Proposed North Sea and West of Scotland for Monk/Anglerfish Fisheries Management Plans

Executive Summary

The North Sea and West Coast of Scotland anglerfish (Lophius piscatorius and Lophius budegassa, commonly known as monkfish) fisheries management plan (FMP) is one of 43 FMPs set out in the Joint Fisheries Statement (JFS). It is commonly referred to as Northern Shelf anglerfish – this is the terminology that will be used in the FMP. The FMP has been developed by the Scottish Government in collaboration with UK scientists, regulators, statutory nature conservation bodies (SNCBs) and stakeholders.

The FMP sets out the policies and actions to continue to maintain Northern Shelf anglerfish stocks at sustainable levels, ensuring that it 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 Northern Shelf anglerfish fishery within UK waters in International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) areas 4 (North Sea) and 6 (Rockall and West of Scotland) and has been developed in line with the fisheries objectives of the Fisheries Act 2020 (the ‘2020 Act’) and as required by the JFS.

This FMP covers the management of the Northern Shelf anglerfish fishery in UK waters. Overall management of this fishery is shared with Coastal State partners. This international context is important to understand when considering sustainability and wider management issues. Fishing opportunities for Northern Shelf anglerfish are managed by total allowable catches (TACs). The setting of TACs can be an effective way of managing fishing pressure on fish stocks. TACs and other joint management measures are agreed through international negotiations which are guided by the best available scientific advice, whilst also balancing environmental, social, and economic factors. The principles followed by the UK in relation to international fisheries negotiations are laid out in the JFS under section 4.2.

Northern Shelf anglerfish stocks have a high level of data available. On this basis, there is sufficient available scientific evidence for the relevant fisheries policy authorities to make annual maximum sustainable yield (MSY) assessments of the Northern Shelf anglerfish stocks.

Northern Shelf Anglerfish stocks relevant to this FMP are currently being fished sustainably within MSY limits. As of June 2024, the spawning stock biomass (SSB) is above a level capable of producing the maximum sustainable yield (MSY Btrigger). Fishing pressure is below the MSY level (FMSY), and the catch limit agreed between the UK and the EU was set in line with ICES advice for 2025. Anglerfish has recently changed from a Category 3 stock under the ICES assessment process (which means that it had data limitations) into a Category 1 stock (which means that we have robust and detailed data available). This has been the result of a significant amount of work from Coastal States, who are now working towards further management improvements on an international basis, with the intention to move the stock from bilateral management (between the EU and UK) into trilateral management (between the EU, UK and Norway). This work is well progressed and will also support the subsequent development of a Long Term Management Plan (LTMP).

This FMP therefore describes a vision with policies and actions which set out how management can continue to maintain an MSY approach^[1] for the Northern Shelf anglerfish fishery, 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.