Policy paper

20 December 2024: change of circumstances in fishing opportunities for British fishing boats for haddock in the southern Celtic Seas and English Channel

Updated 20 December 2024

1. In the 2024 determination of fishing opportunities for British fishing boats ^{[footnote 1]}, the Secretary of State set a total allowable catch (TAC) for Celtic Sea haddock which exceeded the advice for 2025 from International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). This decision took into account the requirements of the Fisheries Act 2020, the Joint Fisheries Statement and the Western Waters Multiannual Plan (MAP) ^{[footnote 2]} and was necessary to secure overall agreement in international negotiations.

2. For the purposes of determining fishing opportunities, the UK considers scientific advice from ICES. ICES provide annual advice on the condition of haddock in the southern Celtic Seas and English Channel (known as Celtic Sea haddock), located in ICES Divisions 7.b-k, ICES stock code: had.27.7b-k. The entirety of the biological stock of Celtic Sea haddock is managed by one TAC management area, TAC management code HAD/7X7A34.

3. Celtic Sea Haddock is within scope of the Western Waters MAP (Article 1(1)(16)). The UK is therefore required to follow the provisions of the MAP when determining fishing opportunities for Celtic Sea haddock. The MAP specifies that fishing opportunities should be established within the lower range of FMSY ^{[footnote 3]} available for a stock (Article 4(3)), unless a stock is above Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) Btrigger ^{[footnote 4]}, in which case fishing opportunities can be set in line with an upper range of FMSY (Article 4(5)) if specified conditions are also met.

4. Article 4(7) of the MAP provides that when a stock is above Blim ^{[footnote 5]}, fishing opportunities should be set at a level where there is less than a 5% probability of it falling below Blim.

5. The ICES advice for had.27.7b-k for 2025 provides FMSY range information and indicates that the stock remains above biological reference points (the spawning stock biomass (SSB) is above Btrigger and Blim).

6. The TAC was set above headline advice. This TAC would have been consistent with the requirements of Article 4(5). However, in light of the ICES advice that setting the opportunity at headline advice would result in more than a 5% probability of the stock falling below Blim in 2026, the Secretary of State has concluded that the TAC would not be consistent with Article 4(7) and so the Secretary of State is preparing and publishing this document in line with Article 4(8) and (9) of the MAP to describe the relevant change of circumstances, and explain how that change has affected the determination.

Change of circumstances and impact on determination

7. The relevant change of circumstances as required by the MAP relates to available scientific evidence, primarily the significant reduction in catch advice for haddock for 2025. In June 2024 ICES provided annual science advice for 2025 about the condition of Celtic Sea haddock. It recommended that when the MSY approach is applied, catches should be no more than 4,644 tonnes. Agreeing a TAC at this level would have resulted in a 44% reduction on last year’s TAC. This is a stock of commercial interest to both the UK and the EU. In order to limit the annual variation in opportunity and to secure overall agreement in the UK-EU negotiations a TAC of 6,353 tonnes (FMSY upper) was agreed. Although above the ICES headline advice, working in partnership with our neighbouring coastal States to achieve overall agreement and ensuring that catch limits are set helps to promote the sustainable use of stocks and responsible management of our respective waters and so contributes towards managing all fisheries sustainably. The TAC is set at a level that still allows for a significant increase in stock biomass and, as part of the annual consultations, the UK and EU agreed to a technical discussion in early 2025 to build their shared understanding of the situation of this stock which will include consideration of appropriate steps to take to reduce pressure on it.

1. Available at Fishing opportunities for British fishing boats: determinations published in August to December 2024. ↩

2. Assimilated Regulation (EU) 2019/472  ↩

3. FMSY is the fishing mortality consistent with achieving maximum sustainable yield (MSY). ↩

4. Btrigger is the biomass reference point that triggers a cautious response, normally a reduction in fishing pressure. ↩

5. Blim is the biomass limit reference point for spawning stock biomass (SSB). ↩