September 2024 Catch Limit Review
Consultation description
Catch limit request updates:
Pollack 7 – 10m & Under pool:
Recently, the MMO have considered requests from industry to raise the catch limit for pollack in ICES area 7, which currently sits at 100 kilograms per month, to make use of banked quota recently allocated to the non-sector pools. Banked quota is quota that has been rolled over from 2023, when area 7 pollack had a much larger overall total allowable catch.
Catch scenarios produced by ICES last year suggested that if no banked quota was used in 2024, the stock would increase by 20% (assuming perfect compliance with the regulations, and not considering recreational catches).
If UK used the entirety of its banked quota (164t, of which 98.5t sits in the non-sector), this would reduce the expected stock benefit by around 40%.
Therefore, due to the potential impacts on the recovery of the pollack 7 stock, MMO have decided not to raise the catch limit for the non-sector from 100kg to make use of 2023 banked quota that the non-sector pools have been allocated. Any such use of banked quota by the non-sector would delay recovery of the stock and would not be in line with the sustainability or precautionary objectives in the Fisheries Act.
If you have any concerns or suggested changes, please contact us using the details below:
Katie James: 07747638655 Jacob Bestwick: 07469443840