Scampi or langoustine

On Porcupine Bank, scampi, often referred to as Nephrops or Norway lobster, is data limited. There is currently no concern for biomass, but there is concern for fishing pressure.Route 2 (data limited) scoring has been applied to this rating owing to the lack of reference points for biomass. Nephrops are considered to have a medium resilience to fishing pressure.Stock assessments are carried out annually by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). The most recent assessment was published in 2025 using data up to 2025. The next assessment is expected in 2026.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 (GFG) applies its own definition of 1.4 x MSY BTrigger.Stock abundance in 2025 is estimated at 1,220 million individuals, a decline from 1,677 million in 2024. However, it remains above pre-2022 levels, when the average abundance between 2016 and 2021 was 1,036 million individuals. Therefore, there is currently no concern regarding biomass.The total catch in 2024 was 3524 tonnes the is equivalent to a harvest rate of 7.5% of the population (by number). Fishing pressure has slightly from 2023 when the harvest rate was 5.6%. The harvest rate is now above level associated with Maximum Sustainable Yield (FMSY, 6.2%). Therefore, there is concern for fishing pressure.ICES advises that when the EU multiannual plan (MAP) for Western Waters and adjacent waters is applied, catches in 2026 that correspond to the target fishing pressure are between 1,750 tonnes and 2,169 tonnes. This assumes that discarding is zero. The entire range is considered precautionary when applying ICES advice rule, and the upper limit corresponds to FMSY. This is an decrease from the previous year's advice by 38%, because of the lower estimated stock abundance and mean weights.The main uncertainties for the stock assessment relate to mean weight and discarding. The mean weight for this stock has been fluctuating strongly since 2000 because of changes in recruitment patterns. Up to 2015, discarding was considered negligible for this functional unit. Since 2015 some discarding has been observed, and these observations have shown high variability. Sampling levels are insufficient to estimate total discards accurately. Not including discards in the assessment results in an underestimate of the actual harvest rate. The underwater TV survey has provided abundance for Porcupine Bank since 2012 (except in 2015) with high precision, but the time series is too short to provide an MSY Btrigger.The productivity of deep-water Norway lobster stocks is generally lower and recruitment more sporadic than in shelf waters, though individual Norway lobster grow to relatively large sizes and attain high market prices. This makes these stocks more vulnerable to overexploitation and potential recruitment failure, as was observed in the early 2000s.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 on the Porcupine Bank, and landings are within recommended limits. However, there is no information about discarding, so total catches are unknown.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). For most stocks, Norway lobster management has been ineffective by not aligning with stock units and allowing vessels to move between grounds.In this area, however, there are stock-specific catch limits, and most vessels are prohibited from moving between Porcupine Bank and other areas in the same trip. This is because Porcupine Bank is a deep-water stock, which has low productivity and sporadic recruitment, but relatively large individuals with high market prices. This makes the stock vulnerable to overexploitation and potential recruitment failure, as was observed here in the early 2000s.This stock is mainly fished by Ireland, and managed through the EU's Western Waters Multi Annual management Plan (MAP). This MAP covers eighteen FUs, including 11-17 and 19-22. 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. Some catches are by the UK, which is not signed up to the MAP. There is therefore no joint management plan for the stock. There are, however, a number of stock-specific management measures.There is a catch limit (Total Allowable Catch, TACs) for the whole of the Celtic Seas surrounding Ireland and southwest England (subarea 7), encompassing 8 different stocks. Since 2011, there has been an "of which" clause for Porcupine Bank, which limits how much of the TAC can be taken from FU 16 each year. The limits have been set in line with the scientific advice since 2013. Landings have broadly been in line with limits, averaging 81% of the limit from 2020-2024. However, the amount of discarding is unknown, so total removals by the fishery are unquantified.Since 2018, Irish vessels have been banned from fishing in both FU 16 and other areas during the same fishing trip. This has reduced area misreporting, in which Norway lobster were being reported as having been caught in other areas in order to evade the restrictive catch limits in FU 16.Fishing for Norway lobster in the Porcupine Bank in May is prohibited. Some parts of the industry consider this to be a more effective conservation measure than catch limits, and are calling for an extension of the closed period. There are also calls from industry to remove the FU-specific quota, but scientific advice is that this should remain in place as the stock is more vulnerable to overexploitation.In the Celtic Seas, the Minimum Conservation Reference Size for Norway lobster is 85 mm total length, 25 mm carapace length, and 46 mm tail length. Under the EU Landings Obligation (LO) and UK law, discarding unwanted Norway lobster, such as undersized or over-quota individuals, at sea is prohibited. However, exemptions apply in this area because the species has a high survival rate after discarding, even from trawlers. Discarding is still allowed in all creel fisheries and up to 5% can be discarded from trawlers. Compliance with the LO is poor throughout European fisheries. In this fishery, discarding is known to happen, but it is unquantified. This makes stock assessments less accurate, as total catches are underestimated. 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 engagement

