Recommendation 8The Marine Stewardship Council has successfullyimplemented the Sustainable Seafood campaignelsewhere in Europe. The Irish fishing industry andfisheries managers should be expected to achieve‘Sustainable Seafood’ compliance for Irish fisheriesand fish products. Customers to be provided with fullinformation on the source of fish and the fishingmethods used to catch them.

Ecosystem Management

Ultimately fisheries should not be managed on a singlespecies or stock level. The new Fisheries Bill promotesmulti-species and multi-annual management policiesand this is welcome but fisheries cannot be managed inisolation from the environment in which they aresustained. It is also important to recognise that humanexploitation of fish stocks cannot be viewed as the soleuse or value of fish since the same fish stocks form thebasis for a food web which supports predators in themarine environment such as, marine mammals andseabirds.

The wasteful practices encouraged by the EU Quotasystem of fisheries management results in massived i s c a rds of non-target fish (and other marineorganisms) each year. Such discards are a waste ofmarine re s o u rces and have a significant negativeimpact on the species and ecosystems involved. The EUneeds to urgently review its system of fisheriesmanagement, which has failed to achieve long termsustainable fisheries. The EU should be workingtowards a goal of zero discards (which is achieved byother European countries) and look towards controlmethods used in neighbouring non EU states forexamples of sustainable fisheries management.

Some forms of fishing gear are highly destructive in themarine environment. Examples include bottomtrawling (which destroys benthic habitats and fauna),deep-water fishing for species, which provide greatdifficulties for sustainable fishing due to their slowgrowth (e.g. deep-water shark species and fish such asorange roughy) and deep-water tangle nets and gillnets (which can be abandoned or lost). Such fishingmethods need to be reviewed and changed, adapted orhalted where necessary.

An ecosystem approach to the management of fisheriesand the marine environment is the only option for thelong-term achievement of sustainable fisheries inIreland. This approach should be incorporated into anOceans Policy framework. The IWDG does not under-estimate the challenge this presents nor does it under-estimate the amount of uncertainties in the dataavailable to implement such a policy, including theimpact of global climate change. However thoseresponsible for management and exploitation ofmarine resources must consider this approach for thefuture.

Recommendation 9The IWDG recommends that an ecosystem approachto fisheries management be incorporated into OceanManagement Policies. The IWDG encourages the EUFisheries Commission to review current methods offisheries management with a view to achieving long-term sustainable fisheries. Destructive fishingpractices to be reviewed and changed, adapted orhalted where necessary.

More information

For more information see:

ASCOBANS: www.ascobans.orgMarine Stewardship Council: www.eng.mcs.org

References

Berrow, S.D. and Rogan, E. (1998) Incidental capture of cetaceans inIrish waters. Irish Naturalists’Journal, 26 (1/2), 22-31.

Berrow, S.D., O'Neill, M. and Brogan, D. (1998) Discarding practicesand marine mammal by-catch in the Celtic Sea Herring Fishery. Biologyand Environment. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy (1), pp. 1-8.

Couperus, A.S. (1995) Interactions between Dutch midwater trawl andAtlantic white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus acutus) Southwest ofIreland. Journal of Northwest Atlantic Fishery Science, 22, 209-218.

Morizur,Y., Berrow, S.D., Tregenza, N.J.C., Couperus, A.S., andPouvreau, S. (1999) Incidental catches of marine mammals in pelagictrawl fisheries of the Northeast Atlantic. Fisheries Research 41, 297-307.

Rogan, E. and Berrow, S.D. (1996) Review of Harbour porpoisesPhocoena phocoena L. in Irish waters. Report of the International WhalingCommission 46, 595-605.

Rogan, E. and Mackey, M. (1999) Bycatch and Discarding in the Irishalbacore driftnet fishery. Final report to By-care. European Commission.

Tregenza, N.J.C., Berrow, S.D., Leaper, R. and Hammond, P.S. (1997)Harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena L., bycatch in set gill nets in theCeltic Sea. ICES Journal of Marine Science. 54, pp. 896-904.

The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group

Dedicated to the conservation and better understanding ofwhales, dolphins and porpoises in Irish waters, throughstudy, education and interpretation.

Website: www.iwdg.ie

Email: enquiries@iwdg.ie

All photos: Simon Berrow

CommercialFisheries PolicyDocument

Commercial fishing is the human activity, which hasone of the largest impacts on the marine environ-ment and on those creatures that live therein. TheIrish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG), with ouri n t e rest in the conservation and protection ofcetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoise), supportssustainable commercial fishing and those coastalcommunities engaged in this activity.

Most cetaceans are considered apex predators at thetop of the marine food chain and are excellent indi-cators of the health of our seas and the fish popula-tions living therein. Equally, as top predators theyare vulnerable to any changes in this food chain,therefore, healthy and abundant fish stocks are goodfor both the fishing industry and for cetaceans.

