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Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands are a UKOT in the South Atlantic, approximately 350 nautical miles off the coast of South America between 51° and 53° south. The islands have a population of around 3000 and are self governing, with an elected Legislative Assembly. The UK Government is responsible for foreign affairs and defence. Executive authority is exercised by the Governor of the Falkland Islands (on behalf of the Queen), who acts on the advice of the Executive Council. The Falklands Interim (also know as Inner) Conservation & Management Zone (FICZ) was created in 1986 (and became effective on February 1st 1987) to regulate the activities of foreign fishing vessels and raise licence revenue. The FICZ extends 150 nm from a point in the centre of the islands. The Falklands Outer Conservation Zone (FOCZ) was established in December 1990 and extends fisheries management jurisdiction to 200 nautical miles from baselines, except where there is overlap with neighbouring jurisdictions. The combined area of the FICZ and FOCZ is around 551,000 km2. The Falkland Islands Fishery Department (FIFD) was established to manage the FICZ, but following the amalgamation with the agriculture department in October 2009 it is now known as the Directorate of Natural Resources – Fisheries (DNR-F).

Figure FI-1. The Falklands Interim Conservation and Management Zone (FICZ) and the Falklands Outer Conservation Zone (FOCZ).

 

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The Patagonian Shelf is the boundary between the southern temperate ecosystem and the sub-Antarctic ecosystem and the associated fronts make the shelf one of the most productive regions in the south-west Atlantic. In particular, the confluence of the cold, north-flowing, Falkland Current (Figure FI-1) and the warm, south-flowing, Brazil current makes the area particularly productive. Abundant zooplankton in these frontal areas attract nektonic fish and squid that migrate seasonally to feed. The FICZ and FOCZ cover a large area of the Patagonian Shelf and many of the fish stocks are straddling stocks that are shared with neighbouring maritime jurisdictions (Argentina, Chile & Uruguay), which complicates management. That management is further complicated by the on-going sovereignty claims of Argentina. A South Atlantic Fisheries Commission (SAFC) was established in 1990, which brought together scientists and fishery managers from Argentina, the UK and the Falklands. Between 1990 and 2005 the SAFC facilitated the exchange of fisheries data, joint research cruises, joint scientific analysis, and recommended coordinated conservation advice to respective governments. Argentina disengaged from this process in 2005, in protest at the new ITQ system, and since then it has not been possible to maintain a co-operative approach to fisheries conservation.

1. Falkland  Islands  fisheries  and  licences   The Falkland Islands fisheries have ten principal target species or species groups (Table FI-1), with nine categories of licence (Table FI-2). The fishery in the Falkland Islands conservation zones is unique in that it is primarily based on the short-lived squid Illex argentinus and Doryteuthis gahi. Fisheries for the two species of squid (Illex argentinus and Doryteuthis gahi) are the most important in terms of total catch (71%) and revenue (78.4%) (Tables FI-1, FI-2). In terms of catch, the most important species of finfish is rockcod (14% total catch). The two squid species and Patagonian toothfish are each managed as single species targeted fisheries, but the other species are managed in mixed trawl fisheries.  

Table FI-1. Principal target species in Falklands fisheries

Common name

Scientific name Mean annual catch (2011-

2015)

% of total catch

Short-fin squid Illex argentinus 194,581 58.2 Long-fin squid Doryteuthis gahi 44,953 13.5 Southern blue whiting Micromesistius australis 2,937 0.9 Kingclip Genypterus blacodes 3,459 1.0 Red cod Salilota australis 4,159 1.3 Hoki Macruronus magellanicus 13,964 4.2 Hakes Merluccius australis / 13,725 4.1 Merluccius hubsi Patagonian toothfish Dissostichus eleginoides 1,364 0.4 Rock cod Patagonotothen ramsayi 47,464 14.2 Skates & rays Rajidae 6,295 1.9

The average ex-vessel value of annual catches since 2001 is estimated between £200 million and £250 million (Harte & Barton, 2007), so, on average, licence fees (Table FI-2) represent around 10% of the ex-vessel value of catches. The Falklands fishing sector contributes 30 - 40% of the territory’s GDP.

 

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Table FI-G2. Licence types and revenue

Type Species / group Gear Mean annual revenue

(2011-15)

% of total revenue

A Unrestricted finfish Bottom trawl £1,129,012 5.4 B Short-fin squid (Illex) Jigger £10,188,056 48.3 C Doryteuthis (1st season) Bottom trawl £2,133,230 10.1 F Skates & rays Bottom trawl £247,121 1.2 G Short-fin squid & fish Bottom trawl £845,900 4.0 L Patagonian toothfish Demersal longline £836,770 4.0 S Blue whiting & hoki Trawl £132,922 0.6 W Restricted finfish Bottom trawl £1,341,160 6.4 X Doryteuthis (2nd season) Bottom trawl £4,242,082 20.1

TOTAL

21,096,253    

2. General  Fisheries  Management    2.1 Legislation   In 2005 the original 1987 Fisheries Ordinance was repealed and replaced with the Fisheries (Conservation and Management) Ordinance 2005 (FCMO). The FCMO addresses all aspects of fisheries management and conservation in the FICZ and FOCZ and deals with any Falklands registered vessels fishing on the high seas or under other jurisdictions. The FCMO provides for the appointment of officers, including the Director of Fisheries, who is responsible for the conservation and management of fisheries and for implementing the ordinance. The FCMO requires the Director of Fisheries and all persons exercising duties or powers under the Ordinance to take into account the following environmental principles:

(a) associated or dependent species shall be maintained at or above a level that ensures their long term viability;

(b) biological diversity of the marine environment shall be maintained; and (c) habitats of particular significance for fisheries management shall be protected.

The FCMO also requires that decisions be taken on the basis of the best available information, that uncertainty be taken into account and that decision-makers be cautious when information is uncertain or unreliable. Under the FCMO, the Director of Fisheries may establish Sustainability Measures for one or more stocks. To date Sustainability Measures have only been published for the toothfish fishery1 and include the harvest strategy and target and limit reference points.

                                                                                                               1  Sustainability  measures  exist  in  other  fisheries  to  varying  extents,  but  toothfish  is  the  only  fishery  with  a  published  document  that  details  the  measures.    

 

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2.2 Licensing  system   The enactment of the FCMO in 2005 facilitated the introduction of an Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ) system. This system gives long-term access rights to Falkland Island companies and was intended to encourage investment in the fishery (Harte & Barton, 2007a,b). The anticipated benefits included greater investment and diversification by fishing companies and greater environmental awareness and stewardship. ITQ ownership is restricted to companies that are 100% owned by Falkland Island status holders, who are resident in the islands. Such ITQ rights can last a maximum of 25 years. In addition to ITQ rights, the Director of Fisheries can also grant Provisional Quota (PQ) rights, which give a fishing right for a maximum of 5 years. To be eligible for PQ rights a company must be at least 25.1% owned by persons who are resident in the Falkland Islands and who have Falkland Island status. The FCMO requires that companies holding ITQ rights satisfy three ‘tests’:

(i) The company will be in ‘effective control’ of how its ITQ rights are used; (ii) The company will be ‘actively involved’ in one or more of taking, processing or selling fish

commensurate with the level of its business activity; (iii) The company’s income and economic returns from taking, processing and sale of fish

represents a sufficient return on the value of the rights held and does not, over a reasonable period, represent a significantly lower rate of return than that received by holders of similar rights, known as the ‘economic efficiency’ test.

The holder of ITQ or PQ has the right to a proportion (termed Catch Entitlement (CE)) of the Total Allowable Catch or Total Allowable Effort in that fishery. In practice most of the fisheries are based on effort rather than catch limitation, which reflects the effort-based management of the squid and finfish fisheries. For each fishery ITQ or PQ rights were, in general, allocated on the basis of historical involvement in that fishery. The ITQ, PQ or Catch Entitlement is not, in itself, an authorisation to fish. Fishing is authorised by a licence issued under the FCMO. The ITQ system was reviewed in 2015 (FIG Policy Unit, 2015). The review noted that the ITQ system has delivered tangible benefits to the island and fishing companies, but the industry still does not contribute much to employment ashore or at sea. In addition to licence fees, fishing companies contributed £1-4 million a year in corporation tax. Based on data provided by ITQ holders, toothfish, Doryteuthis and finfish ITQ have different levels of profitability, with toothfish operating at a “good” profit margin. Doryteuthis and particularly finfish are more marginal. The only fishery that is not currently part of the ITQ system is the short-fin squid (Illex) fishery, but there is a consultation currently underway to determine if, when and how the ITQ system could be implemented for the Illex fishery. In the meantime, the existing single season licence scheme will continue for the 2017 season. Fishing licences are subject to conditions. For each fishery the licence comes in three parts:

(i) Part 1 is the licence itself and includes, the names of the ITQ holder, the vessel owners and catch or effort limits;

(ii) Part 2 are fishery specific conditions and include fishing areas, technical measures (e.g. mesh

sizes) and seabird mitigation; (iii) Part 3 deals with conditions common to all licence categories including daily reporting,

vessel conditions & safety, VMS and AIS, catch verification and by-catch move on rules.

 

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3. Fisheries  Science    In the early years of the fisheries, aspects of fisheries management were out-sourced with the Renewable Resources Assessment Group (RRAG) at Imperial College contracted to do stock assessments and advise on fisheries management. Since 2008 stock assessments and fisheries science have been undertaken by FIFD (now DNR-F) scientists, with RRAG continuing to provide support and advice until 2011. DNR-F employs a Senior Scientist, an Observer Co-ordinator, 5 fisheries scientists and a Data Analyst. The FIFD has a contract with a local fishing company to provide a suitable vessel (Castelo) for trawl / research surveys and has a longstanding observer programme. The observer programme employs 6 fisheries observers, plus one seabird observer. Fisheries observers are employed on contracts of a year (or more) and are well trained and overseen by an experienced observer coordinator. Fisheries observers collect catch/effort and biological data, conversion factor data, and seabird / marine mammal interaction and mortality data from all fleets and fisheries. The seabird observer primarily works on seabird and marine mammal interactions in the finfish fishery. Observers also monitor activities of any Falkland flagged vessels operating on the high seas just outside the FOCZ.

4. General  Environmental  Management  

4.1 Fishing  methods    The principal fishing methods used in the Falklands are bottom trawling, jigging and longlining. Around 50 bottom trawlers, 100 jiggers and one longliner operate in the FICZ and FOCZ each year. Whilst longlining and particularly jigging are selective fishing gears, bottom trawling is unselective and can be damaging to benthic environments. Bottom trawling is undertaken on almost all parts of the continental shelf of the FICZ. The unselective nature of bottom trawling and associated damage to benthic habitats is well documented, but no specific impacts studies have been undertaken in Falkland waters.  

4.2 Fish  and  squid  by-­‐catch    Under licence conditions (Part C) vessels are not allowed to catch more than 10% (daily aggregate) of any by-catch of species for which the vessel is not authorised to fish. If the by-catch exceeds 10%, the vessel must change fishing area. The conditions do not specify how far a vessel must move or for how long it must remain away from the location, but in practice vessels are required to move out of the grid square2.  

4.3 Seabird  Issues    The Falklands are home to large populations of flying seabirds, which frequently associate with fishing vessels. Of particular concern are black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophris), which are listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN and have a high proportion of their global population (around 70%), breeding in the Falkland Islands.                                                                                                                2  Each  grid  square  is  0.5°  of  longitude  by  0.25°  of  latitude.  

 

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The issue of seabird mortality in Falkland Islands fisheries was first acknowledged in the early 1990s, with the most affected species being the black-browed albatross. Initial work focused on the longline fishery, where mortality was obvious (birds caught on hooks) and was addressed through mitigation measures such as longline weighting and the use of streamer lines. The development of mitigation involved cooperation between industry and scientists and drew on methods used in CCAMLR waters. The switch from the Spanish longline system to the trotline (umbrella) system in 2007 also reduced the risk to a negligible level, as each clump of hooks is associated with a weight and thus sinks quickly. Seabird mortality associated with trawling is less obvious, but work undertaken by the Seabirds at Sea Team in 2002/2003 highlighted that trawl fisheries were causing significantly more seabird mortalities than longline fishing activities in Falkland Islands waters. Consequently, the Falkland Islands National Plan of Action for Reducing Seabird Mortality in Trawl Fisheries (FI-NPOA-S-T) was created in 2004 (Sullivan, 2004) and adopted by the Falkland Islands Fisheries Department (FIFD). This NPOA was the first to be written for a United Kingdom Overseas Territory, and amongst the first globally to cover trawl fisheries. The FI-NPOA-S-T was revised in 2009 (Sancho, 2009) and again in 2014 (Quintin & Pompert, 2014). The primary objective of the Action Plan is to strive towards elimination of seabird mortalities in the Falkland Islands fishing fleet. Following the initial assessment the use of bird scaring lines (BSLs) or Tori lines became mandatory in the finfish fishery in 2004. This immediately reduced the estimated mortality, but since then levels have fluctuated. The relatively low level of observer coverage and the difficulties in ascertaining seabird mortality are the main factors affecting the robustness of the estimates (Quintin & Pompert, 2014). In the demersal mixed finfish fleet, where interactions are greatest because of the level of fish waste and discards, FIFD fishery observers are required to observe shooting, trawling and hauling operations on every fourth day of fishing activity to detect seabird mortality associated with fishing gear and to monitor the performance of the tori lines. In 2010 a dedicated seabird observer post was created to investigate tori line performance and identify where improvements could be achieved, as well as to increase the number of seabird interaction monitoring days. For the period of July 2014 to June 2015, observations of seabird interactions with the demersal finfish fleet were conducted on 98 days (3.3%) and 35 seabird mortalities recorded, which extrapolates to 1003 mortalities for the year (estimated to include 887 black-browed albatross; 61 giant petrels and 55 grey-headed albatross) (FIG, 2015). In the long-fin squid (Doryteuthis) trawl fishery, two mortalities of high-risk species (both black-browed albatross) were recorded from the total of 43 observed days (2.1%), which gives an extrapolated estimate of 95 mortalities for the year (FIG, 2015). In addition to the observed mortality, 1,710 “heavy contacts” between high-risk species and fishing gear were observed in the year, during 98 fishing days (3.3 % of fishing effort) which extrapolates to 52,277 heavy contacts across the trawl fisheries. Approximately half of those contacts were with tori lines and 98.5% resulted in no apparent injury. The majority of the remainder (around 50%) were warp strikes, which resulted in injury ranging in severity from minor to major, this extrapolates to an estimated 12,676 of potential injury to high risk species (FIG, 2015). The main species affected is the black-browed albatross, which is classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN. Whilst Falkland Island populations of black-browed albatross are not declining, there are significant declines in South Georgia black-browed albatross, which also forage on the Patagonian Shelf (Phillips et al., 2008). Warp strikes are positively correlated with discarding. Finfish vessels typically have greater discarding given onboard processing and discarding of offal. Squid fisheries have lower fish by-catch and no processing. Ultimately the elimination of seabird mortality can only be achieved by effective

 

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discard management. Discard management that could be considered includes batch discard, minced or processed discard, discard retention or discarding when trawl warps are not in operation3. It is also important to ensure that nets and decks are cleaned prior to shooting to avoid the risk of seabird mortality in the nets.  

