Scottish Fisheries Sustainable Accreditation Group (SFSAG) North Sea nephrops
Last updated: 21st June 2011
Number of fisheries: 1
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Fishery species
Nephrops (Nephrops norvegicus)
MSC assessment status
The certification body, MacAlister Elliott & Partners Ltd. (MEP), has put forward nominations for the fishery assessment team that will be responsible for assessing the fishery against the MSC Standard.
Any stakeholder wishing to provide comments on the suitability or otherwise of any of the nominees is invited to contact Max Goulden no later than 5pm GMT, 1st July 2011.
The certification body, MacAlister Elliott & Partners Ltd. (MEP), has also announced that the fishery is now entering the information gathering phase of the assessment. The primary objective of this stage is to collect information on the fishery and in particular to speak to representatives of the fishery, fishery management bodies and other stakeholders of the fishery. Meetings will be carried on the 21st and 22nd July 2011 in Fraserburgh, Scotland.
Any stakeholder with information on this fishery that should be considered in the assessment, or who wishes to meet with MEP should contact Max Goulden as soon as possible.
Please refer to the assessment downloads section for further information.
Fishery location
North Sea Sub Area IV a,b, specifically
Management Area F
Functional Unit 9: Moray Firth
Functional Unit 10: Noup
Management Area G
Functional Unit 7: Fladden Ground
Management Area I
Functional Unit 8: Firth of Forth
Management Area H
Functional Unit 6: Farne Deeps
Fishing method
Trawl
Fishery management
The North Sea Nephrops fisheries spans Scottish Territorial Waters (where only UK vessels can fish), and areas of sea where vessels from other European Community (EC) Member States can also operate. Governance of the North Sea Nephrops fisheries is provided by a combination of EC and domestic legislation.
The overall management of the Nephrops fisheries is determined by the EC Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which sets out technical measures and quotas for the fisheries. The UK’s Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has agreed a Subject Specific Concordat with the Scottish Executive to enforce EC measures within Scottish waters.
The North Sea Nephrops fisheries spans several ICES Management Areas. The Management Areas relevant to this assessment are Management Areas F, G, and I. ICES have advised a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for the area (including the Farne Deeps) of 26,144 tonnes for 2007, with a UK quota of 22,644 tonnes. Around 15,353 tonnes of Nephrops were landed from this area in 2005.
Commercial market
Domestic UK consumption and Southern Europe
Assessment process
The assessment process is expected to take 12 months and is scheduled for completion in or around January 2009. Please see the download section for a detailed assessment timeline.
The proposed target eligibility date is the 1st January 2009.
The MSC ecolabel can only be applied to product from certified fisheries. The MSC program does allow, in certain circumstances and within strict traceability requirements, the MSC ecolabel to be applied following certification to product caught before the actual date of certification. The target eligibility date therefore represents the date from which products may become eligible to carry the MSC ecolabel, however they cannot be sold until and if the fishery is certified. The actual eligibility date will be determined if the fishery is certified to the MSC standard.
To find out more about when fish from this fishery may be sold with the MSC ecolabel, please follow this link (http://www.msc.org/get-certified/supply-chain/eligibility-dates).
