science-based management of fish resources in iceland€¦ · science-based management of fish...

J. Sigurjónsson: Iceland-Caribbean SIDS, Bridgetown, Barbados, 25-27 March 2008

Science-based managementof fish resources

in Iceland

Jóhann Sigurjónsson, Director GeneralMarine Research Institute, Reykjavik, Iceland

Conference on New partnerships between Iceland and the Caribbean Small Island Developing States

Bridgetown, Barbados, 25-27 March 2008

Photographed off Icelandand in the CaribbeanTracked by individuallyidentifiable “fingerprints”

Summer feeding grounds

Winter breedinggrounds

Humback whalemigration from

Iceland to the Caribbean


0

400.000

800.000

1.200.000

1.600.000

2.000.000

2.400.000

1905 1915 1925 1935 1945 1955 1965 1975 1985 1995

Annað

Krabbadýr

Loðna

Síld

Karfi

Ufsi

Ýsa

Þorskur

World War I

World War II

4 miles

200

miles12

miles

50

miles

Other

Crustaceans

Capelin

Herring

Redfish

Saithe

Haddock

Cod

Cod

Capelin

Herring

Iceland: Total cathces 1905-2004


OCEAN CURRENTS

Gulf-Stream (warm)

E-Greenland Current (cold) EE--Iceland Current Iceland Current

(cold)(cold)

ICELAND


THE INFRASTRUCTURE

• Research/Advice

• Environmental factors affecting stock development

• Stock structure and productivity• Advice on TACs

> Marine Research Institute

> International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)

> Stakeholder involvement

• Management framework

• ITQ’s introduced in 1984, later further developed

• Effective monitoring and enforcement of regulations> Ministry of Fisheries and

Agriculture

> Fisheries Directorate> Icelandic Coast Guard

> Transparency


Temperature variations north of Iceland 1952-20054-5 °C deviations from warmest and coldest years

-2

-1,6

-1,2

-0,8

-0,4

0

0,4

0,8

1,2

1,6

2

1952 1957 1962 1967 1972 1977 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002

Dev

iatio

n fro

m m

ean

Warm period 1920Warm period 1920 --6464

°C

Ice yearsIce years

WarmWarm //ColdCold Warm period ?Warm period ?

Iceland Seas - August 2007Sea temperature at 50m depth

Temperature at the coast of Icelandin summer:

-1-10+°C

Great variability intemperature range


CAPELIN STOCK SIZE AND WEIGHT OF COD THE FOLLOWING YEAR

2,5

3,0

3,5

4,0

ME

AN

WE

IGH

T O

F A

GE

6 C

OD

(kg

)

0

500

1000

1500

2000

CA

PE

LIN

(T

HO

US

. TO

NN

ES

)

78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96YEAR

COD 6yrCAPELIN


Who shall eat the capelin, man, cod, the humpback whale ? And how much ?

Capelin vessel

Diving humpback whale

FISH STOCK ASSESSMENT AND ANNUAL ADVICE

Assesssment model

Population size, dynamics, fishing rates and forecasts

• Fishery-independent methods- Surveys

• Fishery-dependent methods- Sample catches or landings


30° 28° 26° 24° 22° 20° 18° 16° 14° 12° 10°

63°

64°

65°

66°

67°

68°Autumn BTS

Shrimp surveys

Spawning survey

Spring BTS (March)

Lobster survey

1500 stations !!

ANNUAL STOCK MONITORING SURVEYS

Measured = 720 thous. fish Age determined = 113 thous. fish


GROUND FISH SURVEY: 3 YEAR OLD CODAND 4 YEAR OLD FOLLOWING YEAR

999897

96

95

94

93

92

91

90

89

88

87

86

85

84

83

82

100

R2 = 0.91

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Fjöldi 3 ára

Fjö

ldi 4

ára

91% of 4yr olds explained by 3yr olds the year before

Index for 3yr old cod

Index for 4yr oldcod


MAIN MANAGEMENT MEASURES

• TAC’s, setting catch limits• Mesh size, gear type• Season length and timing• Closed areas


CLOSED AREAS: BOTTOM TRAWLFor protection of juvenile fishAnd unwanted bi-catches


CLOSED AREAS: LONG-LINING


Cod: Development of Spawning StockBiomass 1961-2007

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1961 1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006

Sustainable, but measurestaken (cuts in quota) to increasestock size and long-term yields


Icelandic Summer-Spawning herringHarvested at optimal harvest strategy since early 1970’s

0

200

400

600

800

1947 1952 1957 1962 1967 1972 1977 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002

Year

Spawning Stock Biomass (SSB)Thous. tons

Collapse

Full recovery


Iceland Haddock: Fishable biomass

0

100

200

300

400

1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2004

B3+Environmental influence


IN CONCLUSION

• World is not perfect - progress still made• The concept of science-based management

is widely accepted in Iceland, although practical details are always debated

• Communication is the key element to obtain sufficient involvement and participation of all stakeholders

• Such an approach requires wide ranging research and monitoring– this needs to be understood by all stakeholders, including

authorities


IN CONCLUSION

• The potential lies in better utilisation of our fish resources

• E.g. lesser fishing effort can:– Easily yield 10-20% more cod in Iceland– Much higher cpue, lower cost

• Regard needs to be taken to multispecies aspects - even marine mammals are part of the ecosystem!

• Important to establish long-term sustainable harvest strategies with a wider ecosystem view


THANK YOU !!

science-based management of fish resources in iceland€¦ · science-based management of fish...

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