5. Surveillance  and  Monitoring  5.1 Data  and  position  reporting    All vessels fishing in the FICZ or the FOCZ are required to report their position (twice a day) and catch (daily) to the FIFD. In addition, all vessels must have a satellite Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) on board and have a Class A Automatic Identification System (AIS). The VMS and AIS are monitored by shore-based Fishery Officers (in FISHOPS).

5.2 Patrolling    The MV Protegat, which is a converted jigger/longliner, carries out around 26 patrols per year of 12-13 days duration each. The patrol vessel carries a Fishery Protection Officer (FPO) and targets the prime fishing grounds, some of which vary seasonally. The FPO is responsible for directing the patrol activities and undertake inspections of the licensed vessels. During 2015 a total of 107 at-sea inspections were undertaken, with the majority being on jiggers (B licences) (Table FI-G3). The patrol vessel costs approximately £2.8 million a year to operate.  

Figure  FI-­‐2.    The  fishery  patrol  vessel  Protegat.   In addition the Falkland Islands Government Air Service (FIGAS) undertakes 80 hours of surveillance per year on behalf of the Fisheries Department. This surveillance is targeted at the main concentrations of fishing activity or any reports of unusual fishing activity.

Table FI-G3. At-sea inspections undertaken from the patrol vessel for each fishery.

2013 2014 2015 B - Illex 49 54 70 A, F, W, G - Finfish 44 47 51 C/X - Loligo 4 11 3 L - toothfish 0 1 0

                                                                                                               3  New  vessels  due  to  enter  the  fishery  are  all  being  fitted  with  better  waste  storage  and  discard  systems  which  will  allow  waste  discharge  to  managed  to  a  much  greater  degree  (John  Barton,  pers.  comm.).  

NATURAL RESOURCES - FISHERIES

Fishery ProtectionDeterring IUU fishing can be donebut inevitably has a price.

Fishery protection vessel is chartered & costs c. £ 2.8 M p.a.

FIG has resorted to using armed force on 2 occasions but that is usually unnecessary!

FIGAS – Aerial Surveillance

 

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6. Fishing  vessel  safety     Fishing vessel safety requirements are detailed in Part C of the Licence Conditions. All vessels must have a flag-state safety certificate and must have sufficient life jackets and survival suits for all on board. The vessel must also have sufficient life raft capacity for all on board. The conditions were updated in 2016 to include the requirement that fishing operations and crew management and relations be conducted in accordance with Articles 8, 25, 26 & 31-33 of the Work in Fishing Convention (2007). The requirements for partial compliance with the Work in Fishing Convention follow a number of fatalities when crew jumped overboard from jiggers. The reason why crew jumped over-board is far from certain, but may be related to conditions on board or the treatment of crew by officers. The most recent incidents were in February 2015, when 2 men jumped overboard from one Taiwanese jigger and seven jumped from another. Of these, seven (from one jigger) were rescued, whilst one body was recovered from the other jigger, with one crew missing. Whilst the inclusion of some Articles of the Work in Fishing Convention4 is welcome, it is not clear why other Articles are not required. This could be further strengthened by requiring all vessels to comply with the provisions of the Torremolinos Protocol on Fishing Vessel Safety. All UK-flagged vessels will already meet this standard, but it would ensure similarly high standards on other vessels.

7. Consultations,  transparency  and  availability  of  data   The FCMO establishes a Fisheries Committee, whose role is to advise the Director of Fisheries on the exercising of his powers under the ordinance. Under the FCMO, the Fisheries Committee is comprised of two elected members of the Legislative Council (MLAs), the Director of Fisheries and other public officers, representatives of fishing or other interests selected in such manner as the Governor may determine. The committee is currently comprised of two MLAs (the Natural Resources Portfolio Holder and Deputy Portfolio Holder, the Director of Natural Resources, the Senior Scientist and the Marine Officer, plus four members of fishing industry. Meetings are open to the public (at least in part) and minutes made available, but the committee would benefit from formal participation of at least one environmental NGO. The FCMO (Section 191) also established a representative body for the fishing industry, the Falkland Islands Fishing Companies Association (FIFCA), and a levy to fund the FIFCA. Membership is not compulsory but is open to all companies that hold ITQ or PQ for any fishery. In practice all companies that hold ITQ in established fisheries have joined. The levy may be imposed on quota holders in a fishery but to date has not been applied, as FIFCA has raised funds through its internal processes and by agreement among members. Public consultations are undertaken on key policy decisions. For instance there has recently been a consultation on if, how and when the ITQ system could be extended to the short-fin squid. The FIFD web-page is a useful resource and provides access to survey reports, stock assessments for Doryteuthis gahi, annual licensing advice and the statistical bulletin. Whilst the statistical bulletin is very useful, it has followed a similar format for many years and could provide further useful data. In particular, it would be useful to include a breakdown of the quantity of each species caught for each type of licence.

                                                                                                               4  The  convention  has  not  been  ratified  by  the  UK.  

 

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With the exception of Doryteuthis, and possibly Patagonian toothfish, the exploited stocks straddle the Argentine EEZ and, in some cases high seas areas. Since the breakdown of the SAFC, the FIFD (DNR-F) have undertaken stock assessments in relative isolation and are not able to properly assess many of the stocks. The re-establishment of the SAFC, or a similar arrangement, is essential to ensure the sustainability of the migratory species that are fished in the FICZ and FOCZ. This should be a priority for the UK Government, particularly in light of the manifesto commitment to a blue-belt in the UKOTs. Whilst the sustainability and management of the Patagonian toothfish has been subject to external audit and evaluation under the Marine Stewardship Council certification process, the other fisheries have not. The management approach for the Doryteuthis stock appears to work for the target species, but there is little consideration of the ecosystem impacts. The fisheries management system for all species would benefit from regular external peer review.

8. Summary    The Doryteuthis and Patagonian toothfish fisheries are generally well managed (see specific sections), but that management should be subject to regular external review. In the absence of a regional fisheries agreement or organization, the management of the straddling stocks is difficult. It is essential to the long-term sustainability of the straddling stocks that the South Atlantic Fisheries Commission, or similar, is re-established. The use of bottom trawling is ubiquitous in the FICZ and bottom trawling is well documented to have serious impacts on benthic habitats and non-target species. In the long-term DNR-F should consider a move to more selective fishing methods (e.g. pelagic trawling for Doryteuthis, longlining for kingclip) and the creation of areas that are closed to bottom trawling5. The MSC Certification of the toothfish fishery provides a regular audit of the management of that fishery, but a regular external review (perhaps on a five year cycle) of the management of all the fisheries would be advisable and potentially bring new ideas to the management of the fisheries. Whilst the FCMO sets out the broad principals for the management of fisheries, with the exception of toothfish (Sustainability Measures) there is no specific management plan for any of the fisheries. It would be useful to publish a management plan, including specific targets and objectives, for each fishery. The recent addition of Articles 8, 25, 26 and 31-33 of the Work in Fishing Convention (2007) as mandatory licence conditions is welcome. It would be useful to consider gradually strengthening this to include other Articles and, ultimately, compliance with the provisions of the Torremolinos Protocol on Fishing Vessel Safety.                                                                                                                                  5  Some  closed  areas  and  the  development  of  marine  nature  reserves  are  being  considered  as  part  of  the  Marine  Spatial  Planning  project.  

 

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Strengths Weaknesses

The fishery is underpinned by strong legislation and organisational structure.

The lack of a regional fisheries management organisation is the major concern for the management of straddling stocks such as Illex and most of the finfish.

The fishery has an excellent range of surveillance, including the patrol vessel, FIGAS flights, AIS and VMS.

Lack of regular external review of stock assessments and fisheries management.

The fishery department has a good range of skilled staff with a well-established observer programme.

Uncertainty about the status of some of the by-catch species.

The FIFD web-site provides a good range of information on the fishery, including annual statistical bulletins and Doryteuthis stock assessments.

Although there is a seabird National Plan of Action and considerable work being undertaken, there is still significant seabird mortality in the trawl fisheries.

There is good co-operation between fishing industry and scientists, particularly in addressing seabird mortality issues.

Bottom trawling occurs throughout the FICZ and can cause significant damage to habitats and non-target species. Long-term strategies to move away from bottom trawling or have areas closed to this type of fishing should be considered.

The requirement for vessels to comply with Articles 8, 25, 26 and 31-33 of the Work in Fishing Convention (2007).

By-catch move-on rule does not appear to require a minimum distance or time period following a trigger.

Compliance with the provisions of the Torremolinos Protocol on Fishing Vessel Safety is not mandatory.

 

9. Recommendations    

1. Seek (with UK Government) the re-establishment of the South Atlantic Fisheries Commission to enable regional management of stocks.

2. Seek an external peer review of stock assessment and management for all fisheries, ideally on a regular cycle.

3. Consider gradually extending the requirements for fishing vessel safety to include compliance with the provisions of the Torremolinos Protocol on Fishing Vessel Safety.

4. Develop a strategy to minimise the impacts of the fisheries on non-target species and on the benthic fauna.

5. Develop fishery management plans that include targets and objectives for each fishery.              

 

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10. References   Harte M. & Barton J. 2007a. Reforming management of commercial fisheries in a small island territory.

Marine Policy 31, 371–378. Harte M. & Barton J. 2007b. Balancing local ownership with foreign investment in a small island fishery.

Ocean & Coastal Management 50, 523–537. Falkland Islands Government, 2016. Fisheries Department Fisheries Statistics, Volume 20, 2015, 94pp,

Stanley. FIG Policy Unit, 2015. A Review of the Individual Transferable Quota System in the Falkland Islands. Phillips RA, Croxall JP, Silk JRD & Briggs D, 2008. Foraging ecology of albatrosses and petrels from South

Georgia: two decades of insights from tracking technologies. Aquatic Conservation: Marine & Freshwater Ecosystems, 17, S6-S21.

Quintin M & Pompert J. 2014. Falkland Islands National Plan of Action for reducing incidental catch of

seabirds in trawl fisheries, 2014 (FINPA-S-T-2014). Falkland Islands Government, December 2014. Sancho E. 2009. Falkland Islands National Plan of Action for reducing incidental catch of seabirds in trawl

fisheries. Falklands Conservation, Albatross and Petrel Program, 1-40. Sullivan B. 2004. Falkland Islands Plan of Action for Reducing Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Trawl

Fisheries. In: Falklands Conservation. Falklands Conservation, Stanley, 1-43.

 

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Falkland Islands Patagonian toothfish fishery Gear: Demersal longline 2015 TAC: 1040 tonnes 2015 catch: 1232 tonnes

1. Target  species   The Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) is found on the Patagonian Shelf and slope and around many sub-Antarctic islands, including South Georgia and the Kerguelen Archipelago (Collins et al., 2010). The Patagonian toothfish reaches a large size (2 m), but has a distinct bigger-deeper trend with adults generally found in deep-water (> 500 m). The large size and high quality flesh make the species an attractive target for fisheries and precipitated the development of a valuable longline fishery, targeting large adult Patagonian toothfish in deep water at high latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere (Collins et al., 2010). In the Falklands region, Patagonian toothfish are found throughout the FOCZ and FICZ, with juveniles in shallow water and adults in deeper areas of the continental slope. The main spawning ground of the Patagonian Shelf stock is thought to be the Burdwood Bank (Laptikhovsky et al 2006), which spans both Argentine waters and the FOCZ, such that recruitment to both fisheries is likely to come from this region.

2. The  Fishery   The Falkland Islands Patagonian toothfish fishery uses bottom longlines set with the trotline and umbrella system (see Collins et al., 2010). The lines are set with squid (Illex argentinus) or sardine bait and are typically left 12-24 hours before being hauled. The fishery operates to the east of the Falklands (Figure FI-T1), with key fishing grounds, to the SE and NE of the Falkland Islands. Fishing is not permitted at depths less than 600m. There is a single operator in the fishery, with one vessel.

Figure FI-T1. The FICZ and FOCZ showing the fishing grounds for Patagonian toothfish and the

closed area on the Burdwood Bank.

 

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For 2015, the TAC for the longline fishery was set at 1040 tonnes, which, with some carry-over from the previous year, gave a total catch of 1123 tonnes. A further 109 tonnes was caught in the zone as by-catch in trawl fisheries. The CPUE increased slightly on the previous year (around 500 g / hook or 5.2 tonnes / day), with extremely good catch rates in December.

Table FI-T1. Details of the Patagonian toothfish fishery from 2012 to 2015.

2012

2013 2014 2015

TAC (longline) 1200 1200 1200 1040 Days fished 239 298 250 216

Longline catch6 1085 1303 1252 1123 CPUE tonne/day 4.5 4.4 5.0 5.2

Trawl catch 226 120 45 109 Total catch 1311 1423 1297 1232

Observer days 121 123 100 93 Observer coverage 50.6 41.3 40 43.1

3. Brief  history  of  the  fishery   The Falkland Islands Patagonian toothfish longline fishery was established in 1992, when FIG authorised exploratory fishing for toothfish within the FICZ and FOCZ. The local fishing industry responded by forming a new company, Consolidated Fisheries Ltd (CFL), in which most of the main local fishing companies were shareholders. CFL started fishing on an exploratory basis using chartered Chilean vessels during 1994-97. Once the viability of the fishery had been established, the company bought the autoliner CFL Pioneer in 1997. The autoline gear operated by this vessel proved unsuitable for the fishing grounds and the vessel was converted to a Spanish longline system in 2000. In 2000 the CFL Valiant was purchased and eventually replaced the CFL Pioneer. In 2004, CFL bought the vessel CFL Gambler, which also used the Spanish longline system. The Gambler and Valiant operated in the fishery until 2008, when the TAC was reduced from 1,500 to 1,200 tonnes per annum. During the period 2008-12 the CFL Gambler was, for the most part, the only vessel operating in the fishery. In 2011 CFL chartered another Spanish-system vessel, the Tronio, as the CFL Gambler had been unable to catch the TAC allocation. Prior to 2006, there were no catch limits, but a limit on effort. This resulted in average catches of around 2000 tonnes per year (Figure FI-T2). In 2006, the current ITQ system was introduced, with a TAC of 1500 tonnes. In the same year a seasonal closed area was established on the Burdwood Bank to protect spawning fish during the main toothfish spawning period (1st July –  31st August). In 2007, in response to depredation from cetaceans (sperm and killer whales), the fishery switched to using trot-lines with cachaloteras or umbrellas (see Collins et al., 2010). The TAC was reduced to 1200 tonnes in 2011 and further reduced to 1040 in 2015. In 2014 the closed area on the Burdwood Bank was increased.

