Quota Recommendations for Main Pelagic Species

The recently released ICES quota advice for 2022 for main pelagic species in the North Atlantic show mostly recommendation for decrease in quota. 

Back in July we took a deep dive into the world of pelagic species. We then talked about how the Peruvian catch activities had progressed quite well throughout the season and whether the catch quota would be fulfilled by the end of the season. We also talked about reports from Peru showing a good demand for fishmeal in key markets and how import figures from China showing high growth in fishmeal import from January to May.  So, what is the focus on in this month’s extraction from the Monthly Pelagic Report?

The recently released ICES quota advice for 2022 for main pelagic species in the North Atlantic show mostly recommendation for decrease in quota

The ICES quota advice for 2022 was recently released, recommending a decrease in quota compared to the 2021 quote for main pelagic species. For the North Sea herring, however, it was a different story, with an unexpected increase advice from ICES. The reason for the increased catch advice, according to ICES, is that the models that calculate the stock have changed.

Moving on to Mackerel, ICES recommends a decrease in quota compared to the quota advice for 2021. The size of mackerel stock shows a continuous decline since 2015 and this is the main reason for lower quota advice in 2022. According to ICES, all data point to a declining stock. The catch of mackerel has been well over the recommended advice since 2010.

Blue whiting is also getting a recommended lower quota for 2022. A decrease more than double of the decrease recommended for Mackerel. According to researchers, the main reasons why the quota goes down are poor recruitment after 2015 and high fishing pressure.

For horse mackerel the story is the same as above, with ICES recommending a decrease in quota. Horse mackerel continues to be at a low stock level with persistent weak recruitment.

If we use the advice from ICES, the supply from the five main stocks combined will decrease next year. It is likely that the final quotas will differ from this to a greater or lesser degree, but most likely catches will be higher as there are disagreements between the coastal states regarding the size and division of the mackerel and herring quotas.

Want to learn more about the latest trends in the world of pelagic species? Check out our Monthly Pelagic Report.

Image: Shutterstock by Rich Carey