Fish Oil And Fish Meal From Sustainable Fisheries

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES FISH OIL AND FISH MEAL FROM SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES Resource Review No.1, July 1996 When you go into each section click the above title to get back to this index page. The arrows at the bottom of the pages will take you through the following articles sequentially. 1. SUMMARY 1.1 INTRODUCTION 1.2 TRADE IN FISH OIL 1.3 TRADE IN FISH MEAL 1.4 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 2. EUROPEAN INDUSTRIAL FISHING 2.1 INTRODUCTION 2.2 SANDEEL 2.3 NORWAY POUT 2.4 SPRAT 2.5 HERRING 2.6 CAPELIN (NORTH ATLANTIC) 2.6.1 CAPELIN (BARENTS SEA) 2.7 BLUE WHITING 2.8 HORSE MACKEREL 3. INDUSTRIAL FISHING OUTSIDE EUROPE 3.1 PERU

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SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES

3.2 CHILE 3.3 USA 4. DISCARDS OF FISH 5. SEABIRDS 6. OVERVIEW AND CONCLUSION 7. REFERENCES

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Welcome to IFOMA

INTERNATIONAL FISHMEAL & OIL MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION

Welcome to the IFOMA Internet Site IFOMA PRESS RELEASES RESOURCES USE OF FISH MEAL IN ANIMAL NUTRITION USE OF FISH OIL IN ANIMAL NUTRITION USE OF FISH OIL IN HUMAN NUTRITION If you wish to order a hard copy of any of the items on this site please click this button at the bottom of the article that you require

If you wish to review and submit your order please click this button at the bottom of the page International Fishmeal & Oil Manufacturers Association 2 College Yard, Lower Dagnall Street St. Albans, Herfordshire AL3 4PA United Kingdom

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SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES The title Resources at the top of each page will bring you back to this main index page. ● FISH OIL AND FISH MEAL FROM SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES ●

SUSTAINABILITY OF FISH RESOURCES FOR MEAL AND OIL PRODUCTION

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FISH OIL AND FISH MEAL FROM SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES FISH OIL AND FISH MEAL FROM SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES SUMMARY ● Concern has been expressed about purchasing and refining for edible purposes fish oil obtained from fish resources which are not sustainable. Focus has been on the fishery in the North Sea. ● From the North Sea about 1 million tonnes of fish are landed for processing into fish meal and fish oil. These fish are generally non-edible species (small bony oily fish) and are collectively called 'industrial' fish. A global catch of industrial fish of around 30 million tonnes is landed and processed. Thus the North Sea represents only 3% of the world total. It yields about 9% of internationally traded fish meal and 15% of traded fish oil. ● The state of utilisation of the industrial fish species in the world has been reported by UN Food & Agriculture Organisation FAO. On the basis of a classification of moderately fished, fully fished and depleted stocks, none of the industrial fish species showed depleted stocks. ● Fish oil and fish meal production directly/indirectly turn a sustainable resource into valuable and nutritious human food, e.g. chicken, fish and edible fats, for a growing world population. ● Industrial fishing is undertaken by conventional fishing vessels using conventional nets with government controlled mesh sizes. ● Worldwide nearly all of the industrial fish caught are subject to quotas. These are set by Govemment bodies on the basis of scientific advice to ensure stocks are sustainable. ● In the North Sea the industrial fish catches (Norway pout, sprat and sandeels) are governed by quotas, except sandeels. Evidence so far from an independent body monitoring fish stocks (ICES) indicates industrial fishing does not threaten overall stocks of sandeels - only 20% to 30% of these stocks are caught. In consequence quotas have been considered unnecessary for sandeels. ● There is no scientific evidence that industrial fishing is significantly affecting the food chain of human grade fish such as cod and haddock.

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FISH OIL AND FISH MEAL FROM SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES

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It is concluded that industrial fisheries in Europe, North and South America based on independent scientific advice are sustainable and ecologically sound. The fish oil and meal industry believes it is necessary that industrial fisheries continue to be controlled and managed based on scientific advice, in order to maintain this resource in a manner that is biologically, economically and socially sound. To this end the fish oil and meal industry is fully supportive of an official fishery policy which will achieve the above objectives.

