Fish catches in the North Sea, 1990-2002

Because of the poor condition of the sole biomass in particular, the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for this fish was reduced for 2002 compared to 2001. For plaice, herring and cod, the TAC has hardly been changed, if at all, for 2002. It should be pointed out that the TAC for all the species listed is a lot lower than in 1990.

		1990	1995	2000	2001	2002

		million kg
Sole	TAC	25.0	28.0	22.0	19.0	16.0
	Total catch (all countries)	35.1	30.5	22.5	19.8	.
	Reported Dutch catch	18.2	20.9	15.3	11.5	.

Plaice	TAC	180	115	97	78	77
	Total catch (all countries)	156	98	81	82	.
	Reported Dutch catch	79	44	35	33	.

Herring	TAC ¹⁾	415	440	301	301	301
	Total catch (all countries) ²⁾	645	639	372	364	.
	Reported Dutch catch ¹⁾	71	78	54	52	.

Cod	TAC ³⁾	126	140	93	56	56
	Total catch (all countries) ⁴⁾	126	136	71	50	.
	Reported Dutch catch	8.4	11.2	6.0	3.6	.

Source: ICES (2002).		CBS/MC/apr03
TAC = Total Allowable Catch 1) Including Eastern Channel. 2) Including Eastern Channel, Skagerrak and Kattegat. 3) Including Skagerrak. 4) Including Eastern Channel and Skagerrak.

Relevance

In order to conserve the various fish species for the future, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) estimates annually the size, reproduction and mortality of the fish populations. These audits allow marine biologists to make forecasts about the development of the fish stocks and to establish biologically acceptable catch levels: the total allowable catch (TAC). To prevent over-fishing, it is important for the catch of all EU countries taken together not to exceed the TAC.

Technical note

In the case of herring and cod, the figures include a few small adjoining fishing areas in addition to the North Sea. The selection of these fishing areas is determined by the biology of the fish species in question. For example, the North Sea herring (a population that spawns in the autumn) is located in the North Sea and the Eastern Channel. For some of the year, it is present in the Skagerrak. There are two herring populations in the Skagerrak and Kattegat (that spawn in the spring and autumn respectively), which are dealt with together in the biological studies. The area classification for cod has been selected so that we work with one population.

The figures for the TAC and the total catch (all EU countries) for both herring and cod are not entirely comparable since the fishing areas covered by these parameters are not entirely the same. This is primarily due to the fact that the classification used for the biological population study is not the same as the administrative classification used by the EC to determine the TACs.

Because the Dutch fleet does not fish in the Skagerrak and Kattegat for herring, the Dutch catch of this species relates to the North Sea and the Eastern Channel only.

References

ICES (2002). Report of the ICES Advisory Committee on Fishery Management 2002. International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, Cooperative Research Report nr. 255, Copenhagen.

Relevant sections and indicators in the Environmental Data Compendium

Relevant information outside of the Environmental Data Compendium

More information about fish can be obtained from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea