Northern prawn

There is no concern for the biomass of Northern prawn in Disko Bay and West Greenland and no concern for fishing pressure.Route 2 data limited scoring have been applied to this rating due to the lack of additional reference points for biomass and fishing pressure. Northern prawns are considered to have a medium resilience to fishing pressure.According to the most recent stock assessment carried out in 2024, Greenland Institutes of Natural Resources (GINR) estimated shrimp biomass (B) to be slightly below the level associated with Maximum Sustainable Yield (BMSY)(B/Bmsy = 96.6%). There has been a slight decline in biomass levels since 2017, and it is slightly lower than the long-term average over the last 20 years. However, the probability of B being below the biomass limit (Blim), where stock size is in danger of collapse is very low <1%. Both numbers of age-2 and numbers of pre-recruits in 2022 where at a record high, but have declined since 2023 and prospects for future recruitment are expected to be poor. Despite this the stock is near healthy levels and it is highly unlikely for B to fall below the biomass limit, therefore, there is no concern for biomass.Catch per unit effort (CPUE) data shows a continuing decrease in 2024 (since 2018) but remains at a relatively high level.  Estimates have been guided by data and information from the fishery, Ministry of Fisheries Hunting (MFH), scientists from GINR and the control authority, Greenland Licence Control (GFLK), and advice is provided to the Northeast Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (NAFO).Fishing mortality (Z (fishery and cod predation)) was calculated as slightly above Zmsy (measure of fishery and cod predation maximum sustainable yield). Z/ZMSY was calculated to be 103.6%, indicating that fishing mortality was projected to be 3.6% above the level associated with Zmsy in 2024 with an expected catch in 2024 of 102,500 tonnes. Fishing mortality have been increasing in recent years but levels are still near target levels therefore there is currently no concern for fishing pressure However, the probability of Z exceeding Zmsy is 53%, which exceeds the management threshold of 35%.Canadian fishing effort has been sporadic and catches variable. In 2016 fishing increased in the Disko Bay with catches reaching a maximum of 3,215t in 2017 and have since declined to very low levels in 2021 and 2022, and zero catches in 2023 and 2024. The Scientific Councils advices catch for 2024 was 95,000 tonnes. Since the early 2000s the Greenlandic fishery has moved north and currently about 80% of the total catch is taken in Division 1A and 1B.

There is a good management plan in place for this fishery which is independently reviewed by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) third party certification. However, TACs are too high due to a lack of effective co-operation between countries to deliver a consistent management.A management plan for the West Greenlandic shrimp fishery has been in place since 2010. The main objectives are to maintain biomass (B) close to but above the Maximum Sustainable Yield (Bmsy), set short term TAC limits to reduce risk of exceeding fishing mortality (F) above Fmsy and restricting annual fluctuations in set TACs to 12.5% to ensure stability in the economy for Greenland s fishing sector.In 2013 the West Greenland Coldwater Prawn fishery became the first Greenlandic fishery to achieve MSC certification for sustainable fishing. The fishery was re-certified by MSC in 2018 following initial certification in 2013 and applies to the entire fishery. A surveillance audit, published in 2021 confirms compliance. The Greenland fishery exploits the stock in Subarea 1 (Div. 1A-F) and the Canadian fishery has been limited to Div. 0A. The fishery has moved north and since 2009 at least 35% of the total catch was taken in Northeast west Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (NAFO) Division 1A.Management measures in the fishery include that mesh size is at least 40 mm in both Greenland, and Canada. Most trawlers in Greenland use mesh size at 44 mm. Sorting grids to reduce bycatch of fish are required in both of the Greenland fleets and in the Canadian fleet. Discarding of shrimps is prohibited. Greenland requires that logbook catch is recorded as live weight. Reporting of crushed and broken shrimps has been improved so that more accurate assessment against the TAC can be made.Both Canada and Greenland set independent and autonomous TACs and have individual, and independent strategies to achieve management objectives. There are differences between the Scientific Council advised TAC and the total enacted TAC. This is due to the fact that Greenland sets an enacted TAC based on the advice from Scientific Council, whereas Canada independently sets a TAC based on 14.2% of the advised TAC. In some years, total catch exceeded the Scientific Council advised TAC due to banking and borrowing rules in Greenland, as well as the autonomous TAC in Canada. In 2024, Greenland's TAC was set at 101,700 tonnes, this included an 8% share set aside for Canada. However, this TAC distribution method is not agreed with Canada and Canada continue to set autonomous TACs. Consequently, the total TAC amounted to 116,000 tonnes in 2024, 22% above advice. This approach has led to the total TAC being above NAFO Scientific Council advice, due to a lack of agreement on catch shares. For several years talks between Canada and Greenland have been ongoing but as yet there is no agreement on catch shares. An agreement between the parties on joint action to reduce exploitation to acceptable levels in the event of such a situation is needed. Between 2020-24, the total TAC has exceeded advice by an average of 15%. However, official landings have been below the set TAC by an average of 12% and have only exceeded scientific advice by an average of 1% between 2016-20. Greenland Institutes of Natural Resources (GINR) advises that catches in 2024 should be no more than 95,000 tonnes to safeguard stock.Nonetheless, the fishery is performing well against the MSC Conditions of Certification (CoC) and performance indicators. The single CoC on this fishery is to ensure effective co-operation with Canada to deliver consistent management outcomes. This objective is on target.