Trawling for Norway lobster can have an impact on seabed habitats and have a bycatch of vulnerable species. In this area, trawling affects vulnerable deep-sea habitats such as sea pens.All Norway lobster from Porcupine Bank are caught by otter trawl. In this area, trawling is happening between 300m and 600m, which is relatively deep compared to other Norway lobster fisheries. Habitats at this depth are more vulnerable to the effects of trawling. Surveys of the area show that four species of sea-pen live here, one of which (Funiculina quadrangularis) is particularly vulnerable. Sea-pens and burrowing megafauna communities, found in this area, are included in the OSPAR list of threatened and/or declining species and habitats. Surveys indicate that most of Porcupine Bank is trawled at least once per year, and therefore there is a high likelihood of interaction with vulnerable habitats and species. There are closures in place to protect VME's from trawling at depths below 400m. While this is positive to see, there remains a risk that VME's may still be subject to trawling in this area.Norway lobster are mainly found in soft mud, and therefore trawling for this species takes place primarily on mud habitats. These habitats are listed by OSPAR as threatened and declining due to their burrowing megafauna, which create complex structures and deep oxygen penetration. Species in these habitats include long-lived ocean quahog, polychaete worms, soft corals, and tall sea pens. Fishing causes severe disturbance in mud habitats: a 2023 OSPAR report found that 87% of offshore circalittoral mud has experienced high disturbance, indicating inadequate protection. Prolonged trawling is likely to affect the structure, species composition, and biodiversity of the burrowed mud community.There is less concern about the impacts of this fishery on whiting and cod stocks than in other Norway lobster fisheries. However, there could be bycatch of other species such as skates, rays and sharks, including spurdog, which is endangered in Europe. These species are relatively hardy, and can survive when they are discarded, but their survival rates largely depend on how they were caught and handled. Mortality rates in otter trawls are shown to vary between 10-65%, depending on fishing and handling methods. Those vessels which employ codes of conduct on skate and ray handling and/or reduce the risk of their capture, will improve their survival rates, though many of these methods aren't implemented over whole functional unit or regional levels.A 2011 survey indicated that discarding in this fishery was around 50% of the total catch by weight, mainly blue mouth-red fish, blue whiting and argentines - deep-sea species that are not considered to be at risk.To reduce bycatch, there are requirements to use selective gear (e.g. square-meshed panels of 120mm, sorting grids) to allow unwanted catch to escape the nets. Bycatch of cod, haddock and saithe should not exceed 20% of the total catch by weight. Fishing for Norway lobster and associated species (cod, megrims, anglerfish, haddock, whiting, hake, plaice, pollack, saithe, skates and rays, common sole, tusk, blue ling, ling and spurdog) is banned in May each year within the Porcupine Bank closed area. To further increase selectivity in the fishery, the Irish fishery is conducting gear trials through a Fishery Improvement Project. There have also been decommissioning schemes to reduce fishing effort.There are Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in this Functional Unit, some of which are designated to protect seabed features from damaging activities. This Norway lobster 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), and so these impacts have not been assessed within the scale of this rating. Given the important role that Marine Protected Areas (including MCZs) 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 to 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).

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