Working Group on the Assessment of Dermersal Stocks in the North Sea and Skagerrak (WGNSSK)

• Main Authors: Alvested, Anja Helene, Batsleer, Jurgen, Baudron, Alan, Bell, Ewen D., Chen, Chun, Cole, Harriet, De Oliveira, José, Feekings, Jordan P., Girardin, Raphaël, Halouani, Ghassen, Haslob, Holger, Kempf, Alexander, Kokkalis, Alexandros, Malta, Tiago, Mesquita, Carlos, Miethe, Tanja, Mosqueira, Iago, Nawri, Nikolai, Needle, Coby, Nielsen, Anders, Nielsen, J. Rasmus, Olsen, Erik, Orio, Alessandro, Reecht, Yves, Skjæraasen, Jon Egil, Sundelöf, Andreas, Svendsen, Jon, Søvik, Guldborg, Taylor, Marc, Ulmestrand, Mats, van Broekhoven, Wouter, Vansteenbrugge, Lies, Walker, Nicola, Zimmermann, Fabian
• Format: Book
• Language: English
• Published: ICES 2020
• Subjects: /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/life_below_water; name=SDG 14 - Life Below Water; Turbot
• Online Access: https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/c5cf7c70-dfae-4779-81ac-da534605a451; https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.pub.6092; https://backend.orbit.dtu.dk/ws/files/234551393/WGNSSK_2020.pdf

The main terms of reference for the The ICES Working Group for the Assessment of Demersal Stocks in the North Sea and Skagerrak (WGNSSK) were: to update, quality check and report relevant data for the working group, to update and audit the assessment and forecasts of the stocks, to produce a first draft of the advice on the fish stocks and to prepare planning for benchmarks in future years. Ecosystem changes have been analytically considered in the assessments for cod, haddock and whiting in the form of varying natural mortalities estimated by the ICES Working Group on Multi Species Assessment Methods (WGSAM). Benchmarks and Inter-benchmarks in 2019/2020 Full benchmarks were conducted during 2020 for WGNSSK stocks. These were on 3.a turbot, 3.a whiting, sole in 7.d and sole in 4. However, there were no inter-benchmark protocol (IBP) meetings during 2020. State of the Stocks The main impression in recent years is that fishing pressure has been reduced substantially for many North Sea stocks of roundfish and flatfish compared to the beginning of the century. All fish stocks with agreed reference points (Category 1 stocks) are above B lim , apart from cod in 4, 7.d and 20, and only the SSBs of cod in 4, 7.d and 20 and sole in 4 are below MSY B trigger at the beginning of 2020. Several North Sea stocks are exploited at or below F MSY levels (haddock in 4, 6.a, plaice in 4 and 20 and sole in 7.d); however, several others are being fished above F MSY (cod in 4, 7.d and 20, saithe in 3.a, 4 and 6, whiting in 4 and 7.d, sole in 4, plaice in 7.d, turbot in 4 and witch in 3.a, 4 and 7.d). An important feature is that recruitment still remains poor compared to historic average levels for most gadoids, although there are signs of a strong recruitment for haddock and whiting in 2019. Recruitment in 2019 continues on a high level also for flatfish stocks of plaice, sole and turbot. All Nephrops stocks with agreed biomass reference points (Category 1 stocks, excluding nep.fu.3-4) are currently above MSY B trigger , and all ...