Northern Shelf Mackerel Fisheries Management Plan

Policies

The NEA mackerel stock is currently assessed as being under pressure. This reflects the cumulative effect of fishing by multiple coastal States on a widely distributed and jointly managed stock. While the UK manages its quota in line with domestic objectives, the overall sustainability of the stock depends on effective international cooperation. This FMP therefore focuses on ensuring that UK fisheries operate responsibly within that shared management framework, while supporting efforts to improve overall stock sustainability.

As sufficient evidence is available to assess MSY, the FMP must contain policies and actions which at least contribute to restoring or maintaining the stock at MSY. In addition, in accordance with section 5.4 of the JFS, the design and structure of FMPs directly relate to the fisheries objectives identified in section 5.4.2 but may also address wider issues in fisheries management depending upon the specific goals or targets of each plan and may contribute to one or more of the remaining fisheries objectives.

To ensure effective ongoing management of the NEA mackerel fishery in UK waters, the FMP identifies six policies focussed on domestic and international management priorities. These policies are subject to the consideration of the consultation and will be prioritised appropriately to ensure realistic and measurable outputs. They were drafted to meet the requirements of section 6(3)(a) of the 2020 Act (policiy 1 ) and policies set out in the JFS (policies 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6).

For each policy, the plan sets out:

• a rationale;
• ongoing, short- and longer-term actions;
• how the actions support delivery of the fisheries objectives.

Each policy describes the outcome that is being worked towards, and the actions are intended to support the delivery of those outcomes.

Performance indicators for the FMP are addressed towards the end of this document.

The six policies of this FMP are to:

• Policy 1: Harvest the NEA mackerel stock sustainably, contributing to restoring and maintaining the biomass above the level capable of producing MSY
• Policy 2: Use the best-available scientific evidence to support management decisions relating to the setting of sustainable fishing opportunities
• Policy 3: Monitor catches of NEA mackerel and ensure that where possible all catches are counted against quotas
• Policy 4: Identify and support implementation of ecosystem-based fisheries management approaches appropriate for the NEA mackerel fisheries
• Policy 5: Support fishing businesses to deliver socio-economic and cultural benefits for communities
• Policy 6: Reduce the impact of fishing on climate change and support the fishing industry to adapt to the impacts of climate change