                                                                                                               6  A  15%  carry  over  from  the  previous  year  may  be  allowed  at  the  discretion  of  the  Director  of  Fisheries,  hence  the  catch  in  a  year  can  exceed  the  longline  TAC  limit  in  a  single  year  but  not  in  the  longer  term.  

 

  14  

Figure FI-T2. Catches of Patagonian toothfish in Falkland Island fisheries since 1989.

4. Sustainability  of  the  target  species   4.1 Stock   The Patagonian toothfish caught in Falkland Island waters are part of the Patagonian Shelf stock that is also caught in Argentinean and possibly Chilean waters. The Burdwood Bank appears to be a common spawning ground for fish in both Falklands and Argentinean waters (Laptikovsky et al., 2006). Genetic studies have demonstrated that the Patagonian Shelf population is distinct from that at South Georgia (see Collins et al., 2010). In their MSC assessment, Andrews et al. (2014), concluded that although they share a common spawning ground, the Argentine and Falkland stocks are essentially separate. This conclusion was largely based on the restricted movements of large adult fish and was subject to an objection during the certification process. As part of the Client Action Plan to address the stock status question FIFD / CFL commissioned a report (Parker, 2015) to review stock structure and identify appropriate tools to address the issue. The report recommends that work be undertaken on tagging (conventional and satellite), otolith microchemistry and regional demographics to provide evidence of stock structure. 4.2 Harvest  Control  Rules    The harvest control rules are included in the Toothfish 2015-2016 Sustainability Measures, but differ slightly from those outlined in the MSC Public Certification Report. The principal target is to maintain the spawning stock biomass (SSB) at 50% or higher of the virgin SSB (SSB0). The harvest control rules include a number of actions to be taken if the SSB is significantly less or greater than the target (see Figure FI-T3).

1. If there is sustained (at least 3 years) period of SSB/SSB0 being greater than 0.5 an increase in TAC will be considered by the Director of Fisheries, guided by biological and model trends;

2. Threshold: If SSB/SSB0 is 0.45 – 0.5, the Director will consider tightening of harvest controls and/or additional conservation measures, guided by biological model trends. This is

 

  15  

the threshold area (Figure FI-T3). Response in the fishery should be seen within 6 years and achieve an acceptable probability of success, based on model projections. All data and decisions will be reviewed annually;

3. Trigger Point: If SSB/SSB0 falls below 0.45 the Director will impose further tightening of harvest controls and additional conservation measures with the aim of re-building the stock, guided by biological and model trends. Response in the fishery should be seen within 6 years and achieve an acceptable probability of success, based on model projections. All data and decisions will be reviewed annually.

4. Limit Point: If SSB/SSB0 falls to 0.2 or less, the fishery will be significantly scaled down7.

Figure FI-T3. Diagrammatic representation of the Harvest Control Rules in the Patagonian toothfish

fishery. According to the MSC Public Certification Report (Andrews et al., 2014) the trigger reference point at 0.45 of unexploited spawning stock biomass would result in a 20% reduction in TAC. A 15% carry-over of the TAC may be allowed from year to year at the discretion of the Director of Fisheries, but cannot be accumulated.  4.3 Stock  Assessment  Methods    Since 2011 stock assessments have used an age-structured production model (ASPM), implemented in CASAL (Bull et al., 2012). CASAL provides a framework for maximum likelihood and Bayesian model fitting to CPUE, catch, age, size, tagging and maturity data. The stock assessment is updated on an annual basis. The assessment in any year utilises data up to the end of the previous year and evaluates the TAC for the following year. Thus the 2015 assessment uses data to December 31st 2014 and generates a TAC for 2016. The model estimates the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) from the stock. This is used to guide the setting of the TAC. A deduction is made from the MSY to take account of the catch from the trawl fishery. This was typically 200 tonnes per year, however taking 200 tonnes of small fish will have a greater impact on the long-term stock status than taking 200 tonnes of adult fish, so that value needs to be adjusted. Such an adjustment has been made since 2015.

                                                                                                               7  significantly  scaled  down  is  rather  vague  

F  /  F

msy

SSBcurrent :  SSB0

50%

45%

20%

1.0

Target  Referen

ce  point

Minim

um  3  yrsof  >  50%

Consider  increasin

g  TA

C

Threshold

Consider  re

ducing  TAC

Trigger  P

oint

Redu

ce  TAC

.Increase  con

servation  

measure

Limit

Significant  

redu

ctions

Harvest  Control

 

  16  

The assessments include an adjustment factor to integrate the CPUEs from the umbrella system (post-2007) with the earlier Spanish and autoline systems. Natural mortality was initially included as 0.13, but has since been estimated with the CASAL model at 0.18. The 0.18 is slightly higher than that used in other toothfish stocks, but could reflect undetected depredation or other unaccounted for mortality (e.g. fishing on the stock by vessels just outside the FOCZ). In 2015, out of zone catches were included for the first time in the assessment. Those catches were estimated to be:

(i) 13.6% to 24.8% of longline toothfish catch weigh for the period 1998-2000; (ii) less than 10% of longline toothfish catch weight in most other years;

(iii) zero for the past four years (although there is evidence of significant fishing on the stock just outside the zone; see below).

The CASAL model does not include any forward projection of the stock. Such a projection is essential to understand if the current TAC will result in the rebuilding of the stock to the target reference point (see Andrews et al., 2016). This forms part of the MSC Condition 2, which is behind schedule (Andrews et al., 2016). The MSC Public Certification Report (Andrews et al., 2014) indicated that an external review of stock assessment was scheduled for early 2013, but has not yet been undertaken.  4.4 Stock  Status   At the time of the MSC Certification (2013) the stock was considered stable at around 51% of the unexploited stock size and well above the biomass trigger point (0.45). It was suggested that, with an increase in the abundance of 5 & 6 year olds, there would be an increasing trend in SSB (Andrews et al., 2014). The TAC was maintained at 1200 tonnes. That assessment proved optimistic. Following the CASAL workshop in the Falklands in 2013, the inputs to the model were refined. The assessment undertaken in 2014 (for 2015 TAC) compared two model structures and both indicated that the stock was below the 0.45 threshold level, with the more optimistic model indicating a status of 0.42. The TAC for 2015 was reduced to 1040 tonnes (13% reduction). The assessment in 2015 (for 2016 TAC) allowed the CASAL ASPM to estimate both natural mortality and the “umbrella factor”, which is the difference between the CPUE of Spanish longlines and the umbrella system. The model also took account of some historic fishing outside the FOCZ, but no account of any current fishing outside the zone. The SSB/SSB0 ratio was estimated to be 0.445, but with total biomass still declining slowly. A retrospective analysis of SSB/SSB0 showed an improving trend, so the TAC of 1040 tonnes was retained. The recent stock assessment models show a major (circa. 45%) drop in CPUE between 2000 and 2005, but the drop in biomass during that period is much less. The cause of this drop in CPUE is not known, but could be related to unreported or unaccounted fishing on the stock (outside the FOCZ).

Table FI-T2. Spawning stock status and TAC for the Patagonian toothfish fishery from 2012 to 2016.

Assessment for the year 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 SSB/SSB0

0.56

0.51

Uncertain

0.42

0.45

TAC 1200 1200 1200 1040 1040

 

  17  

 

5. By-­‐catch  and  non-­‐target  impacts  5.1 Fish  by-­‐catch   Whilst longlining is a relatively selective method of fishing, non-target species are caught. The principal by-catch species in the fishery are grenadiers (Macrouridae), skates and the blue antimora (Antimora rostrata). Grenadiers, which have a well-developed swim-bladder, do not survive the journey to the surface. The grenadier by catch is predominantly Macrourus holotrachys, but also includes M. carinatus. M. holotrachys has not been subject to any form of stock assessment. The catch of grenadiers, in absolute terms and expressed as a percentage of the toothfish catch, has declined in recent years. Brown et al. (2010) noted that the umbrella system has a significantly greater by-catch of grenadier compared to the Spanish system.

Table FI-T3. Fish by-catch in the Falkland Islands Patagonian toothfish fishery.

Skate Grenadier Antimora rostrata

Year Catch Released Catch % Toothfish Catch %

Toothfish 2011 No data 99 4.20 No data 2012 No data 77 2.99 No data 2013 No data 57.5 2.82 No data 2014 31.9 57.3 2.80 13.7 1.1 2015 27.6 71 2.55 23.6 1.9

The reported catch of skate is around 30 tonnes per year, but most captured skate are cut from the line at the surface and released. The cut-off skate are not included in the catch data and their fate is unknown. The total by-catch of species for which the vessel is not authorised to fish must not exceed 10% of the vessel’s daily aggregate catch. If the by-catch exceeds 10%, the vessel must change fishing area. If the by-catch continues to exceed 10%, the Master and Owners may be prosecuted by the Falkland Islands Government for breach of this condition. 5.2 Seabird  by-­‐catch   In common with other toothfish fisheries, seabird by-catch was initially a problem in the fishery. The issue was first addressed in the early 1990s when, following considerable effort by scientists and industry to address the problem, a suite of mitigation measures, was introduced. Mitigation was based on some of the best practice adopted by CCAMLR and included line-weighting requirements and the mandatory use of streamer lines. The introduction of mitigation reduced the by-catch to negligible levels and, with the introduction of the trotline / umbrella system in 2007, seabird by-catch is highly unlikely, as the hooks are set in groups, with each group associated with a weight, which ensures that all baited hooks sink quickly. Problems may remain with hooks being swallowed by seabirds and it has been suggested that this may be a particular problem with trotline vessels (see Phillips et al., 2011). Vessel-specific marked hooks, which have been used in South Georgia waters since 2011 and are now being considered in

 

  18  

other CCAMLR fisheries, could be used in the Falkland fishery, to help demonstrate best practice in hook management. 5.3 Benthic  interactions   The impact of longline fisheries on the benthic fauna is difficult to quantify, but is generally considered low compared to other forms of fishing. Some preliminary work has been undertaken on identifying benthic by-catch (Andrews et al., 2014). Loss of the umbrella gear could have impacts on the benthic environment through ghost fishing by the umbrellas. It is not clear if gear loss has been quantified.

6. Management  system    The Toothfish MSC Public Certification Report (Andrews et al., 2014) stated that FIFD were seeking to establish a system for strategic external review of the management system, but detailed arrangements had not been established at the time of the site visit in November 2012. There is no evidence that any form of external review of the management system has taken place.  6.1 Licensing  and  licence  fees    The ITQ system (see general section) was introduced in 2006, and since then a single operator, Consolidated Fisheries Limited, has taken all the TAC. Currently one vessel (CFL Gambler) operates in the fishery, but a new vessel is being built (60 m CFL Hunter) and will replace the CFL Gambler in 2017. The licence comes with specific conditions including:

(i) Depth restrictions; (ii) Seasonal closure of Burdwood Bank;

(iii) Requirements for seabird mitigation; (iv) Conversion factor; (v) Data reporting requirements;

(vi) Removal of hooks from offal The ITQ entitlement lasts 25 years (until 2031), but there was no initial ITQ fee. There is an annual quota fee. The annual revenue from the fishery is £836,770, which equates to between £700 and £800 per tonne of quota. Given that a tonne of toothfish product has value of around US$258 a kilo (headed and gutted) and a conversion factor of 1.6, a catch of 1200 tonnes has a first sale value of £14 million (US$19 million). The licence fee thus represents only 6 % of the first sale value of the catch, which is less that the 10% average across all fisheries and probably explains why it is the most profitable of the Falkland Island fisheries (FIG, 2015). This compares to a fee of around £2000 per tonne in the South Georgia fishery (approx. 20% of first sale value).

                                                                                                               8  Recent  information  indicates  prices  as  high  as  $34/kg    (https://www.undercurrentnews.com/2016/11/23/argentine-­‐toothfish-­‐firms-­‐push-­‐for-­‐higher-­‐quota-­‐with-­‐prices-­‐at-­‐record-­‐high/)  

 

  19  

6.2 Monitoring    All licensed vessels are required to report catch and position on a daily basis. Licensed vessels are also monitored using VMS and AIS. The fishing grounds are patrolled on a regular basis (see general section on Falkland Island surveillance). The CFL vessel is subject to independent catch verification, with all catch off-loaded and weighed in Stanley. This is not a licence condition, but the data is provided to DNR-F. This ensures that vessels have not exceeded their catch limit. Although the FOCZ is not part of the CCAMLR area, all catch is subject to the CCAMLR Catch Documentation Scheme (CDS). Under the CDS, the signatories to CCAMLR agreed to only allow toothfish imports that were accompanied by a “Dissostichus Catch Document” (DCD), which certifies the legality and provenance of the fish at the point of landing, and a “Dissostichus Export Document” (DED) which accompanies each subsequent consignment of exported fish. These documents are issued by the relevant State Authorities and can be inspected throughout the supply chain both as a hard copy and online. The fishery has approximately 45% observer coverage (i.e. an observer is on the single vessel for 45% of the fishing time; see Table FI-T1). 6.3 Surveillance  &  Enforcement   The Falkland Islands has a dedicated patrol vessel, MV Protegat, which carries a Fisheries Protection Officer (FPO), and undertakes regular patrols of the FICZ and FOCZ. In addition to the patrol vessel FIDF also undertake regular surveillance flights.

7. IUU    Some of the principal toothfish fishing grounds are close to the edge of the zone, which means that vessels can, legitimately, fish just outside the zone. Whilst the fishing grounds are regularly patrolled by the Protegat and FIGAS flights, there remains a risk that vessels may, occasionally, venture inside. In 2014 the Korean authorities admitted that one of their vessels, Hong Jin 701 had fished in the EEZs of coastal states in the SW Atlantic in 2013 (CCAMLR, 2014)9. The  vessel was prosecuted by the Korean authorities.  In addition to illegal fishing there is a considerable amount of longline fishing taking place on the stock just outside the FOCZ10. Four vessels regularly fish on the edge of the FOCZ, three of which are shown in Figure FI-T4. Whilst this is not strictly IUU (it is fished under high seas licences from the flag-states) it will impact on the stock and any catches should be taken into account in the stock assessment. In addition to concerns about the target stock, there will be by-catch associated with this activity.

