Crisis for the Sea Bass fishery gets worse
B.A.S.S. (Bass Anglers Sportfishing Society) reports 6th August 2016: Sea Bass is facing an environmental disaster. The spawning population is now dangerously low due to commercial fishing.
EU scientists said in April 2015: “The spawning stock biomassbiomass The amount of living matter. This is therefore a different measure to numbers of organisms. So, for example, there is much more biomass in 1 elephant than there is in 1000 fleas and there may be more biomass in 100 large cod than you would find in 150 small (because of over fishing) cod. is declining towards the lowest historically observed level.” Sadly, in 2016, we have indeed reached an all-time low for the spawning stock biomass: 7,320 tonnes.
The sea bass spawning biomass estimate for 2017 is even worse, just 6,219 tonnes. That represents just one and a half years of commercial landings (2010-13 average commercial landings = 4,136 tonnes).
These current estimates are well below Blim [limit reference point for spawning stock biomass (SSB)], which is 8,075 tonnes. This means the scientists now think there is a high probability that the stock’s ability to regenerate itself will be impaired due to insufficient egg production. The risk now is that, even if fishing is much reduced, the stock fails to recover as expected and remains depleted for extended periods.
Accordingly, the scientists have now recommended zero landings in 2017. But the risk is that the politicians will fail to respect this advice and once again cave in to the commercial fishing lobby.
EU scientists said in April 2015: “The current fishing mortality is unsustainable and almost three times higher than FMSY” (FMSY is the maximum amount that can be fished sustainably).
But it gets worse: in 2014 ICES scientists said that in some cases (e.g. UK fixed and drift nets) actual landings are 3 times higher than official figures. And the book “Advances in Fisheries Science” states that “the official statistics may record as little as 20% of actual landings” 1.
Fishing pressure on Sea Bass has reduced in 2015 as a result of initiatives by the EU Commission, but not by enough, given the critical condition of the stock.
Recorded commercial landings in 2015 were 2,080 tonnes, almost double what is sustainable (ICES recommendation: 1,155 tonnes).
For 2016, UK and EU Fisheries Ministers are targeting 1,510 tonnes of recorded commercial landings, nearly 3 times more than is sustainable, before we even consider unrecorded landings (ICES recommendation for total commercial and recreational landings: 541 tonnes).
Sources:
STECF April 2015 Plenary
STECF April 2014 Plenary
ICES Advice June 2016
ICES Advice June 2015
ICES Advice June 2014
ICES IBP Bass Report 2014
1 Andy Payne, John Cotter, Ted Potter, John Wiley & Sons, 22nd Jan 2009.
Source: B.A.S.S. press release, 06 August 2016. For further details, www.saveourseabass.org/en/key-facts
Source: ICES advice, June 2016, see www.ices.dk/sites/pub/Publication%20Reports/Advice/2016/2016/bss-47.pdf
Campaign: B.A.S.S. email campaign aimed at EU Fisheries Ministers, see www.saveourseabass.org/en/send-email
