Shallow pelagic beaked redfish Sebastes mentella
Publication of Advice: 30 September 2024. Published by Marine and Freshwater Research Institute.
Advice
ICES advises that when the precautionary approach is applied, there should be zero catch in each of the years 2025, 2026 og 2027.
Stock Development
ICES cannot assess the stock and exploitation status relative to the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) orprecautionary approach (PA) reference points because the reference points are undefined; however, the stock is considered to be below any potential reference point.
Shallow pelagic beaked redfish. Stock‑size index (biomass) from the acoustic survey in the Irminger Sea and adjacent waters. Catch data is not available for 2021–2023.
Basis of the assessment and reference points
Basis of the advice | Precautionary approach |
Management plan | There is no management plan for this stock |
Assessment type | Trends in biomass indicators |
Input data | Commercial catches (international landings), survey indices from the International Trawl and Acoustic Survey |
Prospects
Based on the survey index in 2021 and 2024, the stock has increased from a near‑zero level in 2013 and is now at its highest level since 2005. There is no information on exploitation rates in recent years. No reference points are defined for this stock. The estimated stock size in 2021 and in 2024 is about 20% of the maximum stock size observed in the early 1990s and is considered to be below possible reference points for this stock. Based on ICES guidelines for category 3 stocks (ICES, 2023), ICES advises that when the precautionary approach is applied, there should be zero catch in each of the years 2025, 2026, and 2027.
Quality of the assessment
The 2021 and 2024 survey indices are the first ones with adaquate coverage of the main stock distribution since 2013 (Table 9). Most of the geographical distribution of the shallow pelagic beaked redfish stock was not covered by surveys in 2015 and 2018. The frequency of the survey conducted by Germany, Iceland, and Russian Federation has been variable over the time‑series ranging from yearly to triannial surveys (from 2015 onwards; Table 9). Survey index estimates also appear sensitive to the timing of the survey because of the migratory patterns of this stock.
The acoustic survey provides an estimate of absolute biomass; however, this is sensitive to several assumptions and is used as a relative index. The vertical mixing between shallow pelagic and deep pelagic beaked redfish is source of additonal uncertainty in the survey.
Other information
Beaked redfish is a slow-growing, late-maturing species, and any recovery from a low stock level would therefore extend over many years.
There is no agreement on the TAC for this stock. Russian Federation has, since 2011, unilaterally decided on a Russian quota that considers both redfish management units (the shallow and the deep pelagic redfish in ICES subareas 5, 12, and 14 and in NAFO subareas 1 and 2) as a single stock. Russian Federation scientists consider the deep and shallow pelagic stocks as a single stock. Until new information is available, ICES continues to use its current stock definition.
The total catches by all countries fishing for pelagic redfish have considerably exceeded the sum of ICES advised catch for both shallow pelagic and deep pelagic redfish stocks. This is particularly true since 2017, when ICES advised zero catch for both stocks for the first time.
Catch data for the shallow pelagic stock were not available for 2021–2023.
The current assessment relies on survey information. The next survey is planned for 2027.
Advice, TAC and catch
Shallow pelagic beaked redfish. History of ICES advice, the agreed TAC, and ICES estimates of catches. All weights are in tonnes.
Year | Recommended TAC | National TAC | Catches Iceland | Catches others | Total catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | No directed fishery | 0 | 23 | 2 176 | 2 199 |
2011 | No directed fishery | 0 | 72 | 162 | 234 |
2012 | No directed fishery | 0 | 28 | 3 145 | 3 173 |
2013 | No directed fishery | 0 | 72 | 1 457 | 1 529 |
2014 | No directed fishery | 0 | 355 | 6 068 | 6 423 |
2015 | No directed fishery | 0 | 161 | 5 434 | 5 595 |
2016 | No directed fishery | 0 | 235 | 1 732 | 1 967 |
2017 | 0 | 0 | 91 | 10 | 101 |
2018 | 0 | 0 | 4 599 | 4 599 | |
2019 | No advice given | 0 | 3 184 | 3 184 | |
2020 | 0 | 0 | 6 152 | 6 152 | |
2021 | 0 | 0 | |||
2022 | 0 | 0 | |||
2023 | 0 | 0 | |||
2024 | 0 | 0 | |||
2025 | 0 | ||||
2026 | 0 | ||||
2027 | 0 |
References and further reading
ICES. 2024. Working Group on International Deep Pelagic Ecosystem Surveys (WGIDEEPS). ICES Scientific Reports. 3:43. 32 pp. https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.pub.8056
MFRI Assessment Reports 2024. Shallow pelagic beaked redfish. Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, 30 September 2024.