Scampi or langoustine

In the Skagerrak and Kattegat, scampi, often referred to as Nephrops or Norway lobster, is data limited. There does not appear to be concern for the biomass, and fishing pressure is below the target level.Route 2 scoring has been applied to this rating owing to the uncertainty of the data and the lack of reference points for biomass. Norway lobster is considered to have a medium resilience to fishing pressure.Stock abundance in 2022 is estimated to be 3,138 million individuals. Abundance has steadily declined from a peak of 5,152 million in 2017. There is no threshold or reference to indicate what a sustainable stock size would be. However, landings per unit of effort have been increasing and are at a long-term high level. ICES has concluded that there are no signs of over-exploitation in this stock. Therefore, there is no concern for the biomass.The total catch in 2022 was 7,110 tonnes. This is equivalent to a harvest rate of 4.7% of the population (by number). This is below the level associated with Maximum Sustainable Yield (FMSY, 7.9%), indicating that the stock is not subject to overfishing. Therefore, there is no concern for fishing pressure.ICES advises that when the Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) approach is applied, and assuming that discard rates and fishery selection patterns do not change from the average of the years 2020-2022, catches in 2024 should be no more than 11,863 tonnes. This is a 1.7% decrease from the previous year's advice.A 2011 study on Norway lobster in the Clyde found a high prevalence of plastics and suggested that this could have implications for the health of the stock - this may have relevance for other Norway lobster stocks. Some of the plastics were sourced to fishing waste. Studies have shown that the effects of climate change - warmer waters, reduced oxygen levels, higher ocean acidity, and higher levels of heavy metals - can negatively impact Norway lobsters' larval development and make adults more susceptible to disease. Lower oxygen levels can also cause Norway lobster to leave their burrows, making them easier to catch.

Some management measures are in place for Norway lobster in the Skagerrak and Kattegat, and catches are within recommended limits. However, discarding of unwanted catch is high and needs to be reduced.Norway lobster stock assessments are conducted by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). Stock assessments are produced for 33 areas across the Northeast Atlantic, called Functional Units (FUs). However, management is applied to 18 areas, called management units. In general, management units broadly overlap with the functional units, but not very effectively. However, in this area, the stock unit and management unit match.This stock is mainly fished by Denmark, Sweden and Norway, and managed through the EU's North Sea Multi Annual management Plan (MAP). This MAP covers eleven FUs: 3-10, and 32-34. It provides guidance on setting catch limits, and FU-specific management measures can be introduced if individual stocks are found to be below sustainable levels.Catch limits (Total allowable Catches, TACs) are specific to this Norway lobster stock. They have been in line with or below the advice every year since 2012. Actual catches (including discards) have stayed within those limits. This is contrast to other areas, where catch limits are set for multiple stocks combined, allowing overexploitation in some areas. The TAC in 2022 and 2023 was for 8,501 tonnes.In addition to catch limits, Denmark and Sweden incentivise the use of more selective fishing gear to reduce bycatch of unwanted species and undersized Norway lobster. In Sweden, 30% of the quota is allocated to creels, 50% to grid trawls and the remaining 20% to other trawls. Swedish fleets must use a species-selective grid, with a certain mesh size for part of the net. Danish fleets must use either the grid or a SELTRA trawl which has a larger-meshed net and an escape panel.There is Minimum Conservation Reference Size of 25mm in the North Sea, and 32mm in the Skagerrak and Kattegat. Below this size, Norway lobster must be landed but can't be sold for human consumption, and so have a lower value. Under the EU Landings Obligation (LO) and Norwegian law, it is illegal to discard unwanted (e.g. undersized or over-quota) Norway lobster at sea. However, there are exemptions in this area, because this species survives well after being discarded (25-50% survival rate), even from trawlers. Discarding is still allowed in all creel fisheries and throughout the Skagerrak. Discard rates for this stock have been high, at around 30% by number, and scientists recommend further work to reduce it.

Creeling or potting is a low impact method of fishing, with low levels of bycatch and low impact on the seabed.Creeling only accounts for a small proportion of Norway lobster catches in this area, at around 5%. The remainder is caught by trawling. Creeling is mainly carried out by Sweden, and mainly in the Skagerrak.Bycatch in creel fisheries is generally low, and survival rates of any species bycaught are far higher than from trawling. Bycatch species can include whelks, crabs and lobster. The discarded catch is small (around 6% of total catch). Some cod is bycaught in Swedish creel fisheries, but bycatch levels are about a tenth of that in Norway lobster trawls and the survival rate is between 75% and 100% (compared to 0% in trawl fisheries).Creeling in the Swedish fishery generally happens near the coast on mud or sandy mud. The impact of creels on the seabed is likely to be low, although they can sometimes impact sessile species. The impact on sea pens is considered minimal.Creel fisheries are exempt from the discard bans, as Norway lobster are likely to survive after being discarded from these fisheries. Creeling tends to catch larger Norway lobster than trawling, and below-minimum-size individuals are likely to survive if caught and released. This can result in lower fishing pressure than trawling. However, creeling may catch more females than males, and in particular could catch berried (egg-bearing) females, which could have an impact on reproduction. More research is needed to fully understand the level of risk. At the current low harvest rates, it is not expected to be a significant concern.

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