                                                                                                               9  The MSC Certification Report states that “managers and assessment scientists report that there is no evidence of recent IUU fishing”,  10  This is contrary to information in the MSC Public Certification Report (Andrews et al., 2014; para 5.4.7.1).  

 

  20  

Figure FI-T4. Three longline vessels fishing just outside the FOCZ between August and October 2016 (data from Satellite AIS – MarineTraffic.com.

8. Consultation,  Review  and  Transparency    There is clearly considerable co-operation between the DNR-F and the sole operator in the fishery and a detailed research plan is in place. The Sustainability Measures that have been developed for the fishery should be publicly available to allow all interested parties to see the status of the fishery. Whilst the MSC certification provides an audit of the fishery against the MSC principles and criteria, the fishery would benefit from regular peer / external review. The fishery was certified by the Marine Stewardship Council in 2014 (Andrews et al., 2014) with scores of 82.5 (Principle 1), 90.3 (P2) and 95.75 (P3), but there were some notable errors or omissions in the Public Certification Report, particularly in respect of vessels fishing the stock just outside the FOCZ. Four of the scoring indicators did not reach the 80 threshold and hence the certification came with conditions. The conditions were as follows:

(i) Identify a limit reference point and incorporate it into the harvest strategy;

(ii) Provide evidence that the harvest strategy is robust to the main uncertainties;

(iii) Identify and, as appropriate protect, any highly sensitive benthic habitats.

(iv) That relevant information is collected to support the harvest strategy. Condition 1 has been addressed; Conditions 3 & 4 are on target, but Condition 2 is behind schedule (Andrews et al., 2016).

 

  21  

9. Summary    The fishery operates to a high standard of sustainability and safety and is subject to external scrutiny through the MSC certification process. However, there were some notable omissions in the MSC report, particularly in respect of fishing on the stock outside the FOCZ. Such catches (or estimates of them) need to be included in stock assessments. The stock is currently estimated to be below the target level and the existing stock assessment does not include any future projections to determine if the TAC will allow the stock to be rebuilt in the near future. That said, the CPUE in the fishery is stable or rising. However the increase in CPUE could be due to greater knowledge of the fishing grounds or improvements in fishing practices. In general the stock assessment would benefit from a thorough external review (which this is not). The fish by-catch in the fishery is relatively small, but it is not known what the impact is on by-catch stocks. In particular, it is important to ascertain what impact the fishery is having on the grenadier populations. The fate of skate cut from the line needs to be assessed. Although skate survival has been estimated in the South Georgia fishery, the Falkland fishery uses very different gear and survival may be different (likely lower given the likelihood of multiple hooking). Similarly, the sustainability of threatened porbeagle and sleeper sharks is not known. There are some areas where the Falklands and South Georgia fishery could co-operate. Notably the assessment of grenadiers, assessment of benthic by-catch.

Strengths

Weaknesses

DNR-F has developed harvest control rules, although the recent interpretation of these differs slightly from the MSC Public Certification Report.

The stock is currently estimated to be below the long-term goal of the fishery of SSB/SSB0 of 0.45 (45% of un-fished spawning stock). It is not clear if the current TAC will enable the stock to return to the 0.45 level in the near future. Furthermore, the 0.45 target is lower than that used in CCAMLR waters (0.5) or SGSSI (0.55).

The seabird by-catch issue has been solved by technical measures and use of the trotline system.

No account seems to be taken of fishing of the stock outside the FOCZ. There is clear evidence that the stock is consistently targeted by four longliners, albeit with likely low catch rates.

The fishery is MSC certified and generally well managed. The certification was industry led and involved excellent collaboration between scientists and industry.

There is considerable uncertainty about the stock structure and the relationship between the toothfish on different parts of the Patagonian Shelf.

There is a considerable amount of information publicly available through the MSC reports and the FIFD web-site. It would be useful to see the Sustainability Measures posted on the website.

The licence fee is very low (6% of first sale value) compared to the average across all Falkland fisheries (10%).

Lack of regular external review of stock assessment.

Uncertainty about the status of some of the by-catch species (grenadiers, skates).

 

  22  

10. Recommendations    

1. Undertake an external peer review of fisheries management and stock assessment (the MSC process is an audit and not a peer review).

2. Estimate the amount of toothfish being caught outside of the zone and include this in future assessments and as a deduction from TAC.

3. Develop an assessment or risk assessment for by-catch species, particularly the grenadier Macrourus holotrachys.

4. Implement a tagging programme to gain further information on fish movements and stock structure11.

5. Evaluate the impact of the fishing gear on the benthos, quantifying any gear loss and considering closed areas to protect vulnerable marine ecosystems12.

6. Consider the use of marked hooks, to encourage best practice hook management.

7. Consider cooperation with South Georgia Government on benthic and grenadier issues.

11. References   Andrews J, Hough A and Medley P. 2014. Falkland Islands Toothfish Longline Fishery. MSC Public

Certification Report, March 2014. Andrews J, Hough A & Knuckley I. 2016. MSC On-Site Surveillance Visit - Report for Falkland Island

Toothfish Fishery. April 2016. Brown J, Brickle P, Scott BE (2013) Investigating the movements and behaviour of Patagonian toothfish

(Dissostichus eleginoides Smitt, 1898) around the Falkland Islands using satellite linked archival tags. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 443, 65-74.

Brown J, Brickle P, Hearne S & French G. 2010. An experimental investigation of the 'umbrella' and 'Spanish'

system of longline fishing for the Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) in the Falkland Islands Implications for stock assessment and seabird by-catch. Fisheries Research,106, 404-412.

Bull B., Francis R.I.C.C., Dunn A., McKenzie A., Gilbert D.J., Smith M.H., Bian R., Fu D. (2012) CASAL

(C++ algorithmic stock assessment laboratory): CASAL user manual v2.30-2012/03/21. NIWA Technical Report 135, 280 pp.

CCAMLR, 2014. Report of the thirty-third meeting of the commission. Hobart, Australia. Collins MA, Brickle P, Brown J & Belchier M, 2010. The Patagonian toothfish: Biology, ecology and fishery.

Advances in Marine Biology 58, 227-300. FIG. 2014. Sustainability measures 2014 – 2015. Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides). Fisheries

Department, Directorate of Natural Resources, Falkland Islands Government, 15 pp. Laptikhovsky V, Arkhipkin A, Brickle P. 2006. Distribution and reproduction of the Patagonian toothfish

                                                                                                               11  A  tagging  programme  was  established  in  2016.  12  There  is  some  work  planned  to  address  this  in  2017.  

 

  23  

Dissostichus eleginoides Smitt around the Falkland Islands. Journal of Fish Biology, 68, 849-861 Parker, S.J. 2015. Stock discrimination tools for Falkland Islands toothfish. NIWA Client Report NEL2015-

002, 28p. Phillips RA, Ridley C, Reid K, Pugh PJA, Tuck GN, Harrison N, 2010. Ingestion of fishing gear and

entanglements of seabirds: Monitoring and implications for management. Biological Conservation 143, 501-512.

Winter, A. 2016. Stock assessment for Patagonian toothfish in the Falkland Islands - 2015. Technical

Document, Falkland Islands Fisheries Department. 17 p.  

 

  24  

The Falkland Islands calamari (Doryteuthis gahi) fishery Gear: Bottom trawl 2015 catch: 29,492 tonnes

1. Target  species    The Falkland calamari or Patagonian long-fin squid, Doryteuthis gahi, was only recently moved from the genus Loligo and is still colloquially referred to as Loligo. The Falkland calamari is a slender, demersal, loliginid squid that inhabits the shelf regions of South America from southern Peru in the Pacific to the Patagonian Shelf in the Atlantic. In common with other squid, D. gahi has a short life cycle of approximately one-year with a single terminal spawning event (semelparity). The life-cycle is complex and each year has two distinct seasonal cohorts that use the same feeding and spawning grounds at different times of the year (Patterson, 1988). The autumn-spawning cohort feeds offshore in February–April and spawns inshore in May–June, whereas the spring-spawning cohort feeds in May–September and spawns inshore in October-November (Arkhipkin et al., 2013). Eggs are laid in shallow water and there is an ontogenetic downslope migration, with larger adults inhabiting deeper (max. 300 m) water. Adults migrate back to shallow water to spawn, with males growing larger than females.  

2. The  Fishery    The fishery for Falkland calamari operates in a restricted area to the south and east of the islands called the “Loligo Box” (Figure FI-D1) and is open in two distinct seasons. The first season runs from February 24th until April 28th (64/65 days) whilst the second season is open from July 29th until September 30th (64 days).

Figure FI-D1. A section of the FICZ showing the Loligo Box and the migration patterns of

Doryteuthis gahi (reproduced from Arkhipkin et al., 2013).

4 A R K H I P K I N E T A L .

Patagonian Shelf

Loligo

200m

Box

Inshorespawning grounds

Offshorefeeding grounds

Juvenile

1000 m

Mature adults

FICZFICZ

50°

51°

52°

53°

54°

62° 61° 60° 59° 58° 57° 56°

Fig. 2. Domestic stock: Doryteuthis gahi migration routes on the shelf east of the Falkland Islands. The LoligoBox fishing zone and surrounding Falkland Islands Interim Conservation Zone (FICZ) are shown ( ).

and spawns in October–November. Both cohorts have annual life cycles and aresemelparous, with all adults dying after spawning. The fishery targets D. gahi aggre-gations during their offshore feeding period (Arkhipkin et al ., 2008) in two seasonseach year: between February and April the autumn-spawning cohort is fished andbetween July and September the spring-spawning cohort is fished (Falkland IslandsGovernment, 2012).

Over the past two decades, total annual catches of D. gahi in the Falkland Islandshave ranged from 24 000 to 98 000 t (Fig. 3) with a mean of 51 000 t (FalklandIslands Government, 2012). Catch per unit effort (CPUE) has also been variable, witha negative inter-annual trend observed in the 1990s and a positive trend observed inthe 2000s (Fig. 3).

I L L E X A R G E N T I N U S

Illex argentinus is abundant in temperate and subtropical waters between 22◦ and54◦ S of the south-west Atlantic Ocean (Jereb & Roper, 2010). The highest con-centrations of I. argentinus are observed on the shelf north-west of the FalklandIslands and on the continental shelf and shelf edge between latitudes 45◦ and 47◦

S (Haimovici et al ., 1998). The species consists of several distinct populations andcohorts (Hatanaka, 1986), all of which have annual life cycles (Arkhipkin, 1990;Rodhouse & Hatfield, 1990). One winter-spawning population comprises >95% oftotal species abundance and is subdivided into two stocks: the Bonaerensis NorthPatagonian stock and the South Patagonian stock (SPS), distinguished by theirfeeding grounds (north and south of 46◦ S) and adult sizes (medium and large)(Brunetti et al ., 1998).

© 2013 The AuthorsJournal of Fish Biology © 2013 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles, Journal of Fish Biology 2013, doi:10.1111/jfb.12098

 

  25  

The fishery is prosecuted by 16 demersal trawlers ranging in size from 950 to 2849 GRT. There is no mesh size restriction in the fishery. Effort in the fishery is controlled through Vessel Units (VU), which are based on the GRT and catching capacity of the vessels.

Table FI-D1. Catches, days fished, CPUE, escapement, risk of the escapement being less than 10,000 and observer coverage in the Falklands long-fin squid fishery.

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

1st 2nd 1st 2nd 1st 2nd 1st 2nd 1st Catch 34,767 35,026 19,908 19,614 28,119 19,630 19,383 10,190 22,616

Days fished 51 78 53 78 59 71 57 42 68 Vessel days 770 1095 782 1195 872 1099 871 665 1020

CPUE (tonne/day) 45.1 32.0 25.5 16.4 32.3 17.9 22.2 15.3 22.2 Escapement 19,912 28,336 13,500 25,000 30,500 17,250 10,194 10,703 24,868

Risk 0.01 0.01 0.10 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.26 0.29 0.00 Observer coverage

(%) 7.7 8.0 8.3 11.4

In general catch rates (tonnes/vessel/day) and catches are better in the first season, with vessels typically catching over 20 tonnes per day in the first season and 15-20 tonnes per day in the second (Table FI-D1). The 2015 season was an unusual one, with the larger short-fin squid (Illex argentinus) particularly abundant and this impacted on the Doryteuthis fishery (FIFD, 2016). Abundant short-fin squid, which normally remain in the NW of the FOCZ, entered the fishing grounds of the long-fin squid, dispersing adult squid in the first season and predating on the small squid of the second cohort. As a consequence of this, both seasons of the D. gahi fishery were ended early, and the total catch was just short of 30,000 tonnes.

3. Brief  history  of  the  fishery    The directed fishery for the Patagonian long-fin squid began in the early 1980s, with Spanish and Polish vessels fishing on the Patagonian Shelf (Agnew et al., 1998). With the establishment of the FICZ in 1987, FIG took responsibility for managing the resource. From 1987-1990 the FICZ was separated into two areas, north and south of 51o 20’S, and licences were issued for the period February to June for “Squid North” and “Squid South”. The “Squid North” licence was predominantly for short-fin squid (Illex argentinus), whilst the “Squid South” licence was primarily for vessels targeting long-fin squid (Hatfield & des Clers, 1988). From 1990 the structure changed, with the long-fin squid having two seasons and the spatial restrictions refined. Since then the fishery has remained in two seasons, although the duration of the seasons has changed on a number of occasions. The most recent change in season was in 2014, when the season dates were adjusted, with the first season extended by a week and the second season reduced by a week. This was intended to equalise fishing effort on the two cohorts. The ITQ system was introduced in 2006 and, since then, the fishery has been operated by 16 trawlers, most of which are on the Falkland Islands registry. Whilst the long-fin squid fishery is currently undertaken by bottom trawling, in the past some vessels used pelagic trawls fished close to the seafloor.

 

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The highest catch in the fishery came in 1989, when 119,000 tonnes were caught. Since 2000 annual catches have averaged 45,000 tonnes. Inter-annual variability is probably related to the influence of the environment on recruitment. D. gahi is caught outside of the FICZ, but around 90% of the catches are taken in Falkland Island waters (from FAO figures).

Figure FI-D2. Doryteuthis gahi catches in the FICZ since 1989.  

4. Sustainability  of  the  target  species    4.1 Stock  discrimination    Although Doryteuthis gahi is caught elsewhere off the coast of South America, the stock harvested by the Falkland Islands fishery occurs entirely within the FICZ and so the stock is considered a domestic resource for management purposes (Arkhipkin et al., 2013). There has been some speculation that there may be exchanges with D. gahi in the Argentine zone (Wysokinski, 1996), but there is little evidence to support this. The stock assessment purposes (depletion events) the fishery is divided into northern and southern components, separated at the latitude of 52oS.

