Scottish Government

Improve the state of Scotland's marine environment

DESCRIPTION:

The indicator measures the proportion of Scotland's key commercial fish stocks where the quota (Total Allowable Catch (TAC)) was set in line with scientific guidance.

The indicator provides a measure of the success of Scotland in establishing EU-wide catch limits at levels which ensure the sustainability and profitability of the 13 key Scottish commercial fisheries.

SOURCE:

Three sources are used for this indicator:

1) The source for the landings data (value of catch of Scottish vessels by quota species in £million) is the annual Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics publication, produced by Marine Scotland in Scottish Government. This is a National Statistics publication and, as such, undergo regular quality assurance reviews.

The publication is accessible on the Scottish Government's website:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Agriculture-Fisheries/PubFisheries

Provisional figures for each year are published in April in the following year, while final data are published in September.

2) The scientific guidance comes from International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and/or Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF).

Advice from ICES/STECF indicates a best practice guideline figure for TAC in tonnes for each quota stock. This information is quantitative and based on best international scientific knowledge but is not a National Statistic.

Up-to-date ICES scientific advice is published on the ICES website.

Some key Scottish commercial stocks currently lack the scientific data to allow identification of safe biological limits. Ongoing research and monitoring on those stocks should allow the identification of these limits in due course.

3) The total allowable catch limit (TAC) (expressed in tonnes) is decided by the Council of Ministers in Brussels. These data are provided by the EU.

Calculation of this indicator uses quota (Total Allowable Catch (TAC)) information and landing figures (the value of the catch) for Scotland's key commercial fish stocks. The value of those fish stocks for which the TAC was set in line with scientific guidance is summed and this total is then divided by the total value of catch for all the stocks under consideration to yield the individual year percentage.

A centred three year average is calculated as the sum of the value of those fish stocks for which the TAC was set in line with scientific guidance over each three year period divided by the total value of catch for all the stocks over the same period. This centred three year average is used as the indicator's value.

Indicator = ((value of catch landed by Scottish fishing vessels of key Scottish stocks where the TAC limit is consistent with the scientific guidance) / (total value of all the key Scottish stocks landed by Scottish vessels)) multiplied by 100, calculated on a centred three-year average.

The indicator is updated three times a year to reflect;

1) new TAC limits being set and so information becoming available on whether the TAC for each stock was set within scientific guidance (January - March),

2) publication of provisional landings data (April),

3) publication of final landings data (September).

Consequently changes in the indicator from one year to the next can occur due to changes in whether the TAC for each stock was set within the scientific guidance, and/or changes in the weightings due to use of landings data for a different year.

If final or provisional landings data for a particular year are not yet published, that year's landings data are estimated by the most recently published sea fisheries statistics.

DEFINITIONS:

'Key Scottish commercial fish stocks' : Key commercial fish stocks, listed below, subject to quota limitations.

·North Sea Herring, · West of Scotland Herring, · Atlanto-Scandic Herring, · North Sea Cod, · West of Scotland Cod, · North Sea Haddock, · West of Scotland Haddock, · Rockall Haddock, · North Sea Monkfish, · West of Scotland Monkfish, · North Sea Nephrops, · West of Scotland Nephrops, · North-East Atlantic Mackerel

'Total Allowable Catch (TAC)': Limit of annual EU catch allowed for species caught in particular sea areas (quota stock) set each year by the EU Council of Ministers, based on scientific advice from ICES, though not necessarily following the recommended limits.

'stocks at full reproductive capacity and harvested sustainably' : advice from ICES/STECF indicates for each fish quota stock a TAC limit which, if adhered to, would ensure optimal numbers of fish able to breed and which would allow harvesting at a rate that optimises the economic benefits to the Scottish industry.

'Scottish vessels': fishing vessels whose port of administration is in Scotland.

BASELINE AND PAST TRENDS:

The baseline year is 2006 as this is the last data point before the start of the first term of the current administration. The baseline figure is 60%.

Proportion of key Scottish commercial species landed by Scottish fishing vessels where the TAC limit is consistent with the scientific guidance, calculated over a centred three year average:

CRITERIA FOR RECENT CHANGE ARROW:

This evaluation is based on: any difference within +/- 3 percentage points of last year's figure suggests that the position is more likely to be maintaining than showing any change. An increase of 3 percentage points or more suggests the position is improving; whereas a decrease of 3 percentage points or more suggests the position is worsening.

For information on general methodological approach, please click here.

FUTURE ISSUES OR REVIEWS:

No issues.

ASSOCIATED TARGET:

Target: Ensure 70% key commercial fish stocks at full reproductive capacity and harvested sustainably by 2015.

End point: 2015 data point