Common whelk

With limited data for Common whelk, an absence of stock assessments and catches at lowest recorded levels, there is concern for stock biomass. Northern Irelands annual catches fluctuate significantly and with no sustainable limit defined there is concern for fishing pressure in the area. Route 2 scoring has been applied to this rating owing to the lack of reference points for fishing pressure and biomass. There are no assessments of the resilience or vulnerability of this species. MCS considers common whelk to have low resilience to fishing pressure, based on several life history parameters. These are the species sedentary life history characteristics, a high larval mortality from urchin predation, occurrence of sub-populations in small spatial scales. The overall (global) increase in demand for common whelk correlates with the global fishery boom over the last decade. Northern Irelands’ whelk fishery has significantly increased in value from approximately £500 per tonne (2010) to £1,600 per tonne (2018). Annual catch varies greatly, between 18 tonnes to 167 tonnes, which can be indicative of boom-and-bust fisheries. Whelk fisheries are often considered as boom-and-bust, where catches increase while demand is high until catch rates become less economically attractive. Annual landings have declined >80% (from 159 to 31 tonnes) from 2017 to 2022. In 2021 and 2022, landings plummeted to the lowest levels since 2006; 18 tonnes and 31 tonnes respectively. AFBI carry out monitoring of the stocks targeted by the Northern Ireland pot fishery. Whilst this work concentrates primarily on crab and lobster, there is some work on whelks. There is currently no assessment for whelks. In the absence of information, there is concern for biomass.  Whelk landings and effort data is provided through the Monthly Shellfish Returns to DAERA. The number of NI registered vessels landing whelks (from all areas) increased from 6 in 2007 to 38 in 2019. In 2020, AFBI highlighted that there has been an increase in the number of pots deployed to catch whelks, which has led to a decreasing trend in Landings per Unit Effort (kg of whelks caught per pot). As effort is increasing, and there is no assessment of a sustainable limit, we consider there to be concern for fishing pressure in this area.

There are no appropriate management measures in place to protect whelk stocks in Northern Irelands’ Territorial waters.The Northern Ireland whelk fishery is data poor. The absence of sock assessments prevents the definition of Total Allowable Catch (TAC) limits and presents several challenges for whelk management.An EU-wide Minimum Conservation Reference Size (MCRS) of 45mm is in place for common whelk. Some UK regions such as Jersey, Wales, Shetland, and certain Inshore Fisheries Conservation Authorities (IFCA) within England enforce variable MCRS for whelk greater than the EU standard. Based on limited available data, whelks variable Size at Maturity (SOM – the size at which 50% of the population is sexually mature) has been previously documented to range between 63-83mm in Ireland, indicating the EU-MCRS offers inadequate protection to juveniles throughout Irish waters. It is highly likely that individuals are being caught before they have chance to reproduce. Whelk SOM is known to vary significantly in different areas around the UK, with temperature and depth being key factors.Currently, there are no restrictions placed on pot fishing for whelks (other than the EU MCRS), in Northern Ireland. A singular management measure, such as MCRS, may not be a practical solution for management with regarded to biological sustainability for this species. Small-scale management should be considered on a region-by-region basis, to assess suitability of management measures.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 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

Common whelks are caught in pots or creels, these are baited traps designed to attract and trap mobile species. Pots or creels have minimal impact on the surrounding environment but may result in damage to rocky reef habitat.Common whelk or ‘Buckies’ (as known by in Northern Ireland) are a marine benthic species, found on muddy sand, gravel or sometimes rock from the low water to depths of greater than 1000m. Whelks are active predators feeding on worms or bivalve molluscs.Northern Irish fishers use plastic containers, usually a drum. One end is partially removed and covered with netting and the rest of the pot perforated with 2-3 cm holes. The pot usually has sand at the bottom to weigh it down. A large number of pots may be attached to a single string which is marked by a buoy at each end. The pots are baited and placed on the seabed to soak for a number of days before being hauled.Bycatch species can be caught during fishing or if pots are lost (ghost fishing). Although, non-target species can usually escape creels after days or weeks especially if the pots include escape gaps for smaller animals. Invertebrates are understood to have high survival rates when discarded from pots or creels. There is potential for entanglement of endangered, threatened or protected (ETP) species from the ropes attached to the pots. The main species at risk are minke and humpback whales, basking sharks and leatherback turtles.Habitat impacts from potting are low but can occur during deployment, soak time or hauling of the pot, impacting the benthic habitat and associated species through contact with the pot or end weight, or by scouring from ropes. While some damage does occur, it is unlikely to be significant unless potting intensity is high (defined as approximately 30 pots per 500 square metres). Most damage occurs where traps are set in rocky habitats that are home to slow growing anchored species including soft corals, sponges and sea mats.

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