4.2 Harvest  strategy    The harvest strategy is based on a minimum mean estimated escapement of 10,000 tonnes for each season. The stock is monitored in-season using depletion models and, if the models project that the escapement will drop below 10,000 tonnes, the fishery may be suspended or stopped in advance of the scheduled closure date. Management is complicated by immigration events within the season, so the escapement is determined from depletion following each in-season immigration event. The 10,000 tonne escapement requirement is modified from a previous management requirement to allow 40% escapement, which was based on experience with the Illex argentinus fishery (Agnew et al., 1998).

4.3 Stock  assessment   Assessing stocks of short-lived species, such as squid, is not possible using standard production models, as they are highly volatile with a very weak stock – recruitment

 

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relationship. In the Falkland Island squid fisheries, the stock is assessed and managed using in-season depletion projections (Roa-Ureta & Arkhipkin, 2007). The models, which include catchability, natural mortality and fishing mortality parameters, project the stock to the end of the season to estimate escapement. In its basic form the depletion model assumes a closed population in a fixed area for the duration of the assessment (DeLury, 1947). However, the assumption of a closed population is not met in the Falkland Islands fishery, where stock analyses have often shown that calamari groups arrive in successive waves after the start of the season (Winter & Arkhipkin, 2015). Fishing on a single, closed cohort would be expected to yield gradually decreasing CPUE, but gradually increasing average individual sizes, as the squid grow. Arrivals of successive groups are inferred from discontinuities in the catch data. Depletion projections are started each time there is evidence of a pulse of recruitment into the area (Figure FI-D3). Recruitment events are principally identified by increases in CPUE, but changes in mean squid size and maturity are also used. The depletion models rely on daily catch reporting at high resolution, coupled with the collection of biological data (mantle length, sex and maturity) by observers (Arkhipkin et al., 2013; Winter, 2016). Daily catch reporting includes data on the commercial size categories, which gives a coarse indication of size. The stock assessment deals with northern and southern components of the stock separately (north or south of latitude of 52oS) and separate depletions are run for each area. The depletion models are updated on a daily basis to project the stock to the end of the season. Depletion projections in the northern and the southern areas are combined to estimate total escapement. If the projections indicate that the escapement biomass will be less than 10,000 tonnes by the end of the season, the season may be closed early. If the season is to be closed early, vessel operators are given 7-10 days notice to cease operations. The Falkland calamari stock assessment is calculated in a Bayesian framework, whereby results of the season depletion model are conditioned by prior information on the stock - in this case with information from the pre-season survey. The pre-season trawl survey is undertaken on one of the licensed vessels and this generates an estimate of the standing stock, which gives an indication of the abundance of squid and prospects for the season.

 

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Figure FI-D3. Depletion model of the southern stock of D. gahi in the first season in 2016. The grey lines represent immigration events. Day 122 is the last day of the fishery, with escapement estimated at

19,861 tonnes (from Winter 2016).

5. By-­‐catch  and  non-­‐target  impacts    5.1 Fish  and  squid  by-­‐catch    Despite being a bottom trawl fishery with no mesh size restrictions, the fishery has relatively little by-catch. The by-catch is generally higher in the second season (6-20%) than the first (3-10%), presumably due to migration into the area of blue whiting and other migratory species. The principal by-catch species are rock-cod, blue whiting (during the second season) and, occasionally in the first season, Illex argentinus. The 2015 seasons were unusual, with large catches of Illex argentinus in the “Loligo box” during the first season.

Table 2. By-catch in the long-fin squid (Doryteuthis gahi) fishery. 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

1st 2nd 1st 2nd 1st 2nd 1st 2nd 1st Doryteuthis catch 34,767 35,026 19,908 19,614 28,119 19,630 19,383 10,190 22,616

Rock cod 1,112 1,476 409 1,020 797 1,817 1,810 894 1296 Blue whiting 1 197 28 1,315 46 1,677 15 190 0

Illex argentinus 30 0 0 0 0.5 50 11,998 0 5 Red cod 2 100 4 403 26 87 70 28 4

Ray 4 117 13 122 4 102 6 99 10 Other 73 190 47 143 24 63 23 197 109 Total 1,222 2,080 501 3,003 998 3,796 13,976 988 1424

% by-catch 3.5 5.9 2.5 15.3 3.2 19.3 72.1 9.7 6.3 5.2 Seabird  interactions    Seabird mortality in the fishery is estimated by extrapolating observed mortality. The observed period is low (1-3 %), so extrapolations may not accurately reflect total mortality. In general, mortality rates are lower in in the long-fin squid fishery than in the finfish fishery, which is probably due to lower discard rates (FIG, 2015). Most mortalities are due to warp-strikes. The amount of mortality varies between years, with none observed in 2012 or 2013.

 

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Table FI-F 3. Observed seabird mortality, observation rate and estimated total seabird

mortality in the Doryteuthis gahi fishery.

2012 2013 2014 2015 Fishing days 1869 1877 2067 1970 Observed mortality 0 0 5 2 % Observed days ? ? 1.6 2.1 Estimated total 0 0 31213 99 Rate bird/trawl day 0 0 0.15 0.05 Source FIG, 2013 FIG, 2014 FIG, 2015 FIG, 2016

In addition to observed mortalities, there are likely to be other seabird losses as a consequence of heavy impacts on the trawl warps (see general section). Some new mitigation methods have recently been tested by vessels in the fishery.

5.3 Benthic  impacts    The fishery currently uses bottom trawls, although semi-pelagic trawling has been used in the past. The benthic impacts of bottom trawling are well established (Jennings and Kaiser, 1998; Kaiser et al., 2016). There has been little or no assessment of the impacts of bottom trawling on the benthic communities in the “Loligo Box”. Given that most of the prime fishing grounds have been trawled, it is not possible to determine the state of the natural benthic habitat. One option would be to implement some closed areas to investigate the recovery of habitats in the absence of trawling. In the long-term, a move from bottom trawling to pelagic trawling may be beneficial to the recovery and sustainability of benthic habitats. The best approach is generally seen as one that achieves a sustainable level of production of the target species, whilst minimizing or limiting the wider ecological effects of the fishing gear (Kaiser et al., 2016).

5.4 Ecosystem  effects   Doryteuthis gahi is an important prey species for many predators on the southern Patagonian Shelf. Important predators include fish, seabirds and marine mammals. The fishery has the potential to impact on populations of such dependent species. The requirement to ensure 10,000 tonnes escapement from the fishery, will ensure some squid are available to predators, but there has been no assessment to determine predator demand or the trophic effects of the fishery.

6. Management  system    The management system is highly responsive to the in-season monitoring of the stock. The season can be closed early if the depletion models indicate that the escapement will fall below the target level. Within season spatial closures (e.g. 2016 first season) have also been implemented to conserve small squid.                                                                                                                  13  FIG  did  not  extrapolate  the  mortality  of  3  sooty  shearwaters  as  they  are  not  considered  to  be  at  high  risk,  so  extrapolated  mortality  was  125    

 

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6.1 Licensing  and  licence  fees    Since 2006, the long-fin squid fishery has been managed in the ITQ system. The fishery is managed by effort control, with the operators of sixteen vessels (26.2 vessel units) currently holding ITQ. Effort is calculated on the basis of vessel units, which take account of the size of the vessel and their catching and processing capacity. Replacement vessels are allowed, but if a larger vessel replaces a smaller one, the number of fishing days permitted will be reduced to ensure consistency of effort. Ownership of the total quota, however, is limited to 30% by any one company. Seven companies currently hold ITQ with their share ranging from 4.4 to 27.5%. Almost all trawlers operate through Falkland Island joint venture companies, with the Falkland shareholding varying from 25.1 to 50.0%, and the balance of the shareholding owned by Spanish fishing companies. The revenue from the first season is £1,129,012 and for the second season is £4,242,082, giving an annual revenue from the fishery of £5,371,094. The reason for the higher revenue from the second season is a historical anomaly and there is a case for the fees for the seasons being approximately the same. The local fishing companies that hold Doryteuthis ITQ are amongst the largest and most profitable enterprises (Arkhipkin et al., 2013).

6.2 Monitoring   All licensed vessels are required to report catch and position on a daily basis. Licensed vessels are also monitored using VMS and AIS. Vessels may be subject to catch verification. Each trawler transmits a daily catch report to FIFD using the electronic logbook. Submitted data includes positions and catches for every trawl, and also records the product market-size categories (by mantle length) of D. gahi. This information is essential for the stock assessment depletion models. Typically two observers are deployed in the fishery at any time, with a target of 10% coverage. The observer coverage is rather low, given the importance of the data for stock assessment and the need to monitor seabird mortality.  6.3 Surveillance   Vessels are subject to inspection at sea (3 in 2015) to determine compliance with licence conditions. See also general section.

7. Consultation,  Review  and  Certification    Within FIFCA there is a Loligo Producers Group (LPG). The LPG liaises closely with the DNR-F and plays an active role in the management of the fishery, which often requires decisions to be made at short notice. LPG members also supply commercial vessels, selected on a lottery basis, to undertake recruitment biomass surveys before each D. gahi fishing season.

 

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There is currently no MSC certification of the fishery and no external review of stock assessments or management. Stock assessments are available on the DNR-F website. There is currently no published fishery management plan or Sustainability Measures for the fishery.

8. Summary    The current management system appears to ensure the long-term sustainability of the target stock, but there is no biological justification for the level of escapement from the fishery. Whilst the target stock appears to be in good condition, there is limited understanding of the ecosystem effects of the harvest level. The development of an ecosystem model to investigate the effects of different harvest strategies would be beneficial. The fishery is exclusively bottom-trawl, although pelagic trawls have been used in the past. In the long-term it would be prudent to develop a strategy to mitigate the impacts of bottom trawling on benthic habitats. Such a strategy could include a move to pelagic trawling, the implementation of some areas closed to bottom trawling or the development of less damaging bottom trawling technology. As with other Falkland fisheries, a regular programme of external review of fisheries management should be implemented.    

Strengths

Weaknesses

The stock appears to be in good condition. The 10,000 tonne escapement does not have any biological justification (but does seem to work).

The in-season adaptive management and depletion projections work well for a short-lived species.

The fishery is a bottom trawl fishery and impact to benthic habitats are not quantified.

There is a considerable amount of information available on-line including stock assessments for each season and statistical bulletin.

Lack of regular external review of stock assessment.

By-catch is relatively small (for a bottom trawl fishery).

There is no information on the trophic effects of the fishery, particularly any impact on dependent predators, which include fish, seabirds and marine mammals.

Seabird mortality associated with the fishery is very low.

 

9. Recommendations    

1. Develop and publish a fishery management plan that includes targets and objectives for the sustainable management of the fishery.

2. Develop a long-term strategy to mitigate the impacts of bottom trawling on benthic habitats.

3. Develop an ecosystem model to evaluate the trophic impacts of the fishery, particularly any impact on dependent predators. Such information could be used to test the efficacy of the escapement rule.

 

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4. Commission an external peer review of stock assessment and fishery management.

5. Increase observer coverage for seabird mortality and stock monitoring.

 

10. References    Agnew DJ, Baranowski R, Beddington JR, des Clers, S, & Nolan CP. 1998. Approaches to assessing

stocks of Loligo gahi around the Falkland Islands. Fisheries Research, 35, 155–169. Arkhipkin AI, Barton J, Wallace S & Winter A. 2013. Close cooperation between science,

management and industry benefits sustainable exploitation of the Falkland Islands squid fisheries. Journal of Fish Biology, 83, 905-920.

DeLury DB. 1947. On the estimation of biological populations. Biometrics 3, 145-167. Hatfield EMC & De Clers S, 1998. Fisheries management and research for Loligo gahi in the

Falkland Islands. CalCOFI Reports 39:81–91.  Jennings, S & Kaiser, MJ. 1998. The effects of fishing on marine ecosystems. Advances in Marine

Biology, 34, 1-201. Kaiser et al., 2016. Prioritization of knowledge-needs to achieve best practices for bottom trawling in

relation to seabed habitats. Fish and Fisheries, 17, 637-663. Patterson KR. 1988. Life history of Patagonian squid Loligo gahi and growth parameter estimates

using least-squares fits to linear and von Bertalanffy models. Marine Ecology Progress Series 47: 65-74.

Roa-Ureta R & Arkhipkin AI. 2007. Short-term stock assessment of Loligo gahi at the Falkland

Islands: sequential use of stochastic biomass projection and stock depletion models. ICES Journal of Marine Science 64, 3–17.

 Winter 2016. Falkland calamari. First season stock assessment. Technical Document, Falkland Islands

Fisheries Department. 27pp. Winter 2015. Falkland calamari. Second season stock assessment. FIFD Report. Winter 2015. Falkland calamari. First season stock assessment. FIFD Report. Winter, A. 2014a. Loligo stock assessment, first season 2014. Technical Document, Falkland Islands

Fisheries Department. 28 pp. Winter, A. 2014b. Loligo stock assessment, second season 2014. Technical Document, Falkland

Islands Fisheries Department. 30 pp. Winter, A. 2012. Loligo gahi stock assessment, first season 2012. Technical Document, Falkland

Islands Fisheries Department. 27 pp. Winter, A. 2013. Loligo stock assessment, first season 2013. Technical Document, Falkland Islands

Fisheries Department. 23 pp. Winter, A., Arkhipkin, A. 2015. Environmental impacts on recruitment migrations of Patagonian

longfin squid (Doryteuthis gahi) in the Falkland Islands with reference to stock assessment. Fisheries Research 172: 85-95.

Wysokinski A. Biology and catches of the squid Loligo gahi in the Falkland region—Polish research

results 1988–1994. Polish Fisheries Res. Inst. Papers, Series B, Number 68, 71 pp.

 

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The Falklands mixed finfish fishery Gear: Bottom trawl (A, G, W Licences); pelagic trawl (S licence).

