Sea Fisheries (Bag Limits) (Jersey) Order 2016: Amendment: Law drafting instructions

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A decision made 21 March 2019:

Decision Reference: MD-PE-2019-0033
Decision Summary Title :	Approval to request legislative drafting to amend the Sea Fisheries (Bag Limits)(Jersey) Order 2016			Date of Decision Summary:	18 March 2019
Decision Summary Author:	Marine Scientist			Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written			Person Giving Oral Report:	n/a
Written Report Title:	Approval to request legislative drafting to amend the Sea Fisheries (Bag Limits)(Jersey) Order 2016			Date of Written Report:	18 March 2019
Written Report Author:	Marine Scientist			Written Report : Public or Exempt?	Public

Subject: Approval to request legislative drafting to amend the Sea Fisheries (Bag Limits)(Jersey) Order 2016
Decision(s): The Minister requested legislative drafting to amend the Sea Fisheries (Bag Limits)(Jersey) Order 2016
Reason(s) for decision: Amendment is required to update management measures for recreational bass fishery, in line with changes being made in Europe.
Resource Implications: There are no financial or manpower resource implications.
Action required: Principal Legislative Drafter to be requested to draft amendments to the Sea Fisheries (Bag Limits) (Jersey) Order 2016
Signature: Deputy Gregory Guida		Position: Assistant Minister for the Environment
Date Signed:			Date of Decision:

Sea Fisheries (Bag Limits) (Jersey) Order 2016: Amendment: Law drafting instructions

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

Approval to request legislative drafting to amend the

Sea Fisheries (Bag Limits) (Jersey) Order 2016

Purpose of the Report

For the Assistant Minister to request legislative drafting time to make an amendment to Sea Fisheries (Bag Limits) (Jersey) Order 2016 with respect of bag limits for Bass.

Background

European Seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) – have a high commercial and recreational value and are heavily targeted by professional and recreational fishers. Bass are a top marine predator which grows slowly and reaches sexual maturity at between 42 and 55 cm. These factors make the Bass vulnerable to overfishing.

In late 2016 ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Seas) published data showing that Northern European Seabass (Bass) stocks (those north of the 48oN latitude) had reached, and would soon fall below, the lowest viable breeding limit. ICES urged the EU to take strong steps to conserve Bass stocks and Jersey responded by introducing measures that took effect from April 2017 which moved the local commercial Bass fishery onto hook and line only and thus away from netting and trawling. At the same time a zero Bass bag limit was introduced in Jersey for recreational sector creating a catch and release fishery. This recreational catch and release policy was adopted by all EU countries from the start of 2018.

On 4 September 2018 ICES issued revised advice stemming from new research that indicated there is a lower fishing mortality from recreational fisheries and a higher survival rate from the catch and release practice than previous estimated. ICES advised that based on the findings it is appropriate to introduce a daily bag limit of one fish per day for recreational fishers applicable in October to December 2018. This was duly introduced by the EU and Jersey.

For 2019 ICES advice supports an opening of the fishery between April and October again at a bag limit of one fish per day.

Details

European Seabass – Bass are a key target species for recreational fishers and ICES advice is that recreational fishing has a significant impact on Bass stocks. The actual impact of recreational angling on local Bass stocks can only be estimated although a tagging scheme operating between 2012 and 2014 suggests that a skilled and dedicated Jersey fisher may catch several hundred a year. It is estimated that in 2016 the recreational catch for Bass in Jersey was approximately the same as the commercial catch at about seven tonnes.

Local monitoring of Bass stocks has been achieved via a licencing scheme for commercial fishing vessels which requires fishers to collect statistics on every Bass they catch. This dataset suggests that Jersey’s Bass population is in early recovery and that the ICES advice of implementing a bag limit of one fish per day, per recreational fisher over the summer season is appropriate. Monitoring of the stock will continue through the commercial licencing scheme and through data gathered through the recreational sector.

Recommendation

The Minister is recommended to request law drafting time for amendment to the Sea Fisheries (Bag Limits)(Jersey) Order 2016, in order that recreational fishers only will be subject to a daily bag limit for Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) of 1 (one) between from 01 April to 31 October each year.

18th March 2019

Written by:

Marine Scientist

Approved by:

Director, Natural Environment

Ministerial Decision Case Ref: MD-PE-2018-0033