Working group on mixed fisheries advice (WGMIXFISH-ADVICE)

The ICES Working Group on Mixed Fisheries Advice (WGMIXFISH-ADVICE) met remotely to produce mixed fisheries forecasts for the Bay of Biscay, Celtic Sea, Iberian Waters, Irish Sea and North Sea. Mixed fisheries advice highlights the potential implications of single-stock (total allowable catch and effort) management on the catches of multiple stocks caught together in mixed fisheries. It considers past fishing patterns and catchability of the different fleets, and the TAC advice produced by the single-stock advice groups, to provide quantitative forecast of over- and under-exploitation of the different stocks given mixed fishery interactions. The mixed fisheries forecasts were produced using the “FCube” (Fleet and Fishery Forecasts) methodology for the Celtic Sea and Irish Sea, and the “FLBEIA” (Bio-Economic Impact Assessment using FLR) methodology for the Bay of Biscay, Iberian Waters and North Sea.

The Bay of Biscay mixed fisheries projections consider the single-species advice of 13 stocks (ank.27.78abd, bss.27.8ab, hke.27.3a46-8abd, hom.27.2a4a5b6a7a-ce-k8, mac.27.nea, meg.27.7b-k8abd, mon.27.78abd, nep.fu.2324, pol.27.89a, sdv.27.nea, sol.27.8ab, whb.27.1-91214, and whg.27.89a). Based on current fishing patterns and single-stock catch advice, the most limiting stock for Bay of Biscay demersal fisheries is horse mackerel (hom.27.2a4a5b6a7a-ce-k8), due to the zero-catch advice. The least limiting stock is whiting (whg.27.89a; 8 of 22 fleets). However, if horse mackerel was to be excluded as a restrictive stock due to the small contribution made by the demersal fleets to the total stock landings, the most limiting stock would be pollack (pol.27.89a ) whose quota is first reached for 8 of 22 defined fleets.

The Celtic Sea mixed fisheries projections consider the single-species advice for 15 stocks (cod.27.7e-k, had.27.7b-k, whg.27.7b-ce-k, nep.fu.16, 17, 19, 20–21, 22, and outside FUs, sol.27.7e, sol.27.7fg, mon.27.78abd, ank.27.78abd, meg.27.7b-k8abd, and hke.27.3a46-8abd). Based on cur-rent fishing patterns and single-stock catch advice, cod is the most limiting stock for Celtic Sea demersal fisheries. This is due to the zero-catch advice for cod and because almost all fisheries operating with demersal gears catch cod.

The Iberian waters mixed fisheries projections consider the single-species advice for 5 stocks (ank.27.8c9a, hke.27.8c9a, lbd.27.8c9a, meg.27.8c9a and mon.27.8c9a). Based on current fishing patterns and single-stock catch advice, hake is the most limiting stock for Iberian waters demersal fisheries, corresponding to an undershoot of the advised catch for the other stocks considered in the mixed fisheries analysis and because almost all fisheries operating in the area with demersal gears catch hake. Black-bellied anglerfish is the least limiting stock in almost all the fleets considered in the mixed-fisheries analysis.

The Irish Sea mixed fisheries projections consider the single-species advice for 7 stocks (cod.27.7a, had.27.7a, ple.27.7a, sol.27.7a, whg.27.7a, nep.fu.14, and 15). Based on current fishing patterns and single-stock catch advice demersal fisheries in the Irish Sea are limited by the zero-catch advice for whiting and cod as almost all fleets within the mixed-fishery catch these stocks. The least limiting stock is haddock (12 of 14 fleets).

The North Sea mixed fisheries projections consider the single-species advice for 20 stocks (cod.27.47d20, had.27.46a20, ple.27.420, ple.27.7d, pok.27.3a46, sol.27.4, sol.27.7d, tur 27.4, whg.27.47d, wit.27.3a47d, nep.fu.5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 32, 33, 34, and 4 outFU). Based on current fishing patterns and single-stock catch advice, the most limiting stock for North Sea demersal fisheries is witch, whose advised catch for 2023 is first reached for 36 of 46 defined fleets. Whiting is the least limiting stock in 35 of 46 fleets making it overall the least limiting stock.

Additional work included contributions to the fisheries overviews and two technical requests.