Conger eel

With limited data for Conger eel (Conger conger), an absence of stock assessments and global catches at lowest ever recorded levels, there is concern for stock biomass. UK catches have remained stable, thus no concern for fishing pressure in this area.Route 2 scoring has been applied to this rating owing to the lack of reference points for fishing pressure and biomass. Conger eel has low resilience to fishing pressure.European conger eel (Conger conger) is an important commercial and recreational fishing species of the Northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean. The global conger eel fishery peaked in 1994, at 19,036 tonnes. There has been a significant drop in global catches in the last decade, from 18,500 tonnes in 2011, declining 455 by 2019, to 10,139 tonnes. In 2020, global catch reached its lowest ever level (9,507 tonnes) since records began in 1980.Changes in landings can indicate changes in population sizes. However, there may be other causes, including changes in fishing practices, reduced incentive to catch the species if market value is low, and impacts from Covid. In the UK, MMO data indicates that average price per kg decreased 11% from 2016-2021, from £1.03/kg to £0.92/kg. Over the same period, landings declined 13%. However, there is no comparable data for global catches, and no analysis of the cause of the decline in any fisheries.There is no data on the population structure and ecology of the species, although research suggests the Northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean populations are probably separate. Very little information is available about biomass or population trends. In the absence of information about this species, there is concern for biomass.UK catches have remained around 200 tonnes since 2012. In recent years (2016-2021), average catch in the UK has been 189 tonnes. This represents a relatively small proportion of global landings (1.8%, 2020). As recent landings are below the long-term average, and the UK fishery is a small contributor to fishing pressure on this species, we consider there to be no concern for fishing pressure in this area.

Conger eel is unregulated, and no appropriate management is in place to protect the stock in UK waters. Conger eel is not a targeted species, thus primarily caught in UK waters as bycatch with a low market demand. Absence of sock assessments prevents the definition of Total Allowable Catch (TAC) limits and presents several challenges for management. There is no EU-wide Minimum Conservation Reference Size (MCRS) in place for Conger eel, however, Jersey, Wales and some Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authorities (IFCA) within England enforce an MCRS of 58cm. Based on limited available data, this sporadically enforced minimum size is not a sufficient measure to protect the stock with Size at Maturity (SOM – the size at which 50% of the population is sexually mature) ranging between 78 (males) and 88cm (females). Additionally, as juveniles stay in coastal inshore waters and only move offshore once mature, inshore fisheries primarily target juveniles which is of the greatest concern. Given the life history of Conger eel, a singular management measure, such as MCRS, may not be a practical solution for management with regarded to biological sustainability for this species. In the EU, compliance with regulations has been variable, and there are ongoing challenges with implementing some of them. In the UK, it is too early to tell how effective management is, as the Fisheries Act only came into force in January 2021. The Act requires the development of Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs). FMPs are currently in development, but the scope of them remains unclear. They have the potential to be very important tools for managing UK fisheries, although data limitations may delay them for some stocks. MCS is keen to see publicly available FMPs for all commercially exploited stocks, especially where stocks are depleted, that include: Targets for fishing pressure and biomass, and additional management when those targets are not being met, based on the best available scientific evidence Timeframes for stock recovery Improved data collection, transparency and accountability, supported by technologies such as Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) Consideration of wider environmental impacts of the fishery

Conger eels are generally caught by trawlers, which have significant impacts on the seabed, including damage to vulnerable marine habitats and associated with high bycatch, including vulnerable species.In the United Kingdom exclusive economic zone (EEZ) Conger eel is mainly landed as bycatch of demersal otter trawlers (55.22%) and beam trawls (26.06%) targeting other species (MMO data 2021). Trawlers accounted for 81% of total UK landings of Conger eel in 2021. Although not targeted in the UK, it is commercially fished, and generally caught by methods with relatively high levels of discards, bycatch and damage to the benthic environment.Conger eel is a marine benthic species, inhabiting rocky areas of the continental shelf and shelf slope. They are generally caught on rocky and sandy bottoms in areas ranging from 40 metres to 800 metres deep.Demersal trawls penetrate the seabed, resulting in the abrasion of habitat features. The impact of trawling on the seabed depends on where trawling happens, and on what scale. For example, habitats that are used to natural disturbance through tides and waves are less sensitive to impacts. Areas not used to mobile towed gears are typically more sensitive.Otter trawls have the potential to take high quantities of bycatch. In the Northeast Atlantic this can include elasmobranchs and endangered, threatened and protected (ETP) species (e.g., marine mammals, sharks and rays). Bycatch data is limited in many UK and EU fisheries as they are generally not well monitored.The main mitigation measures are Marine Protected Areas, some of which are designated for benthic features. If those MPAs were found to be subjected to bottom trawling, MCS would consider it a default red rating unless there is evidence (e.g., environmental impact assessment) indicating the activity does not damage the integrity of the site.UK regulations to reduce the impacts of fishing on marine habitats and wider species are under development, in the meantime most EU regulation have been adopted. Under EU legislation, bycatch species should be managed within scientifically defined or, where data isn’t available, suitability precautionary sustainable exploration limits. If stocks fall below a certain threshold, measures can be brought in such as gear limitations (e.g., mesh size or depth of use), time and/or areas closures, and Minimum Conservation Reference Sizes (MCRS).