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1.1 Introduction

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES FISH OIL AND FISH MEAL FROM SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES

1.1 Introduction Fish oil is produced almost exclusively from small, inedible, bony, pelagic fish - so called industrial fish. Worldwide around 30 million tonnes of such fish are caught and processed into fish oil and fish meal. Most of the fish oil is used for human consumption in edible products such as margarine. Both fish oil and fish meal are indispensable components of feeds for farmed fish. Fish meal is also a valuable component of feeds for farmed animals - particularly young, breeding and milk producing animals. Directly or indirectly this valuable resource is a supply of human food. How sustainable are the industrial fish used in the production of fish meal and oil? Also, in catching them are other fish caught in the process; what is the by-catch? As these small fish are part of the food chain for larger fish, what impact does their capture have on stock of human grade fish? Answers to these questions are vital to reassure consumers that industrial fisheries are responsible fisheries ensuring sustainability of this resource and others on which they impact. Providing answers to these questions form the basis of this report. As the North Sea is 'nearest to home', it is considered first. But it is South America which is the world's and UK's major fish oil and fish meal supplier. Information on these areas follows. The sources of information used are independent organisations such as the United Nations' Food & Agriculture Organisation in Rome (FAO), and the International Council for Exploration of the Sea (ICES).

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1.2 Trade in Fish Oil

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES FISH OIL AND FISH MEAL FROM SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES

1.2 Trade in Fish Oil The world's major exporters of fish oil are Peru, Chile, USA, Denmark, Iceland and Norway (Figure 1). These same countries are the world's major producers. Total production of fish oil in 1993 was 1.1 million tonnes; total export was 0.66 million tonnes.

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1.2 Trade in Fish Oil

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1.3 Trade in Fish Meal

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES FISH OIL AND FISH MEAL FROM SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES

1.3 Trade in Fish Meal The world's major exporters of fish meal are Peru, Chile, Denmark and Iceland (Figure 2). These same countries are among the world's major producers together with Japan, Norway, Thailand, USA and USSR, which consume domestically most of their production and thus do not have a significant export. Total production of fish meal in 1993 was 6.2 million tonnes; total export was 3.6 million tonnes.

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1.3 Trade in Fish Meal

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1.4 Sustainable Development

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES FISH OIL AND FISH MEAL FROM SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES

1.4 Sustainable Development The term "sustainable development" has been used by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) who use the words in recognition of the use of these resources to satisfy human needs and improve the quality of human life10. The definition of sustainable development which FAO report as having been adopted by the World Commission on Environment and Development in 1987 is probably the simplest: "Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." A further definition for both aquatic and terrestrial systems adopted by the 94th FAO Committee on Fisheries in 1991 is as follows: "Sustainable development is the management and conservation of the natural resource base, and the orientation of technological and institutional change in such a manner as to ensure the attainment and continued satisfaction of human needs for present and future generations. Such development conserves land, water, plant and genetic resources, is environmentally non-degrading, technologically appropriate, economically viable and socially acceptable." More details of this definition applied to all sectors of the fishing industry can be found in the original document.

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2.1 Introduction

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES FISH OIL AND FISH MEAL FROM SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES 2. EUROPEAN INDUSTRIAL FISHING

2.1 Introduction The species of fish used in full or in part, in Europe for industrial fishing are 1 shown in the table at the base of this page: The seven species (see table) which are utilised for industrial fishing can be classified into three categories: ● those for which there is at present little or no use for human consumption (sandeel, capelin and Norway pout) ● those for which there is a potential use for human consumption but which are used mainly for production of fish meal and oil (blue whiting, horse mackerel and sprat) ● those for which the primary market is that for human consumption but for which the surplus is sold for production of meal and oil (herring and mackerel). None of the above resources are described by FAO 1 as over-utilised or depleted except some sectors of the Atlantic herring. Other sectors of the same resource are described as moderately exploited. Most other species are described as moderately to fully exploited.

