Statutory guidance

Guidance: England’s Demersal Reserve Quota allocation for 2019

Updated 4 November 2019

To reflect the fact that all quota species are now subject to the Landing Obligation and will no longer be discarded, there continues to be an increase in the UK’s quota, which has previously been termed uplift quota. The increase (uplift) in quota aims to allow sufficient quota for all Landing Obligation fish caught to be landed, including those previously discarded. This year however, the Commission has not provided figures on what portion of the TACs relate to uplift quota.

Instead, Defra have calculated an equivalent portion of the English share of the UK TAC, based on 2018 discard rates, where available. That portion of England’s quota has been termed reserve quota.

The 2019 reserve quota policy approach is principally intended to help alleviate choke risks and to incentivise more sustainable fishing. For example, it will encourage the uptake of highly selective gears in line with the aims of the Landing Obligation, and support the inshore fleet.

An overview of how the reserve quota will be allocated is provided below. Please refer to Annex 1 and the MMO’s allocations spreadsheet for the details.

• All demersal stocks will continue to be subject to a top slice (first 100 tonnes and 10% thereafter) which will be allocated to the non-sector, except for the following eight stocks: North Sea cod, saithe and haddock; Area 7 megrim and anglerfish (division 7b-k), Celtic Sea cod (division 7b-c, e-k), Irish Sea whiting (division 7a) and North-West Scotland Nephrops. The non-sector topslice for the following two stocks is at a reduced level: North Sea turbot and brill and Celtic Sea haddock (division 7b-k).

• The different treatment for North Sea cod, saithe and haddock, Area 7 megrim, Celtic sea cod and haddock and Irish Sea whiting reflects their relative choke risk in 2018. Choke stocks are those where quota may be restrictive in a mixed fishery; that is, the fishery may be closed early due to lack of quota for a particular species.

• For some stocks, reserve quota will be held in a pool and vessels will be able to access the pool of quota under certain conditions. The areas to which this approach will apply are listed below. The details of the conditions behind the pool will be finalised following consultation with relevant vessels. The MMO and Defra will be in contact about this soon. The uptake of quota in this pool will be kept under review.

• The Fully Documented Fisheries (FDF) Scheme will continue in the North Sea and participating vessels, including any new joiners, will be able to access additional quota in the reserve pool for the following North Sea stocks: whiting, cod, saithe, haddock, and turbot and brill.

• Vessels will be able to access North Sea Nephrops quota in the reserve pool provided they demonstrate use of high selectivity gear in the North East Nephrops fishery to avoid unwanted catch. These participating vessels will also be able to access the North Sea whiting reserve quota held in the pool.

• To note, at the initiation of the policy, reserve quota was held for Celtic Sea haddock 7b-k, plaice 7fg, area 7 megrim and area 7 anglerfish. In April (haddock, plaice) and July (megrim, anglerfish) that reserve quota was allocated through FQAs following consultation with the fishing industry. We recognise that late allocation of this quota may cause some concern, but collaborative consideration of potential opportunities to use that quota to meet the policy objectives was an important step in the policy’s implementation.

• The remainder of the reserve quota will be allocated through FQAs.

• Demersal stocks where reserve quota has not been identified are those where the discard rate is 0%, there is no known discard rate, they are currently fully exempt from the Landing Obligation or they are managed at the UK level.

The demersal reserve quota allocation policy will continue to be reviewed annually by Defra.

