North Sea Nephrops: proposed Fisheries Management Plan

Executive summary

The North Sea Nephrops (Nephrops norvegicus) Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) is one of 43 FMPs set out in the Joint Fisheries Statement (JFS). It has been developed by the Scottish Government, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in partnership with the Sea Fish Industry Authority (Seafish) with input from industry, scientists, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies (SNCBs).

This FMP sets out the policies and actions to manage the North Sea Nephrops stocks at sustainable levels, ensuring that they can continue to play a key role in providing positive socio-economic benefits to the UK, whilst also setting out a number of actions to improve management where this is needed. The FMP applies to the sustainable management of the North Sea Nephrops fisheries within UK waters in International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Subarea 4 and has been developed in line with the fisheries objectives of the Fisheries Act 2020 (the ‘2020 Act’) and as required by the JFS.

Nephrops are one of the limited number of shellfish species that are managed by quota in the UK. Stock assessments are carried out for specific areas across the North Atlantic by ICES. Nephrops can be found in burrowed mud and these specific areas of suitable habitat have been delineated into stock areas for assessment which are called Functional Units (FUs). There are 34 FUs for Nephrops in the Northeast Atlantic, and this FMP covers seven FUs in the North Sea area. The West of Scotland Nephrops FMP should be read alongside this FMP.

Whilst Nephrops in the North Sea are assessed at FU level, management takes place at an overarching North Sea level. Overall, North Sea Nephrops have a high level of data available although this is not the case for all individual FUs. There is sufficient available scientific evidence for the relevant fisheries policy authorities to make annual Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) assessments of four of the North Sea stocks. The remainder are data limited and assessed biennially. Overall, the Nephrops stocks relevant to this FMP are currently being fished sustainably within MSY limits^[1], although there remains uncertainty over levels within some FUs, and there is concern about the level of exploitation of some individual FU stocks.

This FMP describes a vision with policies and actions which set out how management can support an MSY approach^[2] for the North Sea Nephrops fisheries, and highlights areas that could lead to refinements to management approaches in the future. Areas for action include those which support the wider delivery of policies within the JFS, and which contribute to the delivery of the objectives contained within the 2020 Act. The FMP also sets out action to consider options around FU management.