APPROVAL FOR NEW BASS MANAGEMENT MEASURES
Purpose of the Report
For the Minister to approve new bass management measures.
Background
European seabass or bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) provide a high value commercial and recreational fishery. Seabass is a slow growing, top marine predator that reaches sexual maturity between 42 and 55 cm total length so is prone to the impacts of overfishing.
In 2016 ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Seas) published data showing that northern European bass stocks (those north of the 48oN latitude) had reached, and could soon fall below, their lowest viable breeding limit. ICES urged the EU to take strong steps to conserve bass stocks that were generally of not wholly adopted. Jersey responded by introducing measures which, from April 2017, moved the local commercial bass fishery onto hook and line only and thus away from netting and trawling. At the same time Jersey introduced a zero bass bag limit for the recreational sector creating a catch and release only 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 based on updated research which indicated that there is a lower fishing mortality from recreational fisheries and a higher survival rate from the catch and release practice than previously estimated. ICES advised that based on the findings it was appropriate to introduce a daily bag limit of one bass per day per person for recreational fishers applicable from October to December 2018. This measure was duly introduced by the EU and Jersey.
At the Fisheries Council in Brussels on 18 December 2019, EU fisheries ministers agreed their 2020 total allowable catches (TACs) and it was decided to increase the bag limit for recreationally caught bass to two fish per person per day from 1 March to 30 November. These measures will be reviewed by the EU once updated scientific advice from ICES has been issued
Details
Bass are a key target species for recreational fishers and ICES advice is that recreational fishing has a measurable impact on bass stocks. The actual impact of recreational angling on local Bass stocks can only be estimated as the exact number of fishers and the time they devote to targeting Bass is unknown. However, a tagging scheme operating between 2012 and 2014 and further work is ongoing to assess the scale and impact of recreational fishing around the island.
Monitoring of local bass stocks is achieved via a licencing scheme for commercial fishing vessels which requires fishers to collect statistics on all bass caught. This dataset starts in 2017 and suggests that Jersey’s bass population is in a slow but steady recovery. Monitoring of the stock will continue through the commercial licencing scheme so that the health of local Bass stocks can continue to be measured. After February 2020 an analysis of the first three years’
data will be collated for publication but present indications are that the stock management measures are having a positive impact.
The Marine Resources Advisory Panel at their December 2019 meeting discussed bass management measures. It was agreed to recommend to the Minister that a licence condition that allows commercial fishers without a current bass permit to retain the same number of bass as set out in recreational bag limits.
Recommendation
- The Minister approved the same bag limit for recreational fishers as agreed by the EU at the 2019 fisheries council (a daily bag limit for bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) of two fish per person between 1 March to 30 November each year).
- The Minister approved the Panel recommendation for J registered vessels not in possession of a bass authorisation to retain the same number of bass as that allowed for recreational fishers.
Report author: Marine and Fisheries Officer
Approved by: Director, Natural Environment
27 January 2020
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