1. Target  species    The mixed finfish fishery (Licences Classes A, G, S & W) targets a range of finfish species including hakes (Merluccius hubsi and M. australis), kingclip (Genypterus blacodes), red cod (Salilota australis), hoki (Macruronus magellanicus), southern blue whiting (Micromesistius australis) and rock cod (Patagonotothen ramsayi). Of the two species of hake (Merluccius hubbsi and M. australis) caught in the FICZ, M. hubbsi is the more abundant, although catch data have not always distinguished the two species14. Merluccius australis is found in depths of 60-800 m off the South American coast, and in deeper water off the south coast of New Zealand. M. hubbsi is only found on the east coast of South America from 30 oS to 55oS. Both species grow to over a metre in length and are piscivorous predators. M. hubbsi is the more common of the two hake species on the Falkland shelf, but is not present throughout the year. M. hubbsi migrates from Argentine waters to feeding grounds in Falkland waters in autumn and leaves in spring to spawn outside Falkland waters The wide distribution of both species mean they are also taken in the Argentine and Uruguayan EEZs. Hoki or whiptail hake is a gadiform fish of the family Merlucciidae. Hoki is a migratory species that is distributed around the southern Pacific and Atlantic coasts of South America, where it is concentrated on the outer parts of the continental shelf. Falkland waters are at the edge of the hoki range, with hoki most abundant in the west of FICZ in spring–summer. The spawning grounds are outside Falkland waters. The hoki fishery in the Argentine EEZ, which is part of the same stock, received MSC certification in May 2012. Southern blue whiting is a benthopelagic gadiform fish that is found off the southern coast of South America and south of New Zealand, although the two populations are considered separate sub-species. Southern blue whiting was one of the most abundant species on the Patagonian Shelf, where it played a key ecological role, but the stock has declined dramatically since the 1990s.  The southern blue whiting stock spawns to the south of the Falklands in September and October and that area is closed to any fishing activity at that time to avoid any disturbance of spawning.  Red-cod is a demersal gadiform fish of the family Moridae and is caught off the South American coast at latitudes south of 40oS. It grows to around 55 cm in length and is found at depths from 40 to 1000 m, with peak abundance around 250 m. Red cod spawns in Falkland waters and is generally a by-catch in the trawl fishery. Kingclip is a cusk-eel belonging to the family Ophididae and grows to sizes of close to 2m, with longevity of up to 30 years. It is a demersal species found at depths from 50 to 500 m, with peak abundance between 150 and 300 m. Rock cod is a notothenioid fish that inhabits the Patagonian Shelf from 35° to 55°S. Its distribution extends as far west as the Straits of Magellan but it is not found in the Pacific. It is a relatively small, slow growing species that plays a key role in the trophic ecology of the Patagonian Shelf as both predator (opportunistically feeding on gelatinous plankton, and benthos) and prey (hake, toothfish, kingclip, red cod, skates and penguins). Rock cod spawn in Falkland waters during winter. Rock

                                                                                                               14  Since  July  2015  vessel  captains  have  been  asked  to  distinguish  the  species  in  catch  reports.  

 

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cod was considered as a by-catch in the Falkland fishery for years and the targeted fishery only started in 2007. Many of the species concerned are straddling stocks that are shared with the Argentine EEZ and, in some species, there appear to have been changes in distribution, with decreased catches of hake in the Argentine EEZ coincident with increases in the FOCZ. Such changes may be related to changes in foraging following the decline of the blue whiting stock. The hakes, kingclip and red cod are the more valuable species.    

2. The  Fisheries    The fisheries for finfish are undertaken by trawlers operating under one of four categories of licence (Table FI-F1). The licences allow vessels to fish in the west and north-west of the FICZ and in the northern area of the FOCZ (Figure FI-F1 & FI-F2), which avoids the main fishing grounds for Doryteuthis gahi.

Table FI-F1. The different categories of finfish licences and the gear, area and season restrictions associated with each.

Category Description Target species

Gear Area Mesh Season

A Unrestricted finfish

All finfish. Bottom trawl

North and west of FICZ and FOCZ, with

additional closed areas in Sep –Oct.

110 1st Jan – 31st Aug; 1st Sep – 31st Dec

G Illex argentinus & restricted

finfish

Illex squid, hoki, blue whiting and

rock cod.

Bottom trawl

North and west of FICZ and FOCZ.

110 1st Mar – 31st May

S Blue whiting &

hoki

Blue whiting & hoki.

Pelagic trawl

The FICZ and North of FOCZ.

110 1st Jan – 30th June; 16th Nov–31st Dec

W Restricted finfish

Main target species are hoki, blue

whiting and rock cod.

Bottom trawl

North and west of FICZ and FOCZ.

110 1st Jan – 31st Aug; 1st Nov – 31st Dec

Some vessels have multiple licence types and can switch, but must inform DNR-F by noon the day prior to a change of licence type. Fishing effort is split between the three licence types (Table FI-F2), with around 26 % of the effort (days) fished under Category A, 28% under Category G and 46% under Category W. On average (2012-2015) licensed vessels fished for 28 days a year under Category A; 38 days under Category G and 54 days under Category W.

Table FI-F2. Days fished under A, G & W licences from 2012-2015

2012 2013 2014 2015

Days Vessel Mean Days Vessel Mean Days Vessel Mean Days Vessel Mean

A 835 29 28.8 847 31 27.3 802 29 27.7 786 26 30.2

G 925 25 37.0 863 25 34.5 841 22 38.2 905 21 43.1

W 1484 25 59.4 1499 28 53.5 1529 26 58.8 1342 28 47.9

3244 3209 3172 3033

 

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Under the unrestricted finfish licence (A) the main catches are hake and rock cod (Table FI-F3). Under G licences the main catches are of rock cod, Illex argentinus and hoki. The restricted finfish catches (W) are 59 % rock-cod, with hake and hoki the other species caught. Catches taken with pelagic trawls under S licences are almost exclusively blue whiting and hoki.

Table FI-F3. Average annual catches (tonnes) for each licence type for the period 2011-2015. The % refers to the percent of the total catch under that licence type.

A G S W Mean % Mean % Mean % Mean % Blue whiting 176 0.8 195 0.7 697 55.8 991 2.6 Hake 7,602 35.3 2,243 7.7 0 0.0 3421 9.1 Hoki 2,113 9.8 5773 19.7 550 44.0 5059 13.4 Illex 525 2.4 5246 17.9 0 0.0 139 0.4 Kingclip 839 3.9 737 2.5 0 0.0 1752 4.6 Loligo 132 0.6 43 0.1 0 0.0 121 0.3 Others 86 0.4 91 0.3 2 0.1 286 0.8 Red cod 840 3.9 1017 3.5 0 0.0 2034 5.4 Rock cod 7,906 36.7 13,237 45.2 0 0.0 22,440 59.4 Skate/Ray 1295 6.0 633 2.2 0 0.0 1481 3.9 Toothfish 29 0.1 44 0.1 0 0.0 70 0.2

Catches in the Falklands fisheries are a part of the wider fishery for these species on the Patagonian Shelf (Table FI-F4). In the case of the hake species, catches in the FICZ represent just 3-5 % of the total catch in the SW Atlantic (FAO Data) in the period 2011-2014. Catches of rock-cod however represent 65-80 % of the total catch in the SW Atlantic.

Table FI-F4. Catches of finfish species in the FICZ and in the SW Atlantic (SWA) and the % of the total SWA catch that is caught in the FICZ.

2011 2012 2013 2014

FI SWA % FI SWA % FI SWA % FI SWA %

Hakes 9,885 356,964 2.8 10,473 322,626 3.3 12,308 353,278 3.5 14,872 340,784 4.4

Kingclip 3,942 21,169 18.6 3,508 14,470 24.2 3,977 10,907 36.5 2,881 11,777 24.5

Red cod 4,206 9,403 44.7 4,630 8,554 54.1 5,164 9,082 56.9 3,467 6,582 52.7

Hoki 22,864 95,295 24.0 15,869 75,868 20.9 16,849 73,301 23.0 7,392 66,951 11.0

Blue whiting 3,974 7,458 53.3 1,611 10,056 16.0 2,698 10,622 25.4 3,612 12,831 28.2

Rock cod 55,648 71,180 78.2 63,510 80,197 79.2 32,436 43,841 74.0 56,686 86,781 65.3

 

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Figure FI-F1. Sections of the FICZ showing the areas that can be fished finfish licence holders. A: Open area for A & W licences for the periods 1st Jan – 31st August and 1st November – 31st December and for G licence from 1st March – 31st May. B: Open areas for A & W licences for 1st September – 30th September. C: Open

areas for A & W licences for 1st October – 16th October. D: Open areas for A & W licences for 17th October – 31st October.

 

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Figure FI-F2. Section of the FICZ showing the areas that can be fished under a pelagic (S) licence during the

periods 1st Jan – 30th June and 16th November – 31st December (left) and during the period 1st July to 15th October (right).

3. Brief  history  of  the  fishery    Fisheries for finfish on the southern Patagonian shelf date back to the late 1970s, when distant-water fleets from Argentina, Japan and Poland began fishing for squid and finfish. These vessels were soon joined by a large number of Spanish trawlers. Following the creation of the FOCZ in 1986, the finfish fishery was dominated by Spanish and Polish vessels, with the Polish vessels largely targeting southern blue-whiting to the SW of the islands. In the early years of the finfish fishery, catches were dominated by southern blue whiting, but that stock has been dramatically reduced. The reduction in the abundance of blue-whiting was coincident with an increase in rock cod populations (Laptikovsky et al., 2013), which have, since 2008, made up the majority of the finfish catch. Prior to 2006, rock-cod had limited value and was not retained. In contrast to other species, the rock cod catch in the FICZ is the major component of the total catch in the SW Atlantic (Table FI-F4). Catches of hoki have averaged 18,000 tonnes over the past 20 years, but have decreased in recent years (Figure FI-F2). That decrease may be due to the targeting of other species. The hoki catch in the FICZ represents 10-25 % of the catch in the SW Atlantic (Table FI-F4). Catches of hake, which averaged less than 5,000 tonnes a year from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s have recently increased and 2015 saw the highest recorded catch in the FICZ. Despite this increase, the catch of hake in the FICZ represents a small proportion of the total catch in the SW Atlantic, which is around 350,000 tonnes per annum (FAO Data).

 

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Figure FI-F3. Catches of blue whiting, rock cod and hoki the FICZ since 1989.

   

Figure FI-F4. Catches of hakes, red cod and kingclip the FICZ since 1989.    

 

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4. Sustainability  of  the  target  species  

4.1 Stock  discrimination    All the stocks are migratory and are shared with the Argentinean EEZ and, in some cases, extend to the Pacific coast of South America. In the absence of any international co-operation on fisheries management it is extremely difficult to ensure these stocks are managed sustainably.  4.2 Harvest  strategy    The finfish fishery of the Falkland Islands is regulated using a combination of a total allowable catch (TAC) and a total allowable effort (TAE). The TAC/TAE method was initially based on the southern blue whiting stock, as this was the biomass dominant species in catches taken by the trawlers. However, the decrease in blue whiting abundance from 2004–2007 (Laptikhovsky et al., 2013) caused the DNR-F to switch to using rock cod as the basis for limiting catch and effort. The assessment of rock cod is used to calculate the fishing effort (vessel units and fishing time in the fishery), with that effort divided between the three licence types (A, G & W) in proportion to historical effort. There are no target or limit reference points for any of the species. For 2017, a TAC of 30,000 t has been established for rock cod to take account of the reduction of its biomass, but this is not a target or limit reference point.

4.3 Stock  assessment  of  rock-­‐cod    The status of the rock-cod stock is assessed using fishery-dependent (CPUE) and fishery independent (trawl survey) methods. The most recent trawl survey was conducted in February 2016 and included 90 one-hour trawls in the north and west of the FICZ and north of the FOCZ (Figure FI-F5). Similar surveys were undertaken in 2010, 2011, 2014 and 2015 and provide the best source of data on rock-cod biomass.  

   

Figure  FI-­‐F5.    Trawl  survey  for  rock-­‐cod  in  2016.  Dots  indicate  stations  and  colours  represent  density  of  rock-­‐cod  (from  FIFD,  2016).  

45

Figure 3.7: Kriged maps of rock cod abundance in the surveyed area based on catch data collected during the surveys conducted in February 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015 and 2016.

 

  40  

   CPUE can give a fishery dependent indication of abundance, but needs to be standardised to take account of differences between vessels, years, seasons and, in the case of rock cod, which species was being targeted (assumed to be the most prevalent species in the catch). The standardised CPUE rose from when rock cod were first targeted (2007) until 2010, but then declined until 2013. CPUE rose again in 2014, but dropped dramatically in 2015 (Figure FI-F3). Standardised CPUE is used in a Schaefer biomass dynamic model (a form of surplus production model; Hilborn & Walters, 1992) to assess the stock status. The model estimates the biomass at time t+1 from the biomass at time t using the population growth rate (r) and taking account of the carrying capacity (K) and catch. The model suggests that the biomass remains stable despite the drop in CPUE in 2015 (Figure FI-F6).

Figure FI-F6. Dynamic biomass model output for the rock-cod stock (solid line) with non-parametric confidence intervals. Standardised CPUE shown as dots. From FIDF, 2016.

 In this instance using CPUE as an indicator of the stock status is probably not valid as rock-cod is not always the main target species and is patchily distributed in the fished area. Rock-cod is probably the least valuable of the target species in the mixed trawl catch, so vessels may often target the more valuable species such as hake and kingclip. Recent years have seen an increase in the catches of hake. The recent DNR-F assessment (FIFD, 2016) also examined life-history parameters to determine if the targeted trawl fishery, which started in 2007, has had any impact on rock cod life history. Whilst this is a useful exercise, it is unlikely that in a relatively long-lived species, such as rock-cod, any detectable changes would occur within 10 years. 4.4 Stock  status   According to the trawl survey estimates the rock-cod stock is now less than 30% of the first survey estimate in 2010 and less than 25% of the estimate in 2011 (Figure FI-F7). Trends in the standardised CPUE have not shown such a distinct decline, although if the 2014 data point is excluded there is a clear decline from 2012 to 2015 (Figure FI-F6). However CPUE may be biased by vessels targeting different species in different years, seasons and areas.

47

Figure 3.9: Schaefer biomass dynamic model (solid line) fitted using the standardized CPUE (dots) derived from the finfish fleet operating in Falkland waters. The confidence interval of the estimation (dashed line) was estimated using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo procedure.

3.4. Conclusion Although annual catches of rock cod were stable between 2008 and 2012, they became more variable between 2013 and 2015. Especially in 2013 and 2015, vessels did not target rock cod and catches were on average 30,000 t. Analyses of biological data showed that the rock cod stock does not exhibit any sign of overexploitation. Moreover, the biomass dynamic model which was fitted using the fishery dependent index of relative abundance showed that the rock cod biomass, after experiencing an increase from 2005 to 2008 remained stable until 2015. However, data collected during surveys in 2010–2011 and 2014–2016, which are the most reliable sources of information to monitor the rock cod stock abundance, showed that rock cod biomass decreased from 650,000 to less than 200,000 (–70%) between 2010 and 2015.

