North Sea whiting stock mystery

Marine Scotland’s new fish and shellfish stocks survey admits that that the state of the N Sea whiting stock, one of the key commercial stocks, is unknown although long-term historical information and the more recent survey-based assessment, all indicate that the present stock size is at a “historical low.”

According to the report, total mortality has been higher in the last decade than in the previous one and recruitment in the most recent years is estimated to be very low – whiting stocks has been in a downward spiral for the last three decades which, according to the report, has seen North Sea catches drop from 224,000 tonnes in 1980 to 27,000 in 2008.

North Sea saithe stocks are also giving cause for concern and whilst most stocks of nephrops in the North Sea appear to be stable.

On the west coast, the North Minch nephrops stock is being exploited “unsustainably” – underwater TV surveys have indicated that this stock has declined in size by around 40% over the past two years. In the Clyde, the stock is being exploited unsustainably.

West Coast herring fishery management has been made difficult by uncertainties over the size of the total catch due to poor information  on landings over the last few years which will  continue to cause problems “for some time to come.”

The key North Sea haddock fishery has been assessed as being at full reproductive capacity although the spawning stock biomass has been declining since 2002. Discards of haddock from the North Sea fishery during 2006-7 were fairly substantial due to the moderately sized 2005 year class but were considerably lower in 2008.

Further details can be found in The Scottish Government’s Fish and Shellfish Stock 2010 report.

Category: Scottish Government News