SGS Product & Process Certification - Marine Stewardship Council

5.4 (should be 5.5) Compliance. Quote ―The client considers that there is insufficient control effort directed at vessels under 10 m. They have
mentioned that there are several unregistered vessels using rod and line that land sea bass and cod with the intention of sale, which is prohibited under
the official regulations.‖ Is there any estimate of the landings from unregistered vessels? The only figure available is given by Kroon (2007) who
estimated Dutch recreational landings of sea bass in 2006 at 195 t (see below).
What about the landings from the number of bass anglers in the Netherlands estimated in 2006 as 91.000 (TNS NIPO 2006) [Appendix D]? Surely the
impact on the bass stock of 19 VNHL members pales into insignificance compared to the activities of 91,000 recreational fishers. Dutch recreational
landings of sea bass in 2006 were estimated at 195 t (Kroon, 2007), compared with 33 t by VNHL fishers. That is quite true, and a similar situation has
obtained in the UK since the commercial bass fishery started in the 1970s. Recreational anglers‘ catches should now be sampled under Article 47 of
the EC data Collection Regulation, but we have no information on whether the Netherlands has implemented this. Article 47 is not actively enforced in
the Netherlands
6. Other Fisheries in the Area Affecting the Target Stock. Quote ―In the North Sea, sea bass are taken mainly in commercial fisheries operating
along the English coast, where they are targeted by drifted and fixed gillnets, and by rod and line, and as an important by catch nets set for cod and sea
trout and in trawls (Walmsley & Pawson 2007). The fishing season in this area normally lasts from May until October/November. French and Belgian
trawlers also take substantial quantities of sea bass in this area, chiefly as a by catch in demersal fisheries (see Table 1).‖
In the paragraph before Table 1, page 20 quote ―The landings of sea bass by French vessels in North West European waters were around 2000 t during
the period 1986–1995 and have increased to around 4000–5000 t in the most recent years, due mainly to the catch in the southern North Sea (ICES
Divisions IVc) and eastern English Channel (VIId).‖
Is it true to say here ―In the North Sea, sea bass are taken mainly in commercial fisheries operating along the English coast,…..‖? There is no
quantitative and disaggregated information (landings or effort) presented here for the French or Dutch fisheries in the southern North Sea (IVc) - does
any exist? Table 1 presents what information is available. The text has been amended to clarify.
The directed effort from Dutch beam-trawl, fly-seine and twin-rig trawl fisher is a significant fishery, dwarfing that by the rod and line clients, yet there is
little or no reference to the distribution of the fishing effort or to the probable adverse exploitation pattern exerted by these net fisheries. Landings of sea
bass from this fishery (seldom due to fishing directed at sea bass) are included in Table 1, but we do not know where they are taken. The poor
selectivity of these gears is reflected in the scores given by the RBF under PSA Susceptibility attributes.
8.3 Stakeholder consultation. Stakeholder issues. A list of the main points raised would be useful to identify stakeholder‘s concerns. They may be
covered in the scoring process, but are not identifiable as stakeholder‘s concerns. Text amended accordingly.
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