Lumpfish Cyclopterus lump

Advice 2025/2026

2 760

tonnes

Advice 2024/2025

4 030

tonnes

Advice change

-32 %

Publication of Advice: 26 March 2025. Published by Marine and Freshwater Research Institute.


Advice

MFRI advises in accordance with the MSY approach that catches in the fishing year 2024/2025 should be no more than 2 760 tonnes. MFRI further advises that the initial TAC for the fishing year 2025/2026 should be 662 tonnes.

Stock development

Female index is below to Itrigger but above Ilim and fishing pressure is at target FMSY proxy.

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 Thous. tonnes Catches I t r i g g e r 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011 2016 2021 Thous. tonnes Biomass index F M S Y p r o x y 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 Fishing pressure proxy

Grásleppa. Catches, fishing pressure proxy (FMSYproxy) and IS-SMB female biomass index. Shaded area and bars represent 95% CI

Basis of the assessment and reference points

The advice rule is based an index of fishing mortality, Fproxy = 0.75, defined as the catch divided by the female biomass index (IS-SMB). If the female biomass index (I) falls below Itrigger then the Fproxy used will decrease in proportion to the magnitude in which the biomass index is between Itrigger and Ilim* i.e. Fproxy = 0.75 IyItrigger *. If the biomass index is equal to or falls below Ilim, then that year will represent a value of zero in the calculation of TAC. To compensate for uncertainty in the measurements, the previous year’s index is taken into account (weighted 30%) against the new measurement (weighted 70%) when estimating the recommended TAC.

Lumpfish. Advice calculation.

The advice for 2024/2025 decreased due to that the stock size indicator for the years 2025 is lower than in 2024.

Quality of assessment

IS-SMB covers a large part of the temporal and depth distribution of mature female lumpfish. The lumpfish biomass index fluctuates considerably and therefore, landings each year must be considered along with the index from the same year.

Other information

MFRI emphasizes improved registrations of bycatch and discards of other species from the female lumpfish fishery as it has implication for the fishery and on the management of the stock and other species.*

Bycatch in the lumpfish fishery for the years 2020-2023 is lower than the years before (Hafrannsóknastofnun 2024). The reason is assumed to be related to increased surveillance, both from drones and officers aboard the fishing vessels.

Lumpfish. Recommended TAC, national TAC, and catches (tonnes).

References and further reading*

James Kennedy og Sigurður Þ. Jónsson 2020 . Umreikningur á fjölda tunna af grásleppuhrognum yfir í óslægðan afla byggður á veiðidagbókum. Haf- og vatnarannsóknir. HV- 2020-32. 9 bls. https://www.hafogvatn.is/static/research/files/hv2020-32.pdf [in English: Converting number of barrels of lumpfish roe to ungutted landings based on logbook data. HV- 2020-33, 9 pp. https://www.hafogvatn.is/static/research/files/hv2020-33.pdf]

James Kennedy, Sigurður Þór Jónsson, Höskuldur Björnsson, Guðmundur J. Óskarsson, Bjarki Þór Elvarsson, Guðmundur Þórðarson (2021) Report on benchmark assessment and revision of an advisory rule for lumpfish around Iceland. KV 2021-1. Kver Hafrannsóknastofnunar https://www.hafogvatn.is/static/research/files/kv2021-1.pdf

Hafrannsóknastofnun 2024. Meðafli fugal og sjávarspendýra í grásleppuveiðum árin 2020-2023. Hafrannsóknastofnun, janúar 2024. https://www.hafogvatn.is/static/extras/images/taekniskyrsla-medafli-fugla-og-spendyra-i-grasleppuveidum-20231429811.pdf