Some saithe is caught by gillnetting, which can have a bycatch of vulnerable species such as cetaceans and seabirds. There are a number of measures in place to reduce bycatch, but more needs to be done to ensure they are effective.100% of Icelandic cod landed by the Icelandic fleet is MSC certified. 100% of Icelandic saithe landed by the Icelandic fleet is MSC certified. Around 90% of saithe catches are from bottom trawling and around 5% from gillnetting.Gillnets and fixed nets can be very size selective, but can bycatch species such as seabirds, cetaceans and other marine mammals. Bycatch reporting in this fishery is mandatory, but data appears to be patchy and bycatch rates are uncertain. Gillnet effort has been reducing over the last couple of decades, which is likely to have reduced bycatch. The Marine Stewardship Council indicates that harbour porpoise and northern fulmar bycatch are the main concerns for this fishery. The certification is conditional on better recording of interactions with Endangered, Threatened and Protected Species, and better data to ensure that bycatch is not causing populations to decline or hindering their recovery.It is estimated that 1,500-2,000 harbour porpoises are caught annually in gillnets around Iceland. Trends in harbour porpoise populations around Iceland are unknown. NAMMCO indicates that recent estimates put the population at roughly 20,000-40,000 individuals, although these may be underestimates. The IUCN red list puts the species at 'Least Concern'. Therefore, populations would appear to be at healthy levels. However, the available data puts the catch rate at 3-5% of the porpoise population, which is above the ASCOBANS recommended upper limit of 1.7%. Gillnetting therefore has a possibility of affecting harbour porpoise populations in this area, but more data are needed to confirm this.There may also be bycatch of seals. These numbers appear to be at low levels (1-10 per year, based on scarce data). The highest impacts on populations are attributed to hunting and the Icelandic lumpfish fishery.A number of seabird species in Icelandic waters have declined in recent decades, but ICES notes that the main cause is thought to be reduced prey availability. However, the gillnet bycatch rate of northern fulmars is estimated to be roughly 1,500 annually. This could possibly be contributing to the species' decline, or preventing it from recovering. It's also possible that the mixed demersal gillnet fishery is having some impact on common loon populations, but data around this is very uncertain. Bycatch is estimated at around 50 per year.Sharks and skates are taken as bycatch in Icelandic fisheries, but catch rates are incomplete and the status of stocks is unknown. The endangered Atlantic halibut is impacted by fisheries around Iceland, so a mandatory release of viable halibut and a landings ban were introduced in 2012.There are no mandatory mitigation measures to prevent gillnet bycatch. There have been trials on some types of pinger, but these increased porpoise bycatch, and so have not been adopted. Further research is underway.Because of gillnets' durability (they are made of nylon), if lost, they can continue to fish for several weeks before becoming tangled and bundled up, a phenomenon known as 'ghost fishing'. However, static nets, as with all gear, represent an investment by fishermen, and therefore there are incentives to avoid losing or damaging gear.
Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