Stock

Sandeels

Capelin

Catches ('000t) 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992

Main fishing State of countries exploitation Denmark, Norway, Faeroe 857 1042 1134 754 1021 1060 F Is. Iceland, Norway, Russian Fed, 1022 1031 777 796 1200 2078 F Greenland

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2.1 Introduction

Norway, Russian Fed, Faeroe Is, Spain, Denmark, Blue whiting Lithuania Norway, Ireland, Atlantic Denmark, horse Netherlands, mackerel Spain Norway, Denmark, Faeroe Norway pout Is. Denmark, Russian Sprat Fed, Poland Norway, Finland, Denmark, UK, Sweden, Atlantic Netherlands, herring† Iceland

693 661 651 575 433 465 M-F

261 357 384 440 409 455 M

339 277 352 296 303 451 M-F 246 255 209 191 255 269 M

1305 1401 1356 1214 1110 1259 M-D

*F = fully utilised; M = moderately utilised; D = depleted †= EU prohibits the landing of herring with the objective of converting into meal and oil.

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2.2 Sandeel

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES FISH OIL AND FISH MEAL FROM SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES

2.2 Sandeel TAC (Total Allowable Catch): No ICES limit (except UK catch around Shetland and precautionary quota on west coast of Scotland) Minimum net mesh size: 16 mm (EU, Norway) In the North Sea, Denmark (84%) is catching most of this species and Norway much of the remainder. The growth of the sandeel fishery is shown in Figure 3. Norway has a restricted fishing season from 1st March to 31st October. (see table) The average landings, in thousand tonnes, by area in EU and non-EU countries for the period 1986-1990 were as follows 2: Area Skagerrak/Kattegat North Sea West of Scotland Total

EU Non-EU Total 27.9 0 27.9 679.8 158.2 838.0 19.3 0 19.3 727.0 158.2 885.2

The fishery is classified by FAO and ICES as "fully fished" but sustainable in the short term as far as ICES is concerned (1; 3 and 5). The by-catch of other species in catches of sandeel is minimal 2 because of their shoaling behaviour which is a protective measure keeping predators to the margin of the shoal 3. The fisheries are considered, therefore, to have no significant impact on catches of other species. It is for this reason and its sustainability that the EU does not fix TACs for stocks of sandeels2. The main argument concerning the fishery is whether there is an indirect impact as a consequence of the fishery removing potential food for other fish species. Sandeel is a food species of haddock and of mackerel and to a lesser extent of cod and whiting. http://www.ifoma.com/sanded.html (1 of 2) [21.03.2000 09:56:05]

2.2 Sandeel

Biological evidence shows no detrimental effects on food fish species since 1960 as a function of increasing the sandeel catch from 100 TT (thousand tonnes) per year to 800 TT per year in 1977-782. A recent independent multi-centre study 4; used the ICES multi-species (forecast) model to predict the long-term effects of changes in the Danish industrial fisheries. A 20% reduction in fishing effort of sandeel would result in a predicted 16% increase in spawning biomass of sandeel but only an insignificant 2% and 1% increase of spawning biomass of haddock and cod respectively. Economically the cost of reduction of sandeel catch would not be off-set by increased catches and sales of cod and haddock. The total value of landings from the North Sea would be reduced by 1%.

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2.3 Norway Pout

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES

FISH OIL AND FISH MEAL FROM SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES

2.3 Norway Pout TAC:

180 TT in 1995 in specified EU zones

Minimum net mesh size:

16 mm

Fishing is conducted by Norway, Denmark and the Faeroe Islands in the North Sea, Norwegian Sea and West of Scotland. (see table) The fishery expanded during the early 1970's and is undertaken largely by the industrial fishing fleets in those countries. Catches in the North Sea are shown in Figure 3.

