Scottish Fisheries Sustainable Accreditation Group (SFSAG) North Sea haddock
MSC status
Certified as sustainable on 29th October 2010.
Summary
Species: Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus)
Location: North Sea, ICES Sub-Area IVa,b
Fishing methods: Seine, Trawl
Vessels: 192
Number of fisheries: 1
More about haddock
The haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) is a member of the cod family (Gadidae), found in the northwest and northeast Atlantic Ocean. In the North Sea, haddock are found predominantly in the northern and central areas, but can be found as far south as the Humber Estuary. Haddock are bottom feeding fish and occur mainly in waters from 40–200m deep. Their diet includes a wide range of benthic invertebrates (such as worms, brittle stars, sea urchins, and small molluscs) as well as other fish species. Invertebrates tend to be the main food of haddock during the winter, with fish forming most of their diet in the summer.
Haddock mature at around 2–3 years of age, and can spawn anywhere in the area between the eastern Scottish coast and the Norwegian Deeps, with notable aggregations on Viking and Bergen Banks, to the west of Orkney and Shetland, and from Long Forties to Great Fisher Bank. Spawning takes place close to the sea bed, the optimal depth being around 100m. Inshore areas are favoured over offshore areas by smaller and younger fish. Spawning takes place over several weeks between February and early May.
More about the fishing methods
The main gears are single demersal trawl, twin-trawl, seine net and pair seine–trawl. All these gears are governed by the same mesh regulations, requiring 120mm mesh cod-ends.
In pair trawling, the two vessels tow each side of the net on a single wire warp, keeping about 0.2–0.3 miles apart to spread the mouth opening of the net. The drag of the gear is relatively low, since no otter boards are involved, allowing two relatively low power vessels to tow a much larger net than would be possible if they operated alone. The replacement of trawl warps by long (0.7 mile) combination seine ropes (rope with wire core) is the main difference between pair trawling and pair seining. These long ropes lie on the sea bed and herd fish into the net path from a wide swept area. Pair seine gear is lighter than the equivalent trawl gear and fuel costs are generally lower.
Fishery tonnage
27,507 tonnes in 2009.
Commercial market
Scottish haddock are sold for domestic consumption, for sale elsewhere in the UK and some are exported, principally to Western Europe.
Actual eligibility date
12th November 2009
