’s assessment presents major revisions in relation to last year: (i) new assessment model, (ii) 
incorporation of discards, (iii) faster growth rate. The time period has been extended back to 1978. This has 
improved the model’s ability to determine the degree to which various levels of fishing reduced hake abundance 
during the mid-1980s and the 1990s and thus provides a clearer perspective of the historical development of the 
stock. Last year’s assessment was indicative of trends. This year’s assessment is consistent with last year’s F 
and SSB trends. 
 REFERENCE POINTS:  
 Type Value Technical basis 
MSY  MSY Btrigger Not defined  
Approach FMSY 0.24 F30%SPR 
 Blim Not defined  
Precautionary Bpa Not defined  
Approach Flim Not defined  
 Fpa Not defined  
 
  Fish Mort Yield/R SSB/R 
  
(Length 
15–80cm)     
Fmax  0.29 0.28 0.79 
F0.1 0.19 0.26 1.18 
F35%SPR  0.20 0.26 1.12 
F30%SPR  0.24 0.27 0.96 
  
MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT: A recovery plan was agreed by EU in 2004 (EC Reg. No. 811/2004). The 
aim of the plan was to increase the SSB to above 140 000 t with a fishing mortality (Fmgt) of 0.25, constrained 
by a year-to-year change in TAC of 15% when SSB is above 100 000 t. ICES have not evaluated the plan. At 
present (2011) the SSB is estimated to be above 140000 t, but the reference points used as basis for that 
 4
recovery plan are not considered valid anymore. The application of a new assessment method has, however, 
resulted in a change in the perception of the historical stock and the previous defined precautionary reference 
points, on which the recovery plan is based, are no longer appropriate. 
A proposal for a long-term plan has been put forward by the EU in 2009 (COM(2009) 122 final). The aim of the 
proposal is to reach maximum sustainable yield.  
  
STOCK STATUS:  
F (Fishing Mortality) 
 2008 2009 2010 
MSY (FMSY)    Above target 
Precautionary 
approach (Fpa,Flim)    
Undefined 
     
SSB (Spawning-Stock Biomass) 
 2009 2010 2011 
MSY (Btrigger)    Undefined 
Precautionary 
approach (Bpa,Blim)    
Undefined 
Qualitative evaluation    
Above poss. reference 
points 
 
 
The spawning biomass has been increasing since 1998 and is estimated to be record high in 2011. Fishing 
mortality has been decreasing in recent years, but is still above FMSY. Recruitment fluctuations appear to be 
without substantial trend over the whole series. After several high recruitments in 2006 to 2008, the last two 
recruitments are estimated to be low. 
 
RECENT MANAGEMENT ADVICE: 
ICES advises on the basis of the transition to the MSY approach that landings in 2012 should be no more than 
51 900 t. 
MSY approach 
The stock is considered to be above any potential MSY Btrigger. Following the ICES MSY framework implies 
fishing mortality to be reduced to 0.24, resulting in landings of 39 400 tonnes in 2012. This is expected to lead 
to an SSB of 138 000 tonnes in 2013.  
 Following the transition scheme towards the ICES MSY framework implies fishing mortality be reduced to 
0.33 and corresponding to landing of 51 900 tonnes. This is expected to lead to an SSB of 125 000 tonnes in 
2013. 
Additional considerations  
Discards of juvenile hake can be substantial in some areas and fleets. The spawning biomass and the long-term 
yield can be substantially improved by reducing mortality of small fish. This could be achieved by measures that 
reduce unwanted bycatch through shifting the selection pattern towards larger fish.  
 
FISHING OPPORTUNITIES FOR 2012 according to COM(2011) 298-Final. 
 
STECF notes that with reference to COM(2011) 298-final, and in the absence of an agreed management plan, 
this stock is classified under category 2. The rules for category 2 prescribe that for 2012, a TAC for Northern 
Hake of 51,900 tonnes should be proposed. 
 
STECF also notes that the proposed management plan (COM(2009) 122 final), which has not yet been adopted, 
prescribes that for 2012, a TAC for Northern hake of 46,839 t should be proposed, based on a 15% reduction in 
the TAC for 2012.  
 
 5
STECF COMMENTS: STECF agrees with the ICES assessment of the state of the stock and agrees with the 
ICES advice for 2012. STECF also agrees with ICES that effective measures to reduce discarding are also 
needed, given the substantial discards of juvenile hake in some areas and fleets. 
 
STECF notes the ICES comment that due to the new perspective of historical stock trends, resulting from the 
new assessment, the previously defined precautionary reference points are no longer appropriate. In particular, 
the absolute levels of spawning biomass, fishing mortality, and recruitment have shifted to different scales. As a 
consequence, the TAC corresponding to the current recovery plan (EC Reg. No. 811/2004) should not be 
considered, because the plan uses target values based on precautionary reference points that are no longer 
appropriate.
 
 European Commission 
 
EUR 24951 EN – Joint Research Centre – Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen 
Title: Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries. Review of Scientific advice for 2011 – Part 2. 
Corrigendum.  
 
STECF members: Casey, J., Abella, J. A., Andersen, J., Bailey, N., Bertignac, M., Cardinale, M., Curtis, H., 
Daskalov, G., Delaney, A., Döring, R., Garcia Rodriguez, M., Gascuel, D., Graham, N., Gustavsson, T., 
Jennings, S., Kenny, A., Kirkegaard, E., Kraak, S., Kuikka, S., Malvarosa, L.,  Martin, P., Motova, A., Murua, H., 
Nowakowski, P., Prelezzo, R., Sala, A., Somarakis, S., Stransky, C., Theret, F., Ulrich, C., Vanhee, W. & Van 
Oostenbrugge 
 
Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union 
2011 – 5. – 21 x 29.7 cm 
EUR – Scientific and Technical Research series – ISSN 1831-9424 (online), ISSN 1018-5593 (print) 
ISBN 978-92-79-21385-4 
doi:10.2788/78532 
 
Abstract 
 
This corrigendum should replace the corresponding sections in the Part 2 of the STECF Review of advice for 
2012 (STECF 2011. Review of scientific advice for 2012 – Part 2. Publications Office of the European Union, 
Luxembourg, EUR 24897 EN, JRC66020). 
 
 
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being independent of special interests, whether private or national. 
 
 
The Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) has been established by 
the European Commission. The STECF is being consulted at regular intervals on matters pertaining 
to the conservation and management of living aquatic resources, including biological, economic, 
environmental, social and technical considerations. 
 
LB-N
A-24951-EN
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Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries. Review of scientific advice for 2012 - Part 2 (STECF-11-09) - Corrigendum

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