Management of shared fish stocks: coastal state agreed records 2024

Agreed record of conclusions of fisheries consultations between Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Norway, the Russian Federation and the United Kingdom on the management of Norwegian spring-spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) herring in the north-east Atlantic in 2024

13 October 2023

1. A delegation from Iceland, headed by Guðmundur ÞÓRÐARSON, a delegation from the Faroe Islands, headed by Herluf SIGVALDSSON, a delegation from Norway, headed by Vidar LANDMARK, a delegation from the Russian Federation, headed by Anna SHULAEVA, a delegation from the United Kingdom, headed by Will FRANCIS, met in London on 12th and 13th  of October 2023 to consult on the management of the Norwegian Spring-Spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) herring stock in the North-East Atlantic in 2024.

2. A delegation from Greenland, headed by Iben FUNCH DØJ, attended the meeting as observer. A delegation from the European Union, headed by Thomas BREGEON, attended the meeting and made a claim to be recognised as a coastal State to this stock

3. The delegations noted that the agreed long-term management strategy for Norwegian Spring Spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) herring dated 6 November 2018, is regarded by ICES as consistent with the precautionary approach (Annex I). According to the strategy, there should be a review no later than 2023, in time for ICES to issue advice for 2024. The delegations agreed that this review needs to be coordinated with plans for benchmarking in ICES, and the Parties will return to the issue of a review and the planning and preparation of this during 2024.

4. In accordance with the ICES advice, the delegations agreed that the level of total catches for Norwegian Spring-Spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) herring in North-East Atlantic for 2024 should be no more than 390,010 tonnes. The delegations also agreed that the establishing of unilateral quotas for 2024 does not in any way imply the acceptance of the level of these quotas by any Party.

5. All Parties expressed a willingness to continue addressing the issue of a new quota sharing arrangement and underlined the need to reach such new arrangement in order to achieve comprehensive, sustainable management of the stock. Delegations also discussed possible schemes for reducing the overshooting of the agreed TAC in 2024, if agreement on a new sharing agreement cannot be reached in time for implementation already for 2024.

6. The delegations encouraged the Parties to develop and coordinate their scientific research activities in order to improve the information available for the assessment and the management of this stock.

7. The delegations welcomed the outcomes of the Report of the 2023 Coastal States Working Group on the distribution of Norwegian Spring-Spawning Herring in the North-East Atlantic and the Barents Sea and agreed to update this report in 2024.

8. The delegations exchanged final quota and catch information for 2021 and 2022 as well as preliminary information for 2023 (Annex II). The delegations also exchanged information with regard to their fishing activities, including exchanges and access arrangements (Annex 3).

9. The delegations agreed to continue to provide information in the same format as set out in Annex II and Annex III to this Agreed Record. Each Party shall by 1 May 2024, provide updated information in this regard to the chair of the consultations for 2025. The chair shall forward this information as soon as possible to all Parties to this Agreed Record.

10. The delegations agreed that the Parties may fish Norwegian Spring-Spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) herring within their quotas in their respective zones of fisheries jurisdiction and in international waters.

11. The delegations agreed that further arrangements by the Parties, including arrangements for access, quota transfers and other conditions for fishing in their respective zones of fisheries jurisdiction, are regulated by bilateral agreements.

13 October 2023

1. The Parties agree to implement a long-term management strategy for the fisheries on the Norwegian Spring Spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) Herring stock, which is consistent with the precautionary approach and the MSY approach, aiming at ensuring harvest rates within safe biological limits.

2. For the purpose of this long-term management strategy, in the following text, "TAC" means the total allowable catch as agreed by Coastal States.

3. As a priority, the long-term management strategy shall ensure with high probability that the size of the stock is maintained above Blim.

4. In the case that the spawning biomass is forecast to be above or equal to Btrigger (=Bpa) on 1 January of the year for which the TAC is to be set, the TAC shall be fixed to a fishing mortality of Fmgt=0.14.

5. Where the rules in paragraph 4 would lead to a TAC, that deviates by more than 20% below or 25% above the TAC of the preceding year, the Parties shall fix a TAC that is respectively no more than 20% less or 25% more than the TAC of the preceding year. The TAC constraint shall not apply if the spawning biomass at 1 January in the year for which the TAC is to be set is less than Btrigger

6. In the case that the spawning biomass (SSB) is forecast to be less than the precautionary biomass (Btrigger) but above or equal to Blim on 1 January of the year for which the TAC is to be set, the TAC shall be fixed at a level that is consistent with a fishing mortality given by:

Target F = 0.05 + [(SSB -B1im)*(Fmgt - 0.05) I (Btrigger -Blim)]

7. In the case that the spawning biomass is forecast to be less than Blim on 1 January of the year for which the TAC is to be set, the TAC will be fixed corresponding to a fishing mortality F=0.05.

8. Each Party may transfer to the following year unutilised quantities of up to 10% of the quota allocated to it. The quantity transferred shall be in addition to the quota allocated to the Party concerned in the following year.

9. Each Party may authorise fishing by its vessels of up to 10% beyond the quota allocated. However, this shall not apply if the stock is forecast to be under Btrigger at the end of the TAC  year. All quantities fished beyond the allocated quota for one year shall be deducted from the Party's quota allocated for the following year.

10. The Parties, on the basis of ICES advice, shall review this long-term management strategy at intervals not exceeding five years. The first such review shall take place no later than 2023, in time for ICES to issue advice for 2024.

Annex 2

This annex includes a table showing quotas and catches of Norwegian spring-spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) herring in in the north-east Atlantic from 2021 to 2022. The table can be viewed in the attached PDF.

Annex 3

This annex includes tables showing transfers and access arrangements for Norwegian spring-spawning (Atlanto-Scandian) herring in 2023. The table can be viewed in the attached PDF.