3.5. Recommendation Although two of the three sources of information showed that rock cod abundance was stable since the onset of the fishery in 2007, the most reliable source (fishery independent) showed that biomass in 2015 and 2016 was only 30% of the biomass estimated in 2010. Using this new biomass estimation and the last 5 years of catch and effort (including 2013 and 2015 when vessels did not target rock cod) as input data in the vessel unit months (VUM) estimation led to significant decrease of VUM and significant increase of fishing time, sometimes up to 300%. Allowing such an increase of effort would not be sustainable for the finfish fishery and might lead to an overexploitation of the finfish resources. Following a precautionary approach, the DNR–F decided to reduce the VUM of G, W licences and bycatch by 10%. The VU

 

  41  

Figure FI-F7. Biomass estimates of rock-cod from trawl surveys in the NW of the FICZ and FOCZ.

Figure FI-F8. Catches of rock cod from 2006 to 2015.

In an earlier (2010) assessment, which was based on rather limited data, the MSY was estimated at 72,000 tonnes. This was exceeded in 2010, when the reported catch was 76,000 tonnes. However, there was uncertainty regarding the discard of rock-cod, so that actual catch may have been higher. In 2011, the reported catch was 55,000 tonnes, with 64,000 tonnes in 2012 (Figure FI-F8).

4.5 Effort  limitation    Effort is limited by vessel units (VU) and fishing time (FT), which are calculated from catchability of rock-cod, fishing effort and the survey estimate of biomass. Vessel unit months (VUM) are calculated   from the product of the most recent biomass estimate and the average catchability co-efficient and fishing effort over the previous five years. The VUM value declines if the biomass estimate is reduced or the catchability is reduced and this could lead to an increase in effort (see below). Fishing time (FT) is calculated from vessel units divided by VUM. Thus if the VUM declines (for instance due to lower catchability or lower biomass estimate), the FT increases. In practice, if the biomass estimate decreases, the catch entitlement used as a basis to calculate the fishing time (VU) may be adjusted to take into account the reduction of biomass and avoid an increase of fishing time. However if the catchability declines, for instance when vessels target other species, this will lead to an artificial decrease in VUM. This seems flawed, as it can lead to increased effort when the reference stock has declined or when other (often more valuable) species are targeted. In the recent assessment the VUs available to G and W licences have been reduced by 10% (to reduce effort) and a catch limit of 30,000 tonnes applied to rock cod. The 10% reduction in VU seems small given that

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  42  

the stock of rock cod is now 30% of initial estimates (2010), however it is assumed that when rock cod is not abundant vessels will target other species.

5. By-­‐catch  and  non-­‐target  impacts    5.1 Fish  and  squid  by-­‐catch   With the exception of the pelagic trawl fishery for blue whiting and hoki, the catches in the finfish fisheries are very mixed (Table FI-F2), with a range of species caught and retained. The target species will vary spatially and temporally making it difficult to ascribe particular species as being by-catch. The by-catch in the pelagic trawl fishery, which targets hoki and blue whiting is very small. There is a by-catch move on rule in Part 3 of the licence, which states “The total by-catch of species for which the vessel is not authorised to fish must not exceed 10% of the vessel’s daily aggregate catch. If the by-catch exceeds 10%, the vessel must change fishing area”, but does not indicate how far the vessel must move or how long it must wait before returning to the area15. It is clear from Table FI-F3 that the average by-catch under both G and W licences is considerably more than 10%, which suggests that the move-one rule may not be working. The catch of hake alone under a W licence averaged 9.1% of the total for the period 2011-2015 and exceeded 20% in 2015. 5.2 Seabird  interactions   Seabird mitigation measures are required with all finfish licences and include:

(i) No discard of offal or unwanted fish when the trawl warps are in the water; (ii) Two bird scaring lines must be deployed during fishing operations, one on the outboard side

of each trawl warp; the design of the bird scaring devices is specified in licence conditions. Despite the seabird mitigation there is still mortality associated with the fisheries (Table FI-F5), with considerable inter-annual variability. The most susceptible species is the black-browed albatross. In addition to the observed mortalities, observers record incidence of “heavy contacts”. Between July 2014 and June 2015, 1710 heavy contacts with high-risk species were observed, which extrapolates to 52,277. Of these around half were contacts with the bird-scaring lines and resulted in no injury. Of the other contacts, an estimated 12,676 resulted in some form of injury to high risk species.

Table FI-F5. Observed seabird mortality, observation rate and estimated total seabird mortality in the finfish fisheries.

2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 Trawling days 3326 3188 3156 2970 Observed mortality 29 32 2 35 % Observed days 4.6 3.2 1.9 3.3 Estimated total 621 1000 105 1061 Rate bird/trawl day 0.19 0.31 0.03 0.36 Source FIG, 2012 FIG, 2013 FIG, 2014 FIG, 2015

                                                                                                               15  In  practice  this  is  managed  by  monitoring  daily  catch  reports  and  vessels  are  required  to  move  out  of  the  grid  square  if  the  move  on  rule  is  triggered  (John  Barton,  pers.  Comm.)  

 

  43  

5.3 Benthic  impacts    With the exception of the blue whiting fishery, the finfish fisheries use bottom trawls. The benthic impacts of bottom trawling are well established (Jennings & Kaiser, 1998; Kaiser et al., 2016), but there has been little or no work undertaken to determine the impacts of bottom trawling in the FICZ. Given that most of the prime fishing grounds have been trawled, it is probably not possible to determine the state of the natural benthic habitat. One option would be to implement some closed areas to investigate the recovery of habitats in the absence of trawling. In the long-term, a move from bottom trawling to more selective fishing gears (e.g. semi-pelagic trawls for hoki & rock-cod; longlines for kingclip) would be beneficial both to the assessment of stocks and would reduce the impact on the benthic fauna.  5.4 Ecosystem  effects   Rock-cod is a key species in the ecology of the Patagonian Shelf and is a significant prey of most of the medium to large sized fish predators including hake, Patagonian toothfish, kingclip, redcod and rajids (Brickle et al. 2006; Nyegaard et al. 2004). In turn, it is an important consumer of a variety of benthic and supra-benthic crustaceans (Laptikhovsky & Arkhipkin 2003). The role of rock cod (or other target fish species) in the Patagonian Shelf system is not fully understood, but the reduction of biomass by 70% is likely to have an impact on dependent predators including seabirds and marine mammals. It is possible that the biomass of rock-cod was unusually high at the time of the first surveys (2010, 2011), but it will be difficult to determine if that was the case. The development of an ecosystem model for the Patagonian Shelf would help understand the trophic relations between species and gauge the impacts of depleting stocks of key forage species. In a management context, the stock status targets should, ideally, be higher for important prey species16.

6. Management  system    6.1 Licensing  and  licence  fees    The finfish fisheries are part of the ITQ system that was established in 2006 (see General Section 2.2). For unrestricted finfish (A licence) there are 10 ITQ holders, for squid and restricted finfish (G) there are 9 ITQ holders and for restricted finfish (W) there are 10 ITQ holders. The ITQ for S licences (pelagic finfish) are 30% owned by Fortuna Limited, and 70% owned by FIG, but leased to Fortuna. The ITQ gives each owner a Catch Entitlement (CE), which comes in the form of vessel units (VU) and fishing days.

Table FI-F6. Vessel units (VU) and nominal allocated tonnage of rock-cod in each of the finfish fisheries for 2017.

Licence

Type VU Nominal allocated

tonnage A 12.2 12,200 G 18 18,000 W 20.1 20,100

By-catch 4.9 4,900 Total 55.2 55,200

                                                                                                               16  CCAMLR  uses  different  long-­‐term  targets  for  key  prey  species  (0.75)  than  for  toothfish  (0.5).    

 

  44  

   The CE itself does not entitle a vessel to fish as vessels still need to be issued with a licence, which is subject to the relevant conditions. Some vessels have Catch Entitlements under different licence categories and are able to switch between licences.  Taken together the revenue from A, G, S & W licences accounts, on average over the last five years, for 16% of the total fisheries revenue. Restricted finfish (W) and unrestricted finfish (A) licences are the most valuable.      

Table FI-F7. Licences and revenue from the finfish fisheries from 2011-2015 (from FIG, 2016).

Type 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

No. Revenue £

No. Revenue £

No. Revenue £

No. Revenue £

No. Revenue £

A 29 1,129,012 29 1,129,012 31 1,129,012 29 1,129,012 26 1,129,012

G 25 845,900 25 845,900 25 845,900 22 845,900 21 845,900

S 1 181,257 3 181,257 1 181,257 1 60,419 1 60,419

W 27 1,341,160 25 1,341,160 28 1,341,160 26 1,341,160 28 1,341,160

   6.2 Monitoring    As with the other fisheries all licensed vessels are required to regularly report catch (daily) and position (every 12 hours). Licensed vessels are also monitored using VMS and AIS. Vessels may be subject to catch verification. Observer coverage in the fishery has averaged 6.7% over the last four years (Table FI-F8) for the A, G & W licences and was 100% for the pelagic hoki and blue-whiting fishery in three of the last four years.

Table FI-F8. Observer coverage in Falkland Islands finfish fisheries.

  2012   2013   2014   2015     A,  G,  W   S   A,  G,  W   S   A,  G,  W   S   A,  G,  W   S  

Vessel  days   3241   5   3204   3   3164   15   3031   6  Observed  days   229   5   109   3   244   15   270   0  %  Observed   7.1   100   3.4   100   7.7   100   8.9   0  

Within the fishery there have been two recent prosecutions for misreporting of catch. In both cases, vessels under-reported their catch of hake and over-reported the catch of rock-cod (Faulds, 2016a, b). Such misreporting could have impacts on the stocks and on the stock assessment. Over reporting of rock-cod would indicate a higher CPUE (and catchability) of rock-cod, which could lead to higher17 effort in the fishery in subsequent years.  

                                                                                                               17  In  practice  DNR-­‐F  are  unlikely  to  allow  significant  increases  in  effort.  

 

  45  

6.3 Surveillance   See general Falkland Islands section. Finfish vessels are subject to at-sea inspections to verify compliance with licence conditions. In 2015 there were 34 inspections of finfish vessels.

7. Consultation,  Review  and  Certification    FIFCA membership is open to all ITQ holders and provides a forum for the operators in the fishery and, through FIFCA, representation on the Fisheries Committee. There is currently no MSC certification of any of the finfish trawl fisheries and no external review of stock assessments or management regime. Details of the stock assessment are available from the Fisheries Department website.

8. Summary    There are a number of concerns regarding the approach taken to managing the mixed finfish stocks in the Falklands Islands management zone. The first, and most fundamental, is that the target species are all migratory / straddling stocks that are shared with the Argentine EEZ. Without regional co-operation and data sharing, it is impossible to accurately assess the stocks and set sustainable catch limits. That said, the majority of the catch of rock cod is in the FICZ, so for that species at least, the Falklands should have reasonable ability to manage the stock. The management approach taken, which assesses the most abundant (reference) species (currently rock cod) and uses that assessment to limit effort is flawed. This approach might work if the reference species was evenly distributed or was the main target species, but neither of these requirements is met with rock-cod. Rock cod is not evenly distributed (see Figure FI-F5) and higher value species, such as hake and kingclip are more likely to be targeted than rock-cod (as noted in the recent assessment, other species were targeted in 2013 and 2015). In this instance using CPUE-based methods to assess the stock and to subsequently limit effort will not work (which is apparent from the most recent assessment). The recent misreporting of finfish catches is also of concern. If such practices were widespread in the fishery, it would undermine the stock assessment. Over-reporting would give a higher CPUE and indicate the stock to be in a better state than reality and it is evident that the CPUE-based assessment does indicate a healthier stock than the survey suggests. Eliminating misreporting is essential and the recent court cases should discourage such practices. Misreporting can also be addressed through catch verification and a higher level of observer coverage. The current status of the rock-cod stock, with biomass estimated to be less than 25% of the biomass in 2011, is of concern. Rock-cod is an important ecological species (Brickle et al., 2006; Nyegaard et al., 2004) and the depletion of the stock to this level is likely to impact on dependent species. Furthermore, rock cod are relatively slow growing and hence the stock is unlikely to recover quickly. In the long-term an ecosystem-based approach (Rindorf et al. 2013) to managing these fisheries is probably the best solution. In the short term, assessments should be developed for the individual species, particularly those in which the Falklands fisheries take a significant proportion of the catch. It may also be possible to refine the spatio-temporal restrictions on the fishery to exert greater control over the species composition of catches.

 

  46  

Alternately, more species specific, catching methods could be considered. For instance kingclip is caught with longlines in other parts of the world; hoki and possibly rock-cod could be caught with semi-pelagic trawls. The move-on rule, which is intended to limit by-catch, is poorly defined and should be revised.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Spawning areas of red-cod and southern blue whiting are closed to any fishing activity during the spawning season.

The lack of co-operation with Argentina over straddling / migratory stocks undermines attempts to sustainably manage stocks.

A TAC was established for rock cod when DNR-F had evidence of a reduction in biomass.    

The current status of the rock cod stock at 30% of its 2010 biomass is of great concern.

The method of limiting effort with reference to the rock cod stock is flawed and needs to be replaced.

Lack of regular external review of stock assessment.

The fishery is a bottom trawl fishery and impact to benthic habitats are not quantified.

There is limited information on the trophic effects of the fishery, particularly any impact on dependent fish, seabird and sea mammal predators.

The by-catch move-on rule is poorly defined and should be revised.

 

9. Recommendations    

1. Seek (with UK Government) the re-establishment of the South Atlantic Fisheries Commission to enable regional management of stocks.

2. Seek an external peer review of stock assessment and management for the finfish fisheries.

3. Develop scientifically based catch limits for each of the main target species18.

4. Consider developing a multi-species approach to fisheries management.

5. Develop a long-term strategy to mitigate the impacts of bottom trawling on benthic habitats, which could include evaluation of alternate capture methods and greater spatial and temporal regulation.

6. Develop ecosystem model to evaluate the trophic impacts of the fishery, particularly any impact on dependent predators and to help inform a multi-species management approach.

7. Provide a more detailed explanation of the move-on rule in the licence conditions to ensure it is legally enforceable.