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2.3 Norway Pout

FAO 1 describe the resource as moderately to fully utilised. ICES 5 consider the stock to be within safe biological limits, which can sustain current levels of fishing effort in the short term. The main by-catch is blue whiting with an average estimate of 22%. Haddock and whiting are caught as a by-catch in the fishery. EU legislation stipulates the maximum by-catch level of all species for which separate legislation provides a minimum landing size. It shall not exceed 10% weight of the total catches retained on board. It is argued by those who undertake the human consumption fishery for haddock and whiting that the fishery for Norway pout should be banned in order to increase catches in the human consumption fisheries. Sensitive spawning areas for human consumption fisheries are already protected against Norway pout fishing by the imposition of the "pout box" (geographical zone of special protection). An independent assessment of the resource 4 has calculated that a 20% decrease in pout fishing would result in a 1% increase in human consumption fish landings but a 1% decrease in the value of total landings from North Sea fisheries, In 1990 a more extreme scenario of banning the fishery completely was studied and calculated that this would increase the average annual landings of haddock by 5 TT (1.5% of total landings) and 43 TT of whiting (37%) with a total value of £48 million. The value of the Norway pout lost from the EU fishery would be of the order of £4 million 2. Thus there did appear to be a clear financial benefit in banning the industrial fishery for Norway pout. However, as M.Holden 2 of the EU Commission pointed out, the situation is not as clear-cut as this analysis implies. On average 28% of the haddock and 10% of the whiting by weight caught in the human consumption fishery are discarded; this is a situation which has

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2.3 Norway Pout

existed at least since the 1960's when records on discards were first collected. Greenpeace has published higher figures at 60% and 36% respectively 6 (see section 4 on Discards). If all discarding stopped, the additional value of landings of haddock was calculated to be £67 million and of whiting £24 million. It therefore seems inappropriate that the fishery for Norway pout should be banned until at least such time as those who undertake the human consumption fishery for haddock and whiting and who would benefit from such a ban stop discarding 2. Mortality of haddock due to industrial fisheries only amounted to 6% of mortality due to human consumption fishery compared with 15% caused by discards during the two decades from 1971 to 1990 7.

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2.4 Sprat

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES FISH OIL AND FISH MEAL FROM SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES

2.4 Sprat TAC:

39,770 tonnes in Skagerrak and Kattegat in 1995 150,000 tonnes in North Sea in 1995 181,400 tonnes in Baltic Sea in 1995 Minimum net mesh size: 16 mm; 32 mm The fishery is mainly conducted by Denmark, Norway, Russian Fed. and Poland (see table). Denmark fish within the above quotas set by the EU. Catches in the North Sea are shown in Figure 3. FAO 1 describe the resource as moderately utilised. The EU Commission has noted that the stocks declined but have increased again in recent years 2. Young herring are taken as by-catch during fishing for sprat. The EU has addressed the problem in three ways. Firstly, it has banned fishing for both herring and sprat off the west coast of the Danish mainland during the period when juvenile herring are abundant in that area. Secondly, it has gradually phased out the period in which it was permitted to use nets of less than 32 mm minimum mesh size to fish for sprat in the Skagerrak and Kattegat. Thirdly, it has fixed a TAC for sprat for the Skagerrak and Kattegat in order to limit catches to the lowest possible politically acceptable level; catches taken in this fishery are not subject to the 5% by-catch limit 2. The EU Commission made a study of banning this fishing in 1989. An additional study in 1994 4 showed that reducing this fishing by 50% would increase the landings of human-grade herring by 10% and human consumption round-fish by 1-2%. However given the low price of herring in 1989 because of the limited market for human consumption purposes, the EU Commission considered any additional landings would be sold for processing to meal and oil and there would be no increase in the total income from the two types of fisheries 2. http://www.ifoma.com/sprat.html (1 of 2) [21.03.2000 09:56:10]

2.4 Sprat

There is no evidence that industrial fishing for sprat is starving larger predator species dependent on it in the food chain. The total mortality of the sprat is as high as 80%, of which predator fish count for 60% and fishery is responsible for about 20% 7.

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2.5 Herring

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES FISH OIL AND FISH MEAL FROM SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES

