Proposed Atlantic (Rockall) Cod Fisheries Management Plan
The Atlantic (Rockall) cod FMP is one of 43 UK FMPs set out in the Joint Fisheries Statement (JFS). It sets out the policies and actions to manage the fish stock at sustainable levels, to improve the scientific evidence underpinning the stock and to improve management with other Coastal States.
Policies
Rockall cod is managed on a bilateral basis with the EU. During the 2024 international negotiations, the UK and the EU agreed that the evidence base for Rockall cod needed to be strengthened. This work will be taken forward as part of the UK/EU Specialised Committee for Fisheries (SCF), with a focus on agreeing and delivering a roadmap for improvements. The actions contained within this FMP reflect this international work, and seek to complement it. As the work of the SCF is further developed, the actions for the FMP will be kept under review, and refined as necessary.
The FMP identifies five 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)(b) of the 2020 Act (policies 1 and 2) and policies set out in the Joint Fisheries Statement (policies 3, 4 and 5). 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 five policies of this FMP are to:
1. Continue to manage the Rockall cod stock using existing tools to maintain stock levels
2. Take action to improve the evidence base underpinning the stock, in order to support sustainable harvesting, with biomass maintained above the level capable of producing MSY.
3. Address discarding issues in the Rockall cod fishery and ensure that where possible all catches are counted against quotas
4. Deliver wider sustainable management by taking steps to minimise the impact of vessels fishing in the Rockall area which take a bycatch of cod on the marine ecosystem
5. Reduce the impact of fishing on climate change and support the fishing industry to adapt to the impacts of climate change
Contact
Email: FMPs@gov.scot