                                                                                                               18  Will  require  regional  co-­‐operation.  

 

  47  

10. References    Brickle P, Arkhipkin A and Shcherbich Z. 2006. Age and growth of a sub-Antarctic notothenioid,

Patagonotothen ramsayi (Regan 1913), from the Falkland Islands. Polar Biology, 29, 633-639. Faulds C. 2016. Regina vs Freirmar, Sulivan Shipping Ltd and Francisco Perez Bason. Sentencing Decision

with Reasons. Falkland Islands Magistrate’s Court, July 2016. Faulds C. 2016. Regina vs Pesquerias Marinensis, FIBOW Ltd, Joachin Lopez Chousa, Samual Acuna

Recaman & Jose Rodriguez Gomez. Sentencing Decision with Reasons. Falkland Islands Magistrate’s Court, March 3rd 2016.

FIFD, 2016. Vessel units, allowable effort and allowable catch 2017: Part 2 Stock assessments. Hilborn R & Walters CJ, 1992. Quantitative Fisheries Stock Assessment: Choice, dynamics and uncertainty.

Chapman & Hall, London. Jennings, S & Kaiser, MJ. 1998. The effects of fishing on marine ecosystems. Advances in Marine Biology,

34, 1-201. Kaiser et al., 2016. Prioritization of knowledge-needs to achieve best practices for bottom trawling in relation

to seabed habitats. Fish and Fisheries, 17, 637-663.  Laptikhovsky V, Arkhipkin A, Brickle P. 2013. From small bycatch to main commercial species: Explosion of

stocks of rock cod Patagonotothen ramsayi (Regan) in the Southwest Atlantic. Fisheries Research, 147, 399-403

Nyegaard M, Arkhipkin A, Brickle P (2004) An alternating discard scavenger: variation in the diet of kingclip,

Genypterus blacodes (Ophidiidae) around the Falkland Islands. Journal of Fish Biology, 65, 666–682. Laptikhovsky V & Arkhipkin A. 2003. An impact of seasonal squid migrations and fishing on the feeding

spectra of subantarctic notothenioids Patagonotothen ramsayi and Cottoperca gobio around the Falkland Islands. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 19, 35–39.

Rindorf A, Schmidt J, Bogstad B, Reeves S & Walther Y. 2013. A Framework for Multispecies Assessment

and Management. An ICES/NCM Background Document, 43pp.

 

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The Falklands short-fin squid (Illex argentinus) fishery Gear: Jigging Catch in 2015: 357,730 tonnes Catch in 2016: 2,000 tonnes

1. Target  species    The Patagonian short-fin squid (Illex argentinus) is an oceanic squid of the family Ommastrephidae and is abundant in temperate and subtropical waters between 22o and 54o S in the SW Atlantic Ocean (Arkhipkin et al., 2013). The species consists of several distinct populations and cohorts, all of which have annual life cycles (see Arkhipkin et al., 2013 for summary). The main populations are winter spawners, which are divided into Northern and Southern Patagonian stocks. It is the Southern Patagonian Stock (SPS), that migrates into Falkland waters between February and June to feed on abundant macro-zooplankton, that is the target of the Falklands fishery. The SPS spawn over the continental shelf of southern Brazil and Uruguay and the larvae hatch in the warm waters of the Brazil Current. Juvenile squid migrate south to the Patagonian Shelf to feed and grow, before returning north with the Falkland Current (see Figure FI-I1). In cold years, such as 2002, the squid may not migrate as far south as Falkland waters. Illex argentinus is an opportunistic predator, feeding on macrozooplankton and, with increasing size, fish and squid (Mouat et al., 2001).

Figure FI-I1. The SW Atlantic, showing the FICZ and FOCZ and migratory pattern of the Southern

Patagonian Stock of Illex argentinus (reproduced from Arkhipkin et al., 2013).  

2. The  Fishery    The fishery for the Southern Patagonian Stock of Illex operates in the Argentine EEZ, the Falklands zones and on the high seas to the north. In Falkland waters it is open from mid-February until June 15th, with the majority of fishing effort coming between March and May. Around 100 jiggers (approx. 70 Taiwanese and 30 Korean) participate in the fishery each year, with catches of up to 30 tonnes per night. In recent years the Taiwanese vessels have been licensed to fish until 15th May,

 

  49  

whilst the Korean vessels have had licences until June 15th. The fishery tracks the southerly migration of Illex, with jiggers usually fishing on the high seas to the north of the FOCZ prior to entering the zone. In the past the Falklands have operated a Voluntary Restraint agreement with some of the jigging companies to discourage high seas fishing.

Table FI-I1. Details of the Illex argentinus jigging fishery (2012-2015).

2012 2013 2014 2015 Jiggers 100 99 105 105

Season open 15-Feb 15-Feb 15-Feb 15-Feb Season close 4-Jun 14-Jun 15-Jun 15-Jun Fishing days 8,491 7,638 7,041 8,278

Catch (tonnes) 87,023 142,403 306,147 357,730 Observer days 111 81 79 116

Observer % 1.3 1.1 1.1 1.4 The fishery varies from year to year, depending on the abundance of Illex in the zone, but there are typically over 100 licensed jiggers. Some trawlers also target Illex (Licence G), but over 90% of the catch is taken by jiggers under Category B licences. The catches of 306,147 in 2014 and of 357,730 tonnes in 2015 were the two highest recorded in Falkland waters since the licensed fishery began. However, 2016 has been one of the poorest years with just over 2000 tonnes caught. The catch in the Argentine EEZ in 2016 has also been low. The poor catches were attributed to environmental conditions, with negative water temperature anomalies spread all across the Southwest Atlantic. Near-bottom temperatures especially on the shelf were as cold as 5.5ºC, about 1-1.5ºC less than the norm.

3. Brief  history  of  the  fishery    The fishery on the Patagonian Shelf began in the early 1980s, when the decline in other fisheries (e.g. the Illex illecebrosus fishery in the NW Atlantic) led the international jigging fleet to search for new opportunities. The fishery rapidly expanded, reaching over 500,000 tonnes by 1987 and peaking at over 1 million tonnes in 1999. The stock collapsed in 2004 and 2005, due to the combined effects of overfishing and environmental conditions. Stock abundance is linked to sea-surface temperature (SST), with the highest catches occurring with SSTs of 13-14 oC. In 2004, the SST in the region was unusually low at around 10oC. The stock again collapsed in 2009-2011, with only 44 tonnes of Illex caught in the Falklands in 2009, which was linked to low SST. The Falklands Islands licensed fishery began in 1987, when 156 vessels from five nations fished in the newly declared FICZ (Beddington et al., 1990), with the fishery open from February 1st until June 30th. The number of licensed vessels averaged 150 in the period to 1995, with Japanese vessels initially the most numerous. Japanese participation in the fishery reduced in the mid-1990s, when they moved to fish in the Argentine EEZ. Prior to 1993 catches of Illex in the Argentine zone were relatively low (46,000 tonnes in 1991), but in 1993 Argentina started allowing foreign flagged vessels into her zone to catch Illex. Catches increased to a record 260,000 tonnes in the Argentine zone in 1996. Lower licence fees in Argentina together with generous export subsidies, made Argentine licensees more attractive. In the Falklands fishery the number of licensed vessels dropped to around 50 in the mid-2000s, when the stock collapsed. In 2009 only 21 licences were issued, but catches were so poor that the licence fees were refunded. Since 2011 there have been around 100 licensed vessels, with Korea and Taiwan the main fishing nations.

 

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. Figure FI-I2. Illex argentinus catches in the SW Atlantic since the fishery began in the 1980s (FAO

data). The catch in the FICZ and FOCZ accounts for, on average, 20% of the total catch of Illex in the SW Atlantic, but varies between 0 % (2009) and 40% (1989, 2011) (Figure FI-12). Whilst the majority of Illex is caught by jiggers, some is also caught by trawlers under G category licences or as by-catch. In the early years of the fishery some eastern European vessels had the capacity to trawl and jig (combo on Figure FI-I3), but most of this was from 1989 to 1994, when the data is not separated by gear type.

Figure FI-I3. Illex argentinus catches with different gears in the FICZ since 1989. The data from

1989 to 1994 is not separated by gear.          

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Outside"Falklands"

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50,000"

100,000"

150,000"

200,000"

250,000"

300,000"

350,000"

400,000"

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4. Sustainability  of  the  target  species  

4.1 Stock  discrimination    Illex argentinus is a highly migratory species and the stock targeted by fisheries in the FOCZ is the Southern Patagonian Stock (SPS), which spawns off the coast of Brazil, but migrates to the northern part of the FOCZ to feed and grow. In addition to the FCOZ, the SPS of Illex is also caught in the Argentinean and Uruguayan EEZs and on the high seas to the north of the FOCZ.  4.2 Harvest  strategy    In the absence of data from Argentina it is currently not possible to implement a harvest strategy for Illex in Falkland Islands waters. Whilst the South Atlantic Fisheries Commission (SAFC) was operating, the agreed objective was to allow a minimum escapement of 40,000 tonnes at the end of the season. This was subject to in-season management and if, during the season, it was assessed that the escapement biomass would fall below 40,000 tonnes the fishery would close. Whilst there is no in-season management of the fishery, such as occurs in the Doryteuthis fishery, the fishery is limited by effort. The number of licences can be restricted, but it is difficult to predict in advance of the season how abundant the Illex stock will be and thus how many licences should be issued. In practice effort is limited by early closure of the fishery in poor years, or by vessels leaving the zone when catches are poor.

4.3 Stock  assessment   In common with other short-lived squid species, Illex argentinus stocks are difficult to assess using standard methods. Stock–recruitment relationships are weak and populations are susceptible to intra-annual environmental changes (Agnew et al., 1998, 2000). In the early years of the fishery stock abundance was estimated by a DeLury depletion model (Beddington et al., 1990) and the fishery was managed to allow escapement of 40% of the spawning stock. This method was subsequently modified (Basson et al., 1996) to consider in-season migration of squid on the fishing grounds. In October 1993, an early-warning system for the I. argentinus fishery was agreed between Argentina and the Falkland Islands under the SAFC. If the assessed biomass of squid dropped below a conservation threshold of 40,000 tonnes, the fishery in both national zones could be closed early to protect the remaining stock. Such early closures were implemented in a number of years. Since the breakdown of the SAFC, there is been no cooperation between the Falklands and Argentina and no in-season stock assessment. The DNR-F does restrict the effort when the stock is not abundant (e.g. in 2015, Taiwanese vessels were not permitted to extend their fishing time to the third portion of the season).

 

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5. By-­‐catch  and  non-­‐target  impacts    

5.1 Fish  and  squid  by-­‐catch    The jigging fleet is very selective, with little or no by-catch. In the 1990s another ommastrephid squid, Martialia hyadesi, was also caught in reasonable quantity (e.g. 5,803 tonnes in 1995), but in recent years there has been little or no Martialia caught.

5.2 Seabird  interactions   There is no known mortality associated with the jig fishery.

5.3 Ecosystem  effects   The role of Illex argentinus in the ecology of the Patagonian Shelf is not fully understood and the fishery has the potential to impact on populations of dependent species, such as large fish, seabirds and marine mammals.

6. Management  system    The Illex jig fishery is the only Falkland Islands fishery that is not part of the ITQ system, however there has recently been a consultation on including the fishery in the ITQ system and it is anticipated that the fishery will join the ITQ system in 2018.  

6.1 Licensing  and  licence  fees    Licences are offered on an annual basis. The main participants in the fishery are vessels from Taiwan and Korea. Licence fees are linked to the gross registered tonnage (GRT) of the vessel and the number of jigging machines.

Fees = £107,250 +(GRT * 0.401 * 1.5(S+1.5D)) With S = single jigging machines and D = double jigging machines.

Thus for a 1000 tonne GRT vessel with 60 double jigging machines, the season fee would be £143,040. Fees are split, such that 5% is charged for the period February 15th to March 15th, 80% charged for 16th March to 15th May and 15% for the final month. A minimum time period of 80% must be purchased. Thus 90 jiggers, each fishing for the minimum period (16th March – 15th May), would yield just over £10 million in licence revenue.

6.2 Monitoring    All licensed vessels are required to report catch and position on a daily basis. Licensed vessels are also monitored using AIS and VMS. Observer coverage in the fishery is low (1.5 %) and whilst a higher level may be desirable, with little or no by-catch and no issues with seabirds in the fishery, it is not essential. A higher level of observer coverage may be desirable if an in-season management approach is re-established.  

 

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6.3 Surveillance   See general Falkland Islands section. Vessels are subject to at-sea inspections and during the 2015 season 70 vessels were inspected, which was 67% of the licensed fleet.

7. Consultation,  Review  and  Certification    The Illex fishery is different to the other fisheries in that it has considerably less local involvement. The jigging fleet are all flagged to Taiwan, Korea and other far-east nations. There has recently been a consultation on whether the fishery should become part of the ITQ system and, if so, how it would operate. Since the break up of the SAFC there has been no regional co-operation and the fishery management has not been subject to any external scrutiny or review.

8. Summary   The short-finned squid is a highly migratory species and the fishery for the Southern Patagonian Stock is fished in the Argentinean EEZ and on the high seas in addition to the fishery in the Falklands zone. In the absence of the SAFC it is not possible to determine with any confidence if the current catch levels are sustainable. The fishery has suffered collapses in the 2004 and 2010 and again in 2016. In each case the collapse has followed years of high catches. It is not clear if poor season in 2016 is entirely due to environmental conditions or if recruitment overfishing has contributed.  

Strengths

Weaknesses

Extremely “clean” fishery with little or no by-catch and little or no direct impact on non-target species.

The lack of co-operation with Argentina over the Illex stock makes it impossible to implement a sustainable management strategy.

The fishery is supported by a significant amount of scientific research on the biology of the target species.

There is no information on the trophic effects of the fishery, particularly any impact on dependent predators?

9. Recommendations    

1. Seek (with UK Government) the re-establishment of the South Atlantic Fisheries Commission to enable regional management of the Illex stocks.

2. Develop an ecosystem model of the Patagonian Shelf to help understand the role of Illex and determine any ecological impacts of the fishery.

 

10. References    Arkhipkin AI, Barton J, Wallace S & Winter A. 2013. Close cooperation between science, management and

industry benefits sustainable exploitation of the Falkland Islands squid fisheries. Journal of Fish Biology, 83, 905-920.

 

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Basson M, Beddington JR, Crombie JA, Holden SJ, Purchase LV, Tingley GA. 1996. Assessment and management techniques for migratory annual squid stocks: the Illex argentinus fishery in the Southwest Atlantic as an example. Fisheries Research 28: 3–27.

 Beddington JR, Rosenberg AA, Crombie JA & Kirkwood GP. 1990. Stock assessment and the provision of

management advice for the short fin squid fishery in Falkland Islands waters. Fisheries Research 8, 351–365.

Mouat B, Collins MA & Pompert J, 2001. Patterns in the diet of Illex argentinus from the Falkland Islands jig

fishery. Fisheries Research, 52, 41-49.