2.5 Herring Herring fishing is taking place in Norwegian, Faeroese, Icelandic and EU waters (see table). All fishing is subject to national or regional quotas. There are several different spawning stocks of herring. The main stocks in the North East Atlantic are the Norwegian spring spawning stock, the Icelandic summer spawners and the North Sea stocks. Due to overfishing in the 1950's-1960's the Norwegian spring spawning stock was heavily reduced. Fishing was banned for almost 25 years. The fishery was opened in 1985 in Norwegian waters with very small quotas. The stock is now rebuilt and is considered by ICES to be within safe biological limits. ICES estimated the spawning stock biomass to have been about 5.4 million tonnes and the total stock biomass 10.1 million tonnes at the beginning of 1996. The spawning stock biomass is expected to increase sharply in the next 2-3 years due to the recruitment and growth of herring belonging to the strong 1991 and 1992 year classes. However, due to the uncertain future recruitment pattern a conservative long term fishing policy of annual catches, not exceeding 1 million tonnes, is advocated. Recently Norway, Faeroes, Iceland and Russia agreed upon quotas for Norwegian spring spawning herring and discussions are currently taking place with the EU to establish quotas for their fishermen. Due to the large biomass of this resource, considerable quantities will inevitably become available for processing to meal and oil, even with a conservative fishing policy. There is no by-catch in this herring fishery. Like most, if not all, of the herring stocks in the North Atlantic, the Icelandic summer spawning herring stock collapsed in the late 1960's and a fishing ban was implemented. Since the fishery of these herring was resumed in the 1970's, a conservative fishing policy has been adhered to, which means that the fishery is not allowed to remove more than 20% of the fishable biomass.

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2.5 Herring

Since 1970 the abundance of the Icelandic summer spawning herring has increased from about 10 TT to 500-600 TT, which is beyond its abundance in the known past. In accordance with the above fishing policy the annual catch is at present near the 100 TT level. Today, approximately one half of the catch can be marketed for human consumption. The remainder is processed to fish meal and oil. There is no by-catch in this fishery. All herring directly caught by EU fishermen have to be made available to the human consumption market. In circumstances of poor quality or over supply the herring can be utilised for processing to meal and oil. ICES has recently (May 1996) confirmed the safe biological limit of the North Sea stock at 800 TT. However the stock is now estimated at 500 TT. The EU Commission has called for tighter control of the sprat fishery to reduce by-catch as well as reduced herring quotas. FAO 1 describes the resource as ranging from moderately utilised to depleted depending on the location and stock.

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2.6 Capelin (North Atlantic)

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES FISH OIL AND FISH MEAL FROM SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES

2.6 Capelin (North Atlantic) TAC:

Fixed annually by government agreement between Iceland, Norway and Greenland following advice from ICES. Minimum net mesh size: 20 mm Caught by Norway, Iceland and Greenland in the North Atlantic (see table). Not caught in the North Sea. A separate stock exists in the Barents Sea (see section 2.6.1). The average landings are given in Section 2.1. of this report. FAO 1 describe the resource as fully utilised but not over-utilised. The sustainability of the resource is protected by government agreement fixing annual quotas for their national fleets as well as minimum mesh size and closures of areas rich in juvenile fast growing fish. Stock abundance is high at present. The by-catch of other species in catches of capelin is minimal because of their shoaling behaviour which is a protective measure keeping predators to the margin of the shoal. The fishery has no significant catch of other species. Capelin are food for cod and other marine species. For most of their 3-4 years of life they do not swim in shoals and are therefore easy targets for predator species. Just prior to spawning the capelin form large schools which exclude predators but allow fishing using purse-seiners. The fish quotas are set by government to ensure that there is sufficient fish for the predators (natural mortality) and a minimum of 400 TT of spawning stock remains unfished in order to maintain the sustainability of the species. During the fishing season generally the schools are made up of adult spawning capelin. If younger capelin are found in the catch the fishing is temporarily suspended. After spawning, the capelin dies.

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2.6 Capelin (North Atlantic)

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2.6.1 Capelin (Barents Sea)

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES FISH OIL AND FISH MEAL FROM SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES

2.6.1 Capelin (Barents Sea) TAC: Fixed annually between the Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission Minimum net mesh size: 20 mm The Barents Sea capelin is fished by Norway and Russian Fed. The stock size is annually surveyed by acoustic estimates of abundance, by age and mean weight at age in the autumn. A signal to ban fisheries is given when the stock biomass drops below one million tonnes, low recruitment indices are observed, and when spawning stock biomass is expected to fall below 500 TT. The advice is given by ICES. In recent years fisheries were stopped based on the above recommendations during 1987 through 1990 and again in 1994. The capelin fisheries are not expected to be opened until 1998/9. There is no by-catch in the Barents Sea capelin fisheries. In the Barents Sea capelin is food for cod, seals and whales. Herring feed on capelin larvae. During spawning the capelin form large schools. The fish, however, is at this stage not a major part of the food chain for edible food fish, and the fisheries are opened during the spawning season. The natural mortality is very high after spawning.