1. Annex 1: 2019 English reserve quota approach (July 2019)

Stock	Stock code	Total English reserve quota 2019	Non-sector top slice of 2019 reserve quota	Sector reserve quota 2019	Reserve pool quota 2019	Description of approach
Whiting (Subarea 4)	WHG/2AC4	932	183	607	142	Poses choke risk for non-sector and sector so top slice of reserve quota for non-sector and majority of remaining quota allocated to sector via FQAs. 142 tonnes of the remaining quota (which also reflects the in-year TAC amendment) will be put into the English reserve pool and made available to vessels participating in the North Sea FDF scheme, which may include vessels targeting Nephrops. The remaining reserve quota will be allocated to the sector via FQAs. Consultation to follow.
Cod (Subarea 4)	COD/2A3AX4	848	0	0	848	Stocks represent significant choke risks for sector and therefore all of reserve quota is allocated to the English pool (no top slice) which will be made available to vessels participating in the North Sea FDF scheme. Consultation to follow.
Haddock (Subarea 4)	HAD/2AC4	479	0	0	479	Stocks represent significant choke risks for sector and therefore all of reserve quota is allocated to the English pool (no top slice) which will be made available to vessels participating in the North Sea FDF scheme. Consultation to follow.
Saithe (Subarea 4)	POK/2A3A4	228	0	0	228	Stocks represent significant choke risks for sector and therefore all of reserve quota is allocated to the English pool (no top slice) which will be made available to vessels participating in the North Sea FDF scheme. Consultation to follow.
Turbot and brill (Subarea 4)	T/B/2AC4-C	124	20	0	104	Top slice of reserve quota for non-sector but at reduced level to reflect relative need. The remaining reserve quota will be put into the English pool and made available to vessels participating in the North Sea FDF scheme. Consultation to follow.
Nephrops (North Sea)	NEP/2AC4-C	324.5	122.5	202.1	0	Top slice for non-sector and then allocate remaining reserve quota to English pool and make available to vessels who agree to use more selective gear (to reduce whitefish bycatch). Following consultation with fishing industry representatives, allocate remaining reserve quota in full to sector via FQAs as no opportunities to use reserve quota to meet policy objectives could be identified at current time.
Cod (Division 7.b-c, e-k)	COD/7XAD34	0	0	0	0	High risk category 3 choke risks, subject to Union bycatch pool TACs. Reserve quota will not be apportioned in order to avoid exacerbating the choke risks associated with these by-catch stocks.
Whiting (Division 7.a)	WHG/07A	0	0	0	0	High risk category 3 choke risks, subject to Union bycatch pool TACs. Reserve quota will not be apportioned in order to avoid exacerbating the choke risks associated with these by-catch stocks.
Sole (Divisions 7.f-g)	SOL7FG	11.4	11.4	0	0	All of reserve quota allocated to non-sector through top slice (as is <100t).
Cod (Division 7.d)	COD/07D	29.3	29.3	0	0	All of reserve quota allocated to non-sector through top slice (as is <100t).
Ling (Subarea 4)	LIN/04-C	18.6	18.6	0	0	All of reserve quota allocated to non-sector through top slice (as is <100t).
Sole (Division 7.d)	SOL/07D	56	56	0	0	All of reserve quota allocated to non-sector through top slice (as is <100t).
Anglerfish (Division 2.a & Subarea 4)	ANF/2AC4-C	90	90	0	0	All of reserve quota allocated to non-sector through top slice (as is <100t).
Anglerfish (Subarea 6)	ANF/56-14	24	24	0	0	All of reserve quota allocated to non-sector through top slice (as is <100t).
Hake (Division 2.a & Subarea 4)	HKE/2AC4-C	38.3	38.3	0	0	All of reserve quota allocated to non-sector through top slice (as is <100t).
Sole (Division 7.e)	SOL/07E	19.8	19.8	0	0	All of reserve quota allocated to non-sector through top slice (as is <100t).
Cod (Division 7.a)	COD/07A	3.6	3.6	0	0	All of reserve quota allocated to non-sector through top slice (as is <100t).
