Southern North Sea nephrops
Last updated: 7th July 2009
Number of fisheries: 1
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Fishery species
Nephrops (Nephrops norvegicus)
MSC assessment status
The certification body, Moody Marine Ltd, has proposed two peer reviewers for the review of the Draft Southern North Sea nephrops fishery Assessment Report.
If you wish to provide feedback on the proposed peer reviewers, please contact Tim Huntington no later than 5pm GMT, 30th of July 2009.
Please refer to the assessment downloads section for further information.
Fishery location
North Sea, ICES Subarea IVbc, Functional Area 5: Botney Gut-Silver Pit area and Functional Area 6: Farne Deeps
Fishing method
Demersal Trawl
Fishery management
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 CFP is implemented by Member States. The UK’s Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) implements measures in England.
The North Sea Nephrops fisheries span several ICES Management Areas. The Management Areas relevant to this assessment is Management Areas H, Functional Area 5: Botney Gut-Silver Pit area and Function Area 6: Farne Deeps. ICES currently considers the level of exploitation on the Botney Gut – Silver Pit stock to be sustainable, but with a number of uncertainties. Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for the Botney Gut area is 1,100 MT. ICES have advised no increase in fishing effort in the area.
The Farne Deeps stock is considered to be exploited at a sustainable level, but that catch and effort should not increase. Landings in the Farne deeps are expected to be around 4,000 MT.
Commercial market
Main markets would be UK domestic and possibly other EU markets.
Assessment process
The assessment process is expected to take 12 months and is scheduled for completion in or around February 2009. Please see the download section for a detailed assessment timeline.
The proposed target eligibility date is the 1st April 2010.
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).
