Scottish Government

Title

Key commercial fish stocks at full reproductive capacity and harvested sustainably.

Associated Targets

Ensure 70% key commercial fish stocks at full reproductive capacity and harvested sustainably by 2015.

Brief Description

The indicator provides a measure of the success of Scotland in establishing EU-wide catch limits at levels which ensure the sustainability and profitability of the 13 key Scottish commercial fisheries.

The indicator monitors the forecasted stock condition based on ICES and/or STECF advice and commits the Scottish Government to use its best endeavours to attain pan-European agreement to moderate fishing levels on key Scottish commercial stocks.

Strategic Objective(s) to Which Indicator Relates

GREENER AND WEALTHIER

The indicator informs progress towards a Greener Scotland by capturing the sustainability of the wider marine environment through the measurement of sustainability of fish stocks. The indicator also informs progress towards a Wealthier Scotland as fishing Scottish key commercial stocks more sustainably maximises sustainable returns from fishing in time. Meeting the target involves the continuation and development of fish stock management plans.

More Detailed Definitions

Definitions of Keywords

'Key Scottish commercial fish stocks' : Key commercial fish stocks, listed below, subject to quota limitations.

· North Sea Herring

· West of Scotland Herring

· Atlanto-Scandic Herring

· North Sea Cod

· West of Scotland Cod

· North Sea Haddock

· West of Scotland Haddock

· Rockall Haddock

· North Sea Monkfish

· West of Scotland Monkfish

· North Sea Nephrops

· West of Scotland Nephrops

· North-East Atlantic Mackerel

'Total Allowable Catch (TAC)': Limit of annual EU catch allowed for species caught in particular sea areas (quota stock) set each year by the EU Council of Ministers, based on scientific advice from ICES, though not necessarily following the recommended limits.

'ICES': International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.

'STECF': Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries

'stocks at full reproductive capacity and harvested sustainably' : advice from ICES/STECF indicates for each fish quota stock a TAC limit which, if adhered to, would ensure optimal numbers of fish able to breed and which would allow harvesting at a rate that optimises the economic benefits to the Scottish industry.

' 70%': The target proportion of key Scottish commercial species landed by Scottish fishing vessels where the TAC limit is consistent with the scientific guidance, calculated over a centred three year average.

'Scottish vessels': fishing vessels whose port of administration is in Scotland.

Evidence Source

Advice from ICES/STECF indicates a best practice guideline figure for TAC in tonnes for each quota stock. This information is quantitative and based on best international scientific knowledge.

The actual TAC is set, in tonnes, by the Council of Ministers in Brussels.

The value of landings (in £million) of quota species by Scottish vessels is obtained from Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics.

Some key Scottish commercial stocks currently lack the scientific data to allow identification of safe biological limits. Ongoing research and monitoring on those stocks should allow the identification of these limits in due course.

Baseline and Past Trends

The baseline is the three year average over calendar years 2005 to 2007, centred on 2006. The baseline indicator value is 60%.

Past trends can be identified from the Scotland Performs website.

Methodology for Data Source

The indicator is updated three times a year to reflect;

1) new TAC limits being set and so information becoming available on whether the TAC for each stock was set within scientific guidance (January - March),

2) publication of provisional landings data (March),

3) publication of final landings data (September).

Consequently changes in the indicator from one year to the next can occur due to changes in whether the TAC for each stock was set within the scientific guidance, and/or changes in the weightings due to use of landings data for a different year.

The landings data for Scottish fishing vessels is published by Marine Scotland, whose sea fisheries database (FIN) holds details of all fish landings into Scotland and landings abroad by Scottish-based vessels. Voyage information is supplied by skippers who are required by EU legislation to maintain logbooks. Data on landings is provided by fish sellers under similar EU legislation. Information is collated and entered at port offices and then transmitted to the FIN central server maintained by Marine Scotland, Edinburgh. DEFRA maintains a similar system for landings into England, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as landings made by EWNI vessels.

The TAC details are agreed at December Fisheries Council at a European level. The scientific advice on fish stocks is produced by ICES/STECF.

Calculation of this indicator uses quota (Total Allowable Catch (TAC)) information and landing figures (the value of the catch) for Scotland's key commercial fish stocks. The value of those fish stocks for which the TAC was set in line with scientific guidance is summed and this total is then divided by the total value of catch for all the stocks under consideration to yield the individual year percentage. A centred three year average is calculated as the sum of the value of those fish stocks for which the TAC was set in line with scientific guidance over each three year period divided by the total value of catch for all the stocks over the same period. This centred three year average is used as the indicator's value.

Indicator = ((value of catch landed by Scottish fishing vessels of key Scottish stocks where the TAC limit is consistent with the ICES guidance) / (total value of all the key Scottish stocks landed by Scottish vessels)) multiplied by 100, calculated on a centred three-year average.

If final or provisional landings data for a particular year are not yet published, that year's landings data are estimated by the most recently published sea fisheries statistics. The indicator value for a given year is affected three times throughout the course of the year - once when the new TACs are set; once when provisional statistics are published; and once when final statistics are published.

Data Ownership and Quality Assurance

Advice from ICES/STECF indicates a best practice guideline figure for TAC in tonnes for each quota species. This information is quantitative and based on best international scientific knowledge but is not a National Statistic. The data is provided by ICES/STECF.

The actual TAC set by the Council of Ministers in tonnes is also quantitative but is not a National Statistic. These data are provided by the EU.

The value of catch of Scottish vessels by quota species is obtained from Scottish Sea Fisheries statistics - these are National Statistics provided by Marine Scotland and, as such, undergo regular quality assurance reviews.

Publication of Data

Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics are published annually in the September following the latest year, with provisional figures published in March. Published data is only (rarely) revised if it is necessary to avoid presenting misleading information on trends. Summary statistics are also published in the High Level Summary of Statistics.

The annual publication is available on the Scottish Government website. Provisional Sea Fisheries Statistics are also available online.

Up-to-date ICES scientific advice is published on the ICES website.

Methodology for Recent Change Arrow on Scotland Performs

The evaluation of the direction of travel arrow is based on the difference in the proportion of fish stocks where the (TAC) was set in line with scientific guidance. Any difference within +/- 3 percentage points of the last year's figures suggests a maintaining performance, whilst a increase or decrease of 3 percentage points or more suggests an improving or worsening performance, respectively.