Atlantic cod

Data surrounding Rockall cod is limited. There is concern for both biomass and fishing pressure.Route 2 scoring has been applied to this rating owing to the lack of reference points for fishing pressure and biomass. Catches of cod (both survey and commercial) are too low to support the collection of the necessary information for an assessment of stock status. Atlantic cod are considered to have medium resilience.Stock assessments are carried out by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). The most recent report was published in 2023 using data up to 2022. The next report is expected in 2026.The cod stock in this region has not been assessed and is classed as a category 6 stock - the most data deficient category. There are no biomass data, only landings, which have decreased from between 1,500 and 2,000 tonnes in the 1980s and 1990s to reach an all-time low of 14 tonnes in 2013. They have since increased, but remain below 100 tonnes, as they have been since 2004. This substantial drop in landings is likely to reflect a depleted cod stock. Landings per unit of effort in the Scottish trawl fleet have been fluctuating at a higher level since 2016, although there was a five-fold increase during 2015 and 2016 that ICES consider to be too high to be attributable only to increases in stock size.The biomass for Rockall cod is currently unknown related to reference points and is believed to be at very low levels, therefore the biomass is of concern.Landings and Total Allowable Catch (TAC) have exceeded advice since 2016. In 2022, landings were approximately 80% above the scientific advice of 14 tonnes (71 tonnes), and in 2021 the catch was around 54% above advice (26 tonnes). The fishing pressure is currently unknown related to reference points, though catch index appears to be relatively stable. However, due to lack of information and consistent catch above advice, fishing pressure is concern.ICES advises that when the precautionary approach is applied, catches should be no more than 11 tonnes in each of the years 2024, 2025, and 2026. This is a 20% decrease from advice from 2021 to 2023.

Few appropriate management measures are in place. Catch limits for Rockall cod have been set significantly higher than scientific advice in recent years. Management is therefore not following scientific advice.The stock status of Rockall cod is poor, with biomass at very low levels. Total Allowable Catches (TACs) and landings are above scientific advice, although effort in the fishery has decreased since 2010. Management is not therefore supporting recovery of the stock.The main management measures for Rockall cod relate to catch limits. Most catches are taken as bycatch by the Scottish trawl fleet, with some taken by Irish trawlers and a small amount by Norway. Norwegian demersal fishing on the Rockall Bank consists mainly of longliners targeting ling and tusk. Given the healthy status of haddock and the high haddock TAC, it is unlikely that cod bycatch will reduce.The EU multiannual plan (MAP) for stocks in in the Western Waters and adjacent waters came into force in 2019, but it does not cover Rockall cod, which is treated as bycatch in the legislation. The TAC set for cod at Rockall, which also covers EU and international waters of Division 5.b (Faroes) and subareas 12 (north of the Azores) and 14 (East of Greenland), but most catches are from Rockall. However, there is no agreed shared management plan for this stock.TACs have been set higher than the recommended limit since 2016. In 2022, landings were approximately 80% above the scientific advice of 14 tonnes (71 tonnes), and in 2021 the catch was around 54% above advice (26 tonnes). ICES recommends that when the precautionary approach is applied, only 11 tonnes of cod should be landed in each of the years 2024-2026. This advice is slightly lower compared to the previous three-year period (2021-2023) (14 tonnes).Management is therefore not following scientific recommendations. This is particularly concerning when the stock is data limited.Atlantic cod have a minimum conservation reference size (MCRS) of 35cm in UK waters. Additionally, bottom trawling and fishing with static gear is closed in multiple areas around the Rockall Bank including the northwest and southwest Rockall Bank area and the Haddock Box. The former two are closed to protect Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs) and the latter to protect haddock stocks. These closures are expected to be reviewed in 2027.The EU and UK both have fishery management measures, which can include catch limits, population targets, and gear restrictions. However, compliance in the EU and UK has been inconsistent, with ongoing challenges in implementing some regulations. The goal of reaching Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) by 2020 was missed, with less than half of UK TACs in 2024 following ICES advice. In 2024, the EU and UK reaffirmed their commitment to sustainable fisheries by aligning management with scientific advice to gradually approach MSY. However, no new target date has been set for achieving MSY across all fisheries. The Landing Obligation (LO), an EU law retained by the UK post-Brexit, requires all quota fish to be landed, even if unwanted (over-quota or below minimum size). It aims to encourage more selective fishing methods, reduce bycatch, and improve catch reporting. However, compliance is poor, and accurate discard levels are hard to quantify with current monitoring programmes. The UK is in the process of replacing the LO with country-specific Catching Policies.The Marine Conservation Society views Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) with cameras is one of the most cost-effective tools for providing reliable fisheries data and aiding informed management decisions. Fully monitored fisheries enhance collaboration, data accuracy, stock recovery, and reduce impacts on marine wildlife and habitats. However, the full potential of REM may only be achieved when it tracks fishing location and documents catch and bycatch, particularly where vulnerable species and habitats are at risk. As of January 2024, the EU is introducing a Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) mandate for EU vessels, including CCTV cameras on vessels 18m or more that pose a potential risk of non-compliance, within the next 4 years. Across the UK, different approaches to REM are being taken and legislation is expected to be in place across all 4 countries within the next few years.The Fisheries Act (2020) requires the development of Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) (replacing EU Multi-Annual Plans) in the UK. 43 FMPs have been proposed and are at various stages of development and implementation, these should all be published by the end of 2028. FMPs have the potential to be very important tools for managing UK fisheries, although data limitations may delay them for some stocks. It is also essential the UK governments define and adopt a standardised approach or model across the four nations to a universally defined FMP design, to ensure the consistence, quality and coherence of all the proposal FMPs.The Marine Conservation Society is keen to see publicly available Fishery Management Plans for all commercially exploited stocks, especially where stocks are depleted, that include:An overview of the fishery including current stock status, spatial coverage, current fishing methods and impactsTargets for fishing pressure and biomass, and additional management when those targets are not being met, based on the best scientific evidenceTimeframes for stock recoveryImproved data collection, transparency, and accountability, supported by technologies such as Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM)Consideration of wider environmental impacts of the fishery, including habitat impacts and minimising bycatchStakeholder engagementA Atlantic Cod FMP has been proposed, coordinated by Marine Scotland that incorporates this stock. At the time of writing, it is too soon to know whether proposed management measures will be effective in managing the stock. For more information about this FMP and expected progress and timelines, see [https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fisheries-management-plans#published-fmps].