Megrim (Division 2.a & Subarea 4)	LEZ/2AC4-C	32.1	32.1	0	0	All of reserve quota allocated to non-sector through top slice (as is <100t).
Sole (Subarea 4)	SOL/24-C	37.5	37.5	0	0	All of reserve quota allocated to non-sector through top slice (as is <100t).
Ling (Subareas 6-10, 12 and 14)	LIN/6X14	65.3	65.3	0	0	All of reserve quota allocated to non-sector through top slice (as is <100t).
Megrim (Subarea 6)	LEZ/56-14	28.8	28.8	0	0	All of reserve quota allocated to non-sector through top slice (as is <100t).
Haddock (Division 7.a)	HAD/07A	35.5	35.5	0	0	All of reserve quota allocated to non-sector through top slice (as is <100t).
Haddock (Division 6.a)	HAD/5BC6A	51.5	51.5	0	0	All of reserve quota allocated to non-sector through top slice (as is <100t).
Saithe (Subarea 6)	POK/56-14	72	72	0	0	All of reserve quota allocated to non-sector through top slice (as is <100t).
Haddock (Division 7.b-k)	HAD/7X7A34	147.1	15	132.1	0	Top slice of reserve quota for non-sector but at reduced level compared to standardised approach (to cover previous catches). Following consultation with fishing industry representatives, allocate remaining reserve quota in full to sector via FQAs as no opportunities to use reserve quota to meet policy objectives could be identified at current time.
Plaice (Divisions 7.f-g)	PLE/7FG	209	110.9	98.1	0	Top slice for non-sector. Following consultation with fishing industry representatives, allocate remaining reserve quota in full to sector via FQAs as no opportunities to use reserve quota to meet policy objectives could be identified at current time.
Megrim (Subarea 7)	LEZ/07	436.9	0	436.9	0	Following consultation with fishing industry representatives, allocate remaining reserve quota in full to sector via FQAs as no opportunities to use reserve quota to meet policy objectives could be identified at current time.
Anglerfish (Division 7 b-k)	ANF/07	251.7	0	251.7	0	Following consultation with fishing industry representatives, allocate remaining reserve quota in full to sector via FQAs as no opportunities to use reserve quota to meet policy objectives could be identified at current time.
Whiting (Division 7.b-k)	WHG/7X7A-C	662.3	156.2	506.1	0	Top slice for non-sector and then allocate remaining reserve quota in full to sector via FQAs due to limited opportunities for improved selectivity and/or typically low uptake of quota.
Plaice (Division 7.a)	PLE/07A	235.7	113.6	122.1	0	Top slice for non-sector and then allocate remaining reserve quota in full to sector via FQAs due to limited opportunities for improved selectivity and/or typically low uptake of quota.
Plaice (Subarea 4)	PLE/2A3AX4	6904.3	780.4	6123.9	0	Top slice for non-sector and then allocate remaining reserve quota in full to sector via FQAs due to limited opportunities for improved selectivity and/or typically low uptake of quota.
Lemon sole and witch (Subarea 4)	L/W/2AC4-C	509.2	140.9	368.3	0	Top slice for non-sector and then allocate remaining reserve quota in full to sector via FQAs due to limited opportunities for improved selectivity and/or typically low uptake of quota.
Plaice (Division 7.d-e)	PLE/7DE	1643.7	254.4	1389.4	0	Top slice for non-sector and then allocate remaining reserve quota in full to sector via FQAs due to limited opportunities for improved selectivity and/or typically low uptake of quota.
Nephrops (North-west Scotland)	NEP/5BC6	137.6	0	137.6	0	Top slice for non-sector and then allocate remaining reserve quota in full to sector via FQAs due to limited opportunities for improved selectivity and/or typically low uptake of quota.
Haddock (Division 6.b)	HAD/6B1214	280.5	118.1	162.5	0	Top slice for non-sector and then allocate remaining reserve quota in full to sector via FQAs due to limited opportunities for improved selectivity and/or typically low uptake of quota.
Hake (Subareas 6 and 7)	HKE/571214	525.3	142.5	382.8	0	Top slice for non-sector and then allocate remaining reserve quota in full to sector via FQAs due to limited opportunities for improved selectivity and/or typically low uptake of quota.