Proposed Northern Shelf Ling Fisheries Management Plan
The Northern Shelf ling FMP is one of 43 UK FMPs set out in the Joint Fisheries Statement (JFS). It sets out the policies and actions to continue to maintain the relevant stock at sustainable levels providing positive socio-economic benefits to the UK.
Background
Stock
Ling is one of the largest species in the cod family, with adults reaching up to 40 kg in weight and 2 m in length. They are widely distributed across the northeast Atlantic and are typically found on hard or sandy areas of the seabed. They are commonly found at depths of 300-400 metres but can be found anywhere between 60 and 1000 metres in depth.
Fishing methods vary between countries, with the UK fleet using predominantly trawls (~70%) and hooks and lines (~25%), with some seine netting and gillnets occurring. Fishing methods vary between countries, and between fishing area. The figures within this FMP primarily focus on UK fishing vessels, as these are the vessels for which we have accurate data. This is explained further in the fishery section below.
Ling is a slow growing, relatively long-lived species (up to 30 years of age), reaching maturity at between six and eight years old (and are hence prone to recruitment overfishing).
The main spawning grounds are considered to be in the Norwegian waters of ICES areas 4 and 2.a, near Faroes (area 5) or on the banks northwest of the British Isles (between Scotland and Iceland; area 6), and spawning occurs between April and June in waters between 100-300 m deep. Ling are mainly piscivorous (feeding on fish, but they will also eat crustaceans, cephalopods (such as squid), and echinoderms (such as starfish).
Location
The biological stock is found in ICES areas 3 (Skagerrak and Kattegat), 4 (North Sea), 6 (West of Scotland and Rockall), 7 (Irish and Celtic Seas), 8 (Bay of Biscay), 9 (Iberia), 12 (central Northern Atlantic), and 14 (eastern Greenland). For management purposes, there are three separate TAC areas, denoted by ICES codes LIN/03A-C (Skagerrak), LIN/04-C (North Sea) and LIN/6X14 (Atlantic). LIN/6X14 includes the UK and international waters of ICES areas 6-9, 12 and 14.
The below figures show the location of the ICES areas, along with the known distribution of the Northern Shelf ling stock in European waters, according to the latest available survey data.
Fishery
Fishing for Northern Shelf ling in UK waters generally takes place as part of a mixed fishery (meaning that ling is caught alongside other fish stocks, usually other whitefish). There are many shared characteristics between whitefish stocks, and similarities in where and how they are fished. When considering management action for Northern Shelf ling as part of this FMP, and in wider management considerations such as the setting of fishing opportunities, fisheries policy authorities consider the role of ling in the wider marine ecosystem. Many of the issues that are considered as part of this FMP are applicable across demersal whitefish fisheries, and therefore the actions required are often not specific to one particular stock or fishery.
It is important to note that the figures provided in this section are based on the latest available data which is from 2022. Whilst this section provides a snapshot of the fishery at this time, it will not reflect any more recent changes in the fishery.
Northern Shelf ling is typically caught by demersal-targeting fleets who landed 96% of the catch between 2019 and 2022. The remaining 3% was caught by shellfish-targeting fleet (which was likely a result of bycatch) and 1% by mixed fisheries.
Analysis of the UK fleet shows that, between 2015 and 2022, ~60% of Northern Shelf ling was caught in ICES area 4.a, with ~38% from area 6 (predominantly in subarea 6.a). A very small amount (<2%) was caught in areas 2.a and 5.b, outwith UK waters. It is predominantly caught by the non-UK fleet, who accounted for 78% of the total catch, for areas 4, 6, and 5.b, between 2015 and 2021. Note: this includes non-UK waters, and figures for UK waters only are unavailable at this time. Within the same period, the UK accounted for 22% of the Northern Shelf ling catch. For UK landings of Northern Shelf Ling in 2022, Scottish-registered vessels represented 90% of the catch, with English vessels making up the remaining 10%. The Northern Irish fleet represented <1% of the catch.
Analysis of UK fisheries data shows that, on average between 2015 – 2022, Northern Shelf ling was typically caught by demersal trawls (~70 %). 25% was caught by hooks and lines, and 3% caught by seine nets. Gill and entangling nets made up a very small percentage of caught Northern Shelf ling (~1%).
| Gear Type | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trawls | 69% | 68% | 73% | 72% | 69% | 74% | 73% | 71% |
| Hooks and lines | 26% | 26% | 23% | 24% | 27% | 23% | 24% | 24% |
| Seine nets | 2% | 4% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 3% | 4% |
| Gill nets and entangling nets | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Other | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
The landed value of the Northern Shelf ling rose from £5 million in 2015 to over £9 million in 2019. After dipping to around £7 million during Covid-19 years, 2022’s landed value matches 2019’s £9 million figure. Tonnage has been fairly consistent, historically around the 4,500 – 5,500t mark, with annual fluctuations. Price per Tonne (PPT) has also stayed relatively consistently between £1,200 and £1,600. A dip below the £1,200 mark is a likely explanation for the reduction in landed value during 2020/21. The PPT in 2022 reached a period high of £1,700. The market for Ling is primarily export-driven, with France and Spain being the primary export destinations for UK-exported ling[4].
The vast majority of the Northern Shelf ling caught between 2015 and 2022 by the UK fleet was landed into the UK (97%), whilst only 3% was landed outwith the UK. Landed catches are split evenly between 3 major districts: Wick, Shetland and Peterhead, which all saw roughly 22% of the Northern Shelf ling catch between 2015 and 2022. Around 10% of tonnage was landed into Ullapool in the same period, with other North and North Eastern Scottish districts seeing the majority of the remaining tonnage. Denmark was the most notable landing destination outside of the UK, which saw 2% of the Northern Shelf ling landings. With these districts’ ports, the Northern Shelf ling did not represent a significant stock with the exception of Lochinver, which saw 11% of the port’s total landed value derived from the species. For other ports, the species typically represented around 5% of the total landed value, with small variations between ports.
For different fleet groups targeting the species, the Northern Shelf ling appears to only be a notable stock for the longliner fleet, for whom it represents 21% of their tonnage and 11% of their landed value. For all the larger the North Sea and West of Scotland demersal fleet groups, the species represented less than 4% of their total landed value. The longliner fleet represented 238 FTE (full time equivalent) in 2022[5], and although the Northern Shelf ling’s specific contribution towards this employment is indiscernible, it is evident that it has a not-insignificant role.
Contact
Email: FMPs@gov.scot