Northern Shrimp is caught by bottom trawling off the shores of Greenland and Canada, in Baffin Bay and the Davis Strait. Bottom trawls penetrate the seabed and disturb benthic habitats. Mitigation measures appear to be effective at reducing bycatch of threatened species.The shrimp fishery uses trawls (single, double or triple) with a minimum cod-end mesh size of 40 mm, in depths between 150-600 m. Nordmore sorting grates are also used with bar spacing of 22 mm, which is mandatory to minimise bycatch of non-target species. The grate filters the catch allowing animals larger than the grate size to escape through an opening at the top of the net, whilst retaining the smaller shrimp. Other gear restrictions include the use of toggle chains to keep trawl netting off the bottom of the seabed, to reduce benthic impacts and bycatch of bottom dwelling species.Bycatch of ground fish species by small meshed shrimp trawls is a concern. Two species of wolfish, northern and spotted are listed as threatened under the Species at Risk Act (SARA), are a bycatch in the Northern shrimp fishery. However, the Nordmore exclusion device reduces risk of bycatch and has significantly decreased groundfish mortality. Bycatch of Aesop/striped prink shrimp (Pandalus montaguii) is monitored and accounts for <1% of the total catch. Since 2012, Aesop shrimp has been included among the species protected by a ‘moving rule’ to limit bycatch and there are no licenses issued for directed fishing on it. Instructions for reporting Aesop shrimp in logbooks were changed in 2011, to improve the reporting of these catches. No by-catches of seals or whales are recorded from this fishery and the risk for entangling marine mammals is evaluated to be low.The maximum sustainable yield for the fishery incorporates both fishing mortality and cod predation to ensure that shrimp populations are large enough support cod feeding in the area. The stock assessment uses Zmsy to capture this combined prawn mortality, in place of Fmsy. The incorporation of this important relationship between wild and human predators ensures that an important ecosystem, and commercial fishery, dynamic is considered in this fishery.The fishing area is subject to continuous seabed monitoring. To protect vulnerable and previously untouched marine environment areas environmental protection measures were introduced. On the basis of observations of significant occurrences of sea pens, which are considered to be indicator species for Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs), a number of areas in the Gulf of Melville are closed to all fishing with bottom-moving gear in accordance with Self-Government Order no. 4 of 30th March 2017 on technical conservation measures in fisheries Section 13. In addition, fishing for shrimp with bottom moving gear in areas not previously fished may only take place upon prior application to the Department of Fisheries. No new VMEs have been defined since, and no coral or sea-pen by-catch has been reported. Around three surveys were carried out in 2019. There are plans for a new survey vessel for 2021, and acoustic monitoring is being planned for fjord areas. An Environmental Plan is being developed to manage the seabed habitats in the waters around Greenland, and GINR are contributing information on potential impacts of the cold water prawn fishery. The plan is expected to be finalised in 2022 and will identify sensitive habitats including those identified within the MSC certification process as Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs). Closure of these areas may be required in future to protect those habitats from the impact of fishing.The Marine Stewardship Council have made several recommendations to the conditions of certification. The fishery is on track to meet these. The first is for vessels to continue to manage and minimise Aesop shrimp bycatch. This effort resulted in landing of Aesop shrimp being <1% of the total shrimp landings in 2018 and 2019. The second recommendation is for improvements to be made to the available information on Aesop shrimp to better inform assessment approaches, for which data has been provided. The final recommendation was to ensure that any move on rules, including the threshold levels are at a minimum fully aligned with NAFO recommendations, with particular reference to indicators of vulnerable marine ecosystems.Demersal otter trawls use doors to hold nets open that penetrate the seabed, resulting in the abrasion of habitat features. The ground ropes, sweeps and bridles of the trawl can have similar abrasive impact. The impact of trawling on the seabed depends on the location and scale in which trawling occurs. For example, areas that are used to natural disturbance through tides and waves, are less sensitive to habitat impacts. Whereas, areas not used to mobile towed gears are typically more sensitive to trawling. Trawl gears are known to have some of the greatest impacts on Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VME). Spatial management is continually being developed, which will restrict the footprint of this gear on the seabed. However, there remains some uncertainty about the location of some sensitive seabed habitats so these remain at risk.To improve monitoring and reporting of fishing activity, Marine Conservation Society would like to see remote electronic monitoring (REM) with cameras implemented, used and enforced. To reduce the impacts of fishing on the marine environment we would like to see a just transition to the complete removal of bottom towed gear from offshore Marine Protected Areas designated to protect the seabed. We also want to see reduction and mitigation of environmental impacts including emissions and blue carbon habitat damage.