Scampi or langoustine

In The Smalls, scampi, often referred to as Nephrops or Norway lobster, is data limited. There is concern for the biomass, but no 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 to be 866 million individuals. There has been a general decrease since 2017 and the current stock level is still below target levels (MSY BTrigger, 990 million). No lowest safe limit (Blim) has been defined, so the extent of depletion cannot be assessed. As a result, a data-limited scoring approach is applied, and there is concern for biomass.The total catch in 2024 was 2,066 tonnes. This is equivalent to a harvest rate of 13.2% of the population (by number). This is above the level associated with Maximum Sustainable Yield (FMSY, 12.8%), but below 1.1FMSY (14.08%). Therefore, there is no concern for the fishing pressure.ICES advises that when the MSY approach is applied, catches in 2026 should be no more than 2,252 tonnes. This assumes that discard rates and fishery patterns won't change from recent years. This is a 46% increase from the previous year's advice, because of the higher estimated stock abundance.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 Smalls. Catch limits don't match the stock area, meaning there is a risk of overfishing, and recent catches have exceeded recommended limits.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. These management units broadly overlap with the functional units, but not very effectively. Vessels are free to move between grounds, allowing relatively uncontrolled fishing on some stocks, and risking overfishing. Scientists have repeatedly advised over the years that management should be implemented at the functional unit level, to better protect Norway lobster. This would result in fishing controls that respond to changes within individual stocks. This advice is not being followed.This stock is mainly fished by Ireland, France, and the UK. It is covered by 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. The UK is not signed up to the MAP and therefore there is no joint management for the stock, although there is a joint catch limit for all fleets.The catch limit (Total Allowable Catch, TAC) applies to the entire Celtic Seas region around Ireland and southwest England (Subarea 7), covering eight different stocks. This broad limit does not prevent overfishing of individual stocks. Total catches in The Smalls in recent years have fluctuated between 60% and 113% of recommended the limits.From 2020 to 2024, total catches ranged from 1,412 tonnes to 2,066 tonnes, averaging 91.7% of the recommended advice. In 2020, catches were 1,806 tonnes (64% of advice), increasing to 1,765 tonnes in 2021 (113%) and 1,412 tonnes in 2022 (112%). In 2023, catches were 1,554 tonnes (61%), and in 2024 they rose to 2,066 tonnes (108%). Overall, catches were below advice on average, but exceeded recommended limits in 2021, 2022, and 2024, indicating inconsistent adherence to management advice.In recent years, several newer vessels specializing in Nephrops fishing have participated in this fishery. These vessels target Nephrops on several other grounds within the TAC area and move around to optimize catch rates. There have been concerns that effort could be displaced towards the Smalls and other Nephrops grounds due to effort controls in 7a and 6a, although this has not happened to date.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. The exemption refers to vessels that have bottom trawls with a mesh size that is equal to or greater than 70mm in ICES area VII. Discarding remains permitted in all creel fisheries, and up to 5% of catches can be discarded from trawlers. Compliance with the LO is generally poor across European fisheries. In this fishery, discarding has historically been relatively high, ranging between 8% and 20% of the total catch by weight. On average, 14% was discarded between 2020 and 2024.Technical measures have been introduced in recent years aimed at conserving cod, haddock and whiting in the Celtic Sea area:In UK waters of the inner Celtic Sea Protection Zone (CSPZ: ICES divisions from 7f, 7g, the part of 7h North of latitude 49° 30’ North and the part of 7j North of latitude 49° 30’ North and East of longitude 11° West), a baseline mesh size of 110mm with a 120mm square mesh panel will apply to demersal otter trawls and seines.In the UK area of 7e,f,g,h,j outside the inner CSPZ, a baseline mesh size of 100mm will apply. A 100mm square mesh panel will also be required except in the area of 7e east of 5° west.In the whole area (UK waters of 7e,f,g,h,j) a maximum twine thickness of 6mm single or 4mm double will apply and strengthening bags will be prohibited other than for vessels targeting Nephrops. Specific derogations will continue to apply subject to further evidence gathering and consultation.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, bycatch of Celtic Sea cod is of significant concern.All Norway lobster in The Smalls is caught by trawlers. This fishery has a significant bycatch of Celtic Sea cod, a stock that is severely depleted and subject to a zero-catch recommendation. Approximately 55% of Norway lobster catches come from whitefish trawlers, while around 20% are from dedicated Norway lobster trawlers. Most fishing occurs in Celtic Sea North (Subdivision 7g), which includes three key grounds: Ireland’s southwest and southeast coasts, Labadie-Jones-Cockburn, and The Smalls. Consequently, all three fisheries likely contribute to cod overexploitation.Other bycatch in this area can include megrim, whiting, and anglerfish. There may also be bycatch of 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.To reduce bycatch, there are requirements to use selective gear (e.g. square-meshed panels of 120mm, or sorting grids) to allow unwanted catch to escape the nets. Seasonal closures in parts of the Bristol Channel and Celtic Sea North (7f and 7g) during February and March aim to protect spawning cod. Around 55% of Irish vessels use separator trawls, while 45% employ Swedish grids.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.Parts of The Smalls functional unit overlap with some Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), some of which are designated to protect seabed features from damaging activities. 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, 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, 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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