Capelin Mallotus villosus
Publication of Advice: 11. October 2024. Published by Marine and Freshwater Research Institute.
Advice
MFRI advises that when the agreed management plan is applied, catches in the fishing year 2024/2025 should be no more than 0 tonnes.
Stock development
Projected lower 5% quartile stock size in 2025 is below Blim.
Capelin. Catches, acoustic index for immatures from autumn surveys, and SSB at spawning time (with 90% confidence). Estimate of stock size for 2025 (dot) is based on projections.
Basis of the advice and reference points*
Prognosis
Capelin. Assumptions made for the interim year and in the forecast.
Capelin. Projection of SSB (tonnes) based on adopted harvest control rule.
Quality of the Assessment
The acoustic survey is considered to have covered the distribution area of the stock. The survey estimate had low coefficient of variation (CV=0.25) as the capelin was relatively evenly distributed.
There is uncertainty related to the calibration of one of the vessels participating in the survey that may affect the assessment results.
Other information
The autumn measurement on mature capelin is lower than the immature capelin estimate from the autumn measurements in 2023 indicated.
This advice will be revised based on results of acoustic measurements of the fishable stock in early next year.
Advice, TAC and Catch
Capelin. Recommended TAC, national TAC, and catches.
References and further reading
ICES. 2021. North Western Working Group (NWWG). ICES Scientific Reports volume 3, issue 52. https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.pub.8186
ICES. 2015. Report of the Benchmark Workshop on Icelandic Stocks (WKICE), ICES CM 2015/ACOM:31. http://www.ices.dk/sites/pub/Publication%20Reports/Expert%20Group%20Report/acom/2015/WKICE%202015/wkice_2015_final.pdf
ICES. 2023. Benchmark workshop on capelin (WKCAPELIN). ICES Scientific Reports. 5:62. 282 pp. https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.pub.23260388
MFRI Assessment Reports 2024. Capelin. Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, 11 October 2024.