Collectively, the fishing industry, coastal communi-ties and fisheries managers face great challenges atthe present time. Poor fisheries management hasnow left many stocks severely depleted and unableto sustain fishing at a viable level. Depleted fishstocks impact strongly on coastal communities andon the fishing industry generally, resulting in joblosses both within the fishing fleet and onshore.Increasingly, people have been abandoning fishingand associated trades as a livelihood and this is hav-ing significant and possibly irreversible implicationsfor coastal communities especially those in the moreremote areas of the west of Ireland.

The same problem of depleted fish stocks mustaffect cetacean populations around our shores andcould impact on the growing potential for marinetourism, particularly whalewatching, which is agrowth income area for former fishing-boat owners.However, while alternatives such as marine tourismand aquaculture have great potential for some com-munities they are unlikely to ever fully replace com-mercial fishing.

Ireland’s waters contain a high diversity and abun-dance of cetaceans, which classifies our waters asamongst the most important in Europe for thesespecies. The future of our seas is dependant on ourability to maintain the ecosystems which supportthese populations. The development of a sustainablefishing industry through proper structuring andconservation of the marine ecosystem can help boththe coastal economy and cetacean conservation.

In this document the IWDG outlines its policy andmakes recommendations which, if implemented,will help to ensure that Irish waters will:

• maintain abundant and healthy cetacean popula-tions into the future, • secure the health of the ecosystems that supportthese populations, and • help to create and maintain viable fisheries for ourcoastal communities

Knowledge of cetaceans in Irish waters

Although our knowledge of the ecology and habitatre q u i rements of cetaceans in Irish waters is poor,existing information shows that Irish waters support awide variety of cetacean species, both inshore ando ff s h o re including both resident (breeding) andmigratory. To date, 24 species have been recorded inIreland which is nearly one-third of all the knownspecies of cetaceans in the world. Some species - suchas harbour porpoise - are widespread and relativelyabundant, while others - such as blue whales - are rarebut migrate annually along the west coast. A fewspecies - such as some of the beaked whales - havenever been seen alive in Irish waters and are onlyknown from carcasses that have become stranded onour shores.

All cetacean species and their habitats are protectedunder Irish and EU legislation and in addition, many ofthese species are protected under International legis-lation. To protect all these species and their habitats weneed to understand more about their populationdynamics and ecology.

Recommendation 1Increase the level of research to estimate cetaceandistribution and abundance, population stru c t u reand stock identity in order to quantify the impact offishing on cetaceans in Irish waters.

Fishing & Cetaceans

Fisheries and cetaceans interact in three main ways: (a)operationally through direct entanglement or capturein fishing nets, (b) biologically through competition forfish species, and (c) disturbance - fishing activity maydisplace cetaceans from their preferred habitats.

The incidental capture of cetaceans has been quantifiedin some gillnet and trawl fisheries in Ireland. It wasestimated that in 1993-94, around 2,200 harbourporpoises and 230 common dolphins were killed bybottom-set gillnets in the Celtic Sea. This accounted for6.2% of the estimated number of harbour porpoises

(32,280) occurring in the area, which was consideredunsustainable. No cetacean bycatch was reported by astudy of the Celtic Sea Herring fishery but five cetaceanspecies were caught by Dutch mid-water trawlers offthe southwest coast of Ireland. Although larg e l yconducted outside of the Irish territorial waters, anestimated 500 cetaceans, mainly common and stripeddolphins but also bottlenose, Risso’s, white-sideddolphins, pilot, minke and sperm whales, wererecorded as having been incidentally caught in the IrishAlbacore tuna driftnet fishery in 1996. Driftnets arenow banned in this fishery but pelagic trawls, broughtin to replace drift-netting can also catch large numbersof dolphins.

Clearly, incidental capture in fishing nets is one of themost immediate threats to cetaceans, but not allfisheries have significant bycatch. Therefore, there is anurgent need to collect data to quantify the currentbycatch levels of cetaceans in Irish fisheries. Such datawill allow for the identification of fisheries which havean unsustainable level of bycatch and the developmentof suitable mitigation measures.

The diet of cetaceans in Irish waters is poorly knownalthough a range of commercially important fishspecies such as mackerel, herring, cod, whiting andsalmon have been recorded in the diet of harbourporpoise and common, bottlenose and white-sideddolphins. The cetacean species likely to be affected by afishery depends on the distribution of cetaceans, thedistribution and intensity of fishing effort and the typeof gear used.

Recommendation 2Increase the level of research on the diet of cetaceansin Irish waters to capture data on prey types and sizeselection as well as on seasonal and geographicalvariations. Data of this kind is essential to betterexplore the relationship between cetaceans and theirprey, and to assess the impact of fishing and compe-tition.

