BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY IN ICELAND - Convention on Biological ...

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in decline. The catch that year dropped to 294,000 tons from 462,000tons in 1981. After marine biologists recommended a drastic cut in thecod catch for 1984 and subsequent years in order to allow the stock torecover, it was decided to adopt a system of transferable quotas for600000500000400000300000200000100000019531955Nominal catch of cod in tonnes from Iceland grounds from 1953-2000.Iceland Other nations Total1957195919611963196519671969197119731975197719791981198319851987198919911993199519971999individual vessels (ITQ), based on each ship's catch performance overthe period 1981-1983. The vessel quota management system had thetwin objectives of limiting total catch and encouraging more efficientfisheries operations through the transfer of fishing rights amongvessels, leading to a more rapid reduction in the fishing fleet. Thismanagement system has undergone a number of reforms since itsintroduction, in order to rectify or eliminate various shortcomingswhich have delayed the achievement of its objectives.Every vessel with a commercial fisheries permit has been allocateda permanent "quota share," a percentage of the Total Allowable Catch(TAC) of all regulated species, which include all the main species thatare utilised commercially. Currently the TAC of the main species ineach fisheries year is set by the Minister of Fisheries. The TACdecision is based on recommendations from the Marine ResearchInstitute. These recommendations are also submitted to the AdvisoryCommittee on Fisheries Management of the International Council forthe Exploration of the Sea (ICES) for comment.The species subject to quota regulation are cod, haddock, saithe(pollock), redfish (ocean perch), Greenland halibut, plaice, nephrops(Norway lobster), shrimp, scallop, herring, capelin, wolffish and witch.In addition to the ITQ system which, along with the TAC decision isthe cornerstone of Iceland's fisheries management, there are a numberof other measures aimed at supporting the management system.Among them is the rule that for every new vessel added to thefisheries fleet, vessels adding up to the same number of metric tonshave to be retired. There are rules concerning the type of fishing gear40
permitted, e.g. the minimum mesh size. For example, in the codfishery, the cod end minimum mesh size is 155 mm, the largestanywhere. Fishing with trawls is prohibited in large areas near thecoast that serve as spawning and nursery areas. For shrimp fishing,sorting grids are required to prevent catches of juvenile fish. Inaddition, extensive provision is made for temporary closures of fishingareas to protect spawning fish from all fisheries. Other provisions givethe Marine Research Institute the authority to close fishing areastemporarily without prior notice if the proportion of small fish in thecatch exceeds certain limits.The quota system has served adequately in keeping the total catchwithin previously determined limits. The actual total catch is closelymonitored. With a few minor exceptions, all catches are landed inIceland, and some 97% of the total catch is exported. The mostimportant achievement in recent years has undoubtedly been theprotection of the cod stock, the most important of the Icelandiccommercial stocks. After 1990, the annual cod catch had to bereduced year after year, from 300-400 thousand tons, to less than 170thousand tons. As a result of these reductions, however, it has beenpossible to increase the TAC for cod for the last five years. Althoughresent measurements indicate decrease in stock size for the TAC for2001 is around 200 thousand tons without upsetting the recovery ofthe stock in the future.TonsFishable stock and spawning stock biomass during theperiode 1990-2000 and predicted development until 2004.12000001000000800000600000400000200000019911992Spawning stock biomassProjection for 2002-200419931994199519961997199819992000Fishable stock2001200220032004At present the size of the fishable cod stock is around 577thousand tons, and the objective is to let it increase to 880 thousandtons by 2004. As far as the Icelandic herring and capelin stocks areconcerned, an informal rule has been followed for a number of yearsto manage these stocks, but the goal is to develop comparable formalcatch rules for these and other species.With regard to marine mammals, the policy of the Government ofIceland is that marine mammals should be conserved and managed in41
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Page 38 and 39: 36the most unique geological and bi
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Page 46 and 47: 44CASE STUDYNATIVE BIRCH WOODS <str
Page 48 and 49: 46established in 1979. Icelandic co
Page 50 and 51: 48diversity. Agencies of the Minist
Page 52 and 53: y governmental institutions and non
Page 54 and 55: Conservation Agency, the Icelandic
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