Haddock

Irish Sea haddock are not overfished and not subject to overfishing.This stock assessment is carried out biennially by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). The most recent assessment was published in 2024 using data up to 2024. The next assessment is expected in 2025.The stock assessment defines reference points for fishing pressure (F) and biomass (B). For fishing pressure, there is a target to keep F at or below Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY). For biomass, there is no target. However, there is a trigger point (MSY BTrigger). Below this level, F should be reduced to allow the stock to increase. Because BMSY is not defined, the Good Fish Guide applies its own definition of 1.4 x MSY BTrigger.Haddock catches form the Irish Sea peaked at nearly 6,000 tonnes in 1998, before declining to a low of around 500t in 2013. The average catch from 2020 – 2022 was approximately 1400t, while catch in 2023 has reduced to 566t which is the lowest catch since 2016.The spawning stock biomass (SSB) of haddock in this area has increased from around 3,000 tonnes in the 2000s to peak at 18,000t in 2018. It has since declined slightly to 10,382t in 2024, but remains well above target levels (MSY Btrigger, 4,281t). The stock is therefore not in an overfished state.Fishing pressure has declined from a peak of 1.26 in 1999 to 0.070 in 2023. This is well below levels associated with Maximum Sustainable Yield (FMSY, 0.28). Therefore, the stock is not subject to overfishing.ICES advises that when the MSY approach is applied, catches in 2025 should be no more than 1893 tonnes. This is a 16.4% decrease on the previous year's advice because recruitment of young fish into the stock in 2022 and 2023 was the lowest for 25 years, and the stock is therefore expected to decline.

Some but not all appropriate relevant management measures are in place, for Irish Sea haddock. The stock is in a good state, but discards are relatively high, there is no management plan in place.There is no management plan for Irish Sea haddock. This stock is assessed by various countries. The stock is covered by the EU Multi Annual Plan (MAP) for Western Waters, however there is no joint management plan between the EU and UK. Most catches are by Ireland, followed by the UK. Around 20% of landings and 82% of discards are by trawlers fishing for Nephrops.The main management measure is a catch limit (Total Allowable Catch, TAC) for all vessels targeting haddock. Historically, TACs were set much higher than the scientifically recommended limits, but have been equal to or less than the advice since 2017. Total catches have been well below the TACs and advice. On average, from 2019-2023, catches were 1,415 tonnes, or 44% of the average TAC (3,190t). The TACs for 2024 are in line with advice (2263t). This could indicate that this management measure is not limiting the fishery.Stock assessment and management units match up. Landings reported by vessels in the southern most parts of the Irish Sea, have been reassigned to Celtic Sea stock (7.b-k) since 2003, as they believed to be part of the Celtic Sea stock. In recent years, this has accounted for around 600 tonnes of haddock. For Northern Irish vessels targeting haddock 23% of trips are observed.The minimum conservation reference size for haddock in the UK is 30 cm. Below this size, haddock have to be landed but can't be sold for human consumption and so have a lower value. A large number of juvenile haddock are caught and discarded. From 2019-2021, the average discard rate was 18% of the total catch. Most (82%) of the discarding was by Nephrops trawlers. Some selectivity measures to avoid cod (see below) are likely to reduce juvenile haddock catch.A number of Cod Conservation measures are in place that affect the haddock trawl fishery.Technical specifications: Haddock trawlers, which caught 36% of all Irish Sea cod in 2021, must have a minimum mesh size of 120mm or an eliminator trawl. These allow unwanted or small fish to escape from the net. There are no requirements for midwater or beam trawlers, which caught 18% and 10%, respectively.Seasonal closure: On the east coast of Ireland, between February and April, towed nets, static nets, and hooks and lines are prohibited. This doesn't ban highly selective gears, so Nephrops and haddock trawlers are still allowed to fish.Observers: there is an enhanced scientific observer programme to collect data on catches, and to monitor the development of cod and other stocks in the Irish Sea. Vessels should have scientific observers on board, or set aside part of their catch for sampling on shore.Licensing: only 8 vessels using eliminator trawls are allowed to fish for haddock in 2021, and must be able to demonstrate clean catches (no bycatch).Move on rules: if the catch is more than 5% cod, the vessel has to move 3 miles away and report it. Reports of high cod concentrations will be shared to allow vessels to avoid those areas.The maximum cod allocation to the fishery is 16 tonnes.Gear trials are underway to find more selective gears that can be used to reduce cod catches.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 Irish Sea Demersal FMP has been proposed, coordinated by DAERA 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 haddock catches are by trawling, which is likely to cause some damage to the seabed. Bycatch is moderate and may include vulnerable species, including the vulnerable Irish Sea cod stock.Most haddock in this area (around 90%) is caught by otter trawls. Haddock is a specific target for some fleets, but is also caught as bycatch by Nephrops trawlers. Most catches are by Ireland, followed by the UK. Demersal otter trawls have the potential to take relatively high quantities of bycatch. In the Northeast Atlantic there are reported catches of demersal elasmobranchs and endangered, threatened and protected (ETP) species (e.g. sharks, rays and marine mammals). Bycatch data is limited in many UK and EU fisheries as they are generally not well monitored.Haddock trawlers have a bycatch of Irish Sea cod, which is below safe biological levels. Otter trawlers, primarily targeting haddock, are responsible for around 33% of Irish Sea cod catches. There are a number of management measures in place for haddock and trawlers to reduce cod catches. This includes additional monitoring, requirements for highly selective gear to reduce bycatch, and a seasonal closure in the western Irish Sea.In the mixed 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.Spurdog and the common skate complex are caught as bycatch in mixed demersal trawl fisheries and gillnet fisheries in the area. Both are on the OSPAR List of Threatened or Declining Species and Habitats. 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.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. Trawl gears are known to have some of the greatest impacts on Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs).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. There remains some uncertainty about the location of some sensitive seabed habitats, so these remain at risk.There are Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in this area, some of which are designated to protect seabed features from damaging activities. This fishery overlaps with parts of these MPAs, but the proportion of the catch coming from these areas is expected to be relatively low in relation to the unit of assessment (i.e. less than 20% of the catch or effort), and so these impacts have not been assessed within the scale of this rating. 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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