Cetacean Bycatch & Mitigation Measures

Although there has been an increase in awareness ofthe problem of cetacean bycatch and attempts tomitigate against its impact, there is still a lack of basicinformation on operational interactions and bycatchrates. The recent EU Resolution 812/2004 on the use ofpingers is a welcome step towards mitigating the effectof bycatch on small cetaceans. The IWDG is concernedthat issues over the current reliability and durability ofpingers mean that full implementation of Articles 2 and3 of Resolution is not yet a practical step, as a highfailure rate of pinger gear could result in a loss of confi-dence among fishers in the effectiveness of the gear andmay result in increased bycatch rates in net sets wherepingers are defective. The IWDG is also concerned thatsome pingers are ineffective against some dolphinspecies, while others have an unacceptable negativeeffect on dolphins in their vicinity. The IWDG doessupport the immediate implementation of theremainder of Regulation 812/2004, which includesrequirements for a bycatch observer programme in anumber of fisheries.

must be considered during the development of newfisheries and gear. It is standard procedure in mostmodern industries to conduct an environmental auditof the impacts of new developments and technologies.Other marine industries (e.g. oil and gas explorationand marine aggregate extraction) already operate suchaudits.

Recommendation 5All new fisheries and gear developments to besubjected to a full Environmental Impact Assessmentbefore being licensed for use.

Marine Protected Area & No Take Zones

I n c reasingly Marine Protected A reas (MPA), eitherthrough designation as Biologically Sensitive Areas orNo Take Zones are being considered for fisheriesmanagement. No Take Zones usually try to protectcritical habitats such as spawning areas. Other MPAssuch as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) can alsohave implications for fisheries management thoughthey are designated for their nature conservationinterest. Fisheries management in SACs is hamperedby poor communication and consultation betweengovernment departments. Although the National Parksand Wildlife Service within the Department ofE n v i ronment, Heritage and Local Government(DEHLG) designate SAC, management of fisherieswithin these areas is the responsibility of theDepartment of Communications, Marine and NaturalResources (DCMNR).

Recommendation 6IWDG supports Marine Protected Areas or No TakeZones for fisheries management. However theyshould be of a large enough spatial scale to benefitpredators and facilitate the assessment of the impactof this management tool on the ecosystem as well onfish stocks.

Recommendation 7A system should be established to enable effectivecommunication between the DCMNR and DEHLGand other stakeholders regarding management ofcommercial fishing in Marine Protected Areas.

Consumer Rights & Responsibilities

There is significant public concern over the impact offishing on the marine environment and the state of fishstocks. Fish is actively promoted as a healthy food butinformation on the origin and fishing method used isnot always available to the consumer. The ‘DolphinSafe’ tuna campaign clearly demonstrates the power ofconsumer demand where this information is available.A number of initiatives including the MarineStewardship Council certification program are in placeto promote fish and fish products sourced from well-managed and sustainable fisheries and harvested usingenvironmentally responsible methods. Similar initia-tives should be promoted in Ireland and Irish fisheriesshould strive to produce fish eligible for inclusion inthese programmes as soon as possible in order thatthese eco-conscious markets are open to Irish fishproducts and Irish fishers get the highest premiumpossible for their catch.

Recommendation 3While the IWDG supports the EU Bycatch Resolution812/2004, more re s e a rch is urgently re q u i red todevelop pinger reliability and effectiveness, prior totheir deployment in the gill net and tangle net fleets.The monitoring requirements laid out in Resolution812/2004 should be implemented fully and withoutdelay to determine current bycatch rates (includingseasonal and geographical variation) and to identifythose fisheries and areas with unsustainable rates.

Conventions & Legislation

There are a number of conventions that Ireland hasratified which have implications for fisheriesmanagement. These include the Convention on theConservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals(Bonn Convention), the Habitats Directive and OSPAR.The main agreement containing fisheries managementimplications which Ireland has not signed isASCOBANS (Agreement on Small Cetaceans in theBaltic and North Sea). ASCOBANS has extended itsboundary to include the western seaboard of Europesouth to Portugal: and Ireland is now one of the rangestates. Although the Irish Government has committedto signing up to ASCOBANS under the NationalBiodiversity Plan, no pro g ress has yet been madetowards fulfilment of this commitment.

Recommendation 4That Ireland fully implements those conventionswith implications for fisheries management andcetacean conservation which it has already ratified(Habitats Directive and OSPAR) and also signs up toASCOBANS without delay.

New & Developing Fisheries

As existing fisheries become unsustainable due to poormanagement and environmental change, there is morepressure to develop new fisheries and modify existingfishing gear. Increased fuel costs are likely to acceleratethese changes. New techniques or fisheries are likely tochange the relationship between fishing activity andcetaceans. Changes might either benefit cetaceanpopulations or create new threats and these changes