Most Rockall cod are caught by otter trawls as bycatch, which is likely to cause some damage to the seabed. In this area, there are concerns that trawling could be affecting vulnerable marine habitats. Bycatch is moderate and may include vulnerable species such as blue and flapper skate.Otter trawlers interact with the seabed and can modify bottom topography and cause damage and removal of some biogenic features including vulnerable marine habitats and benthic communities. They can also bycatch vulnerable species. Approximately, 86% of Rockall cod was caught by otter trawls in 2022. The fishery takes place in the EU, UK and international waters. This occurs largely on a mixture of substrates, including rocky reefs and boulders. The fishery is a mixed demersal species, targeting gadoids and monkfish, where cod is bycatch. Therefore, the bycatch scoring is not applied here. Most target species are not overfished or undergoing overfishing, however, there are some concerns over Endangered, Threatened or Protected (ETP) species catch and a lack of data to verify their catch rates.Demersal trawls have contact with the seabed resulting in penetration and abrasion of habitat features. 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. Areas not used to mobile towed gears are typically more sensitive to trawling. This can include deeper waters such as those where the Rockall fishery takes place, where there are Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs) like corals, sponges and sea pens.Rockall cod and whiting are very data limited, and it is unclear what level of fishing pressure is appropriate. However, the advised catch limits are regularly exceeded, and it is likely that the haddock fishery is part of the reason for this. Discards from this stock are currently considered unknown due to low sampling levels and interannual and between fleet variability.Cod are mainly caught as bycatch by vessels targeting gadoid and anglerfish species. Therefore, management measures are largely applied to the demersal stocks. In the mixed gadoid demersal fishery, blue and flapper skate, mitigation measures include a prohibition on landing either species, and some protection for nursery areas. It is not clear if this fishery is having an impact at population level as there is not enough data about stock trends. There is not currently enough data to quantify population trends. Therefore, there is potential for this fishery to be having an impact on these species.Work is underway to trial selective gears and develop tools to reduce bycatch. In the West of Scotland, this includes BATmap (By-catch Avoidance Tool using mapping), launched in 2020. It allows real-time reporting of bycatch of cod and spurdog to identify areas for skippers to avoid. Work is ongoing to refine and roll it out further. Innovation such as this is a very positive and vital step forward for minimising bycatch in mixed fisheries.Fishing effort in the Celtic Seas region decreased by 35% between 2003 and 2014, which is reducing pressure on the seabed and on bycatch species. An estimated 61% of the Celtic Sea region, which extends from western Scotland to the English Channel, was trawled in 2022. 88% of the zone between 400m and 800m has been fished. From 2009-2011, 95% of areas containing VMEs were fished. Fishing-induced physical disturbance is estimated to have resulted in an overall decrease of invertebrate benthic biomass varying between 59% in offshore mud and 5% in sandy habitats compared to an unfished state. This impact is patchy and may be over 80% in the most heavily fished areas.Mitigation measures include a ban on bottom trawling below 800m, and restrictions from 400-600m – the areas where most VMEs are found. It is estimated that approximately 70% of seapen habitat in this area is closed to fishing, through inaccessibility to trawls or Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). There are several closures in the Rockall area to protect VMEs. This includes the Rockall Haddock Box, Logachev Mounds, Hatton Bank and others. Trawling is banned from these areas. However, there remains some uncertainty about the location of some sensitive seabed habitats. If fishers encounter VMEs outside of the closed areas, there is no requirement to move on (unlike in the certified fishery). Therefore, there remains a risk that VMEs could be trawled.If Marine Protected Areas are well-managed, they can provide protection to VMEs, but poorly managed MPAs will mean they are at risk. Given the important role that MPAs have in recovering the health and function of our seas, The Marine Conservation Society encourages the supply chain to identify if their specific sources are being caught from within MPAs. If sources are suspected of coming from within designated and managed MPAs, the Marine Conservation Society advises businesses to establish if the fishing activity is operating legally inside a designated and managed MPA, and request evidence from the fishery or managing authority to demonstrate that the activity is not damaging to protected features or a threat to the conservation objectives of the site(s).To improve monitoring and reporting of fishing activity, the 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.

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