Proposed North Sea and West of Scotland Saithe Fisheries Management Plan

Stock Assessment and MSY

Scientific Advice

The following evidence has been collated from the most recent ICES assessment working group report (ICES 2025) ^[7] and the associated ICES stock annex.^[8]

As set out in Section 3.2 of the JFS, the UK takes an evidence-based approach to fisheries management, making use of the best available scientific evidence. For the purpose of stock management and TAC setting, this tends to focus on the use of advice produced by ICES, although other sources of information, including data from the fishing industry, may also be used.

ICES provides annual advice for saithe. ICES advice is organised according to categories, ranging from 1 (the most information available) to 6 (the least). Saithe is a Category 1 stock which means that it is considered to have full age and size-structured data on which to base an assessment, and that MSY reference points are available to provide a framework for management action.

Benchmark exercises are a tool used by ICES to peer-review and incorporate new science or evidence into the stock assessment process. They are part of the process which ensures that ICES advice is based on the best available scientific evidence. The saithe stock was the subject of an ICES benchmark assessment in 2016, and an interbenchmark in 2019. The most recent ICES benchmark was conducted in February 2024, while the Stock Annex was reformatted in June 2025

Assessment of evidence

As set out under section 8.1, saithe is a stock that has a high level of data available. On this basis, there is sufficient available scientific evidence for the relevant fisheries policy authorities to make annual MSY assessments of the saithe stock.

The available evidence shows that the SSB for saithe has historically fluctuated at or around the MSY B(trigger) value, reflecting the general reduction in the mean level of recruitment since the early 1980s, while in more recent years SSB has been consistently below the MSY B(trigger). Fishing pressure has also fluctuated, and has been just above the FMSY level since the late 1990s. Given that saithe is a jointly managed stock, and the UK fleet only accounted for around 17% of the saithe caught in ICES areas 4 and 6 between 2015-2021, this makes the international management component of this stock even more important. TACs can be an effective way of controlling fishing pressure, and the agreed levels of TAC for saithe in recent years have reflected the overall health of the stock. This is explored further under Policy 1, with actions set out that ensure this international management approach can be maintained. Other actions, such as technical measures to reduce unwanted catches of saithe, are also important to note.