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2.7 Blue Whiting

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES FISH OIL AND FISH MEAL FROM SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES

2.7 Blue Whiting TAC: ICES recommendation of 500 TT for 1996 but not yet implemented by regions Minimum net mesh size: 32 mm Norway, Russian Fed., UK and Faeroe Islands catch most of this species in the Atlantic and West Coast of Scotland. The fishery is classified by FAO 1 as moderately to fully utilised. ICES 5 state that the fishery was fully established in 1977 with catches since 1987 being below the recommended (but not implemented) yearly TACs. Multi-national surveys are carried out annually and ICES consider the stocks to be within safe biological limits. The by-catch of other species in catches of blue whiting is minimal. Most of the catches are taken in a directed pelagic trawl fishery in deep waters of the Atlantic west of Ireland and Scotland. There is no reported impact of catching blue whiting on the food chain of human-grade fish.

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2.8 Horse Mackerel

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES FISH OIL AND FISH MEAL FROM SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES

2.8 Horse Mackerel TAC:

Minimum net mesh size:

Western horse mackerel 300 TT North Sea horse mackerel 60 TT (The above pertain to EU waters only) 32 mm

Species mainly caught by Norway, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands and Spain (see table). The catches of Western horse mackerel increased in the 1980's due to the extremely strong 1982 year class. Since 1987 considerable catches have been taken by the Norwegian purse-seine fleet for manufacture of meal and oil while most catches of other countries have been taken for human consumption. The North Sea horse mackerel are mainly taken as by-catch by industrial fishery while catches from a directed fishery for horse mackerel are low. ICES 5 considers the stock of Western horse mackerel to be within safe biological limits. There is no information on the present state of the stock of North Sea horse mackerel although the annual catch since 1987 has been well below agreed TACs. The by-catch of other species is minimal. Indeed some landings of horse mackerel are as a result of by-catch from fisheries for other species. There are no reports of catches of horse mackerel having a detrimental impact on the food chain for edible food fish.

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3.1 Peru

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES

FISH OIL AND FISH MEAL FROM SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES 3. Industrial Fishing Outside Europe

3.1 Peru Peru is the largest producer of fish meal and oil with an industry almost entirely based on processing of anchovy. Sardine (South American pilchard) is primarily landed for canning purposes, but in the event of over-supply of the market, some quantities are reduced to meal and oil. The fish resource off the coast of Peru is controlled by government quotas with enforceable fishing bans (about 130 days in the year) to protect the resource during spawning and in the event of undersized fish being landed. The Peruvian Government works closely with the advisor of IMARPE, the National Institute for Sea Research, and advisors from FAO to ensure the sustainability of the resource. The landings have fluctuated from year to year which is not unusual with short-lived pelagic species subject to occasional environmental changes (El Niño phenomenon). The fishing began in the late 1950's. Catches since 1970 (Figure 4) show the major fluctuations and the impact of the El Niño years.

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3.1 Peru

FAO 1 describe the anchovy resource as recovering and the sardine as ranging from fully fished to over-fished. More recent data from IMARPE describe both resources as fully fished 11

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3.2 Chile

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES FISH OIL AND FISH MEAL FROM SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES

3.2 Chile Chile is the second largest producer of fish meal and fish oil with an industry based on small pelagic fishes like anchovy (anchoveta) and Pacific pilchard (sardina) in the North and jack mackerel (jurel) in the Centre and in the South. Pelagic fisheries are strictly regulated by the Under-Secretary of Fisheries according to the new Fishing Law. Since 1986 fishing effort in all major pelagic fisheries is limited to a certain number of boats that assure sustainable yields. New boats are allowed to enter only to replace older units, taking care that total hold capacity remains the same. Also minimum size limits on landed fish apply to sardine and jack mackerel, together with regulations on minimum mesh size of fishing nets. For anchovy at least two periods are protected by means of government imposed fishing bans. One during summer, to protect the recruitment population and the other during winter, to protect the spawning season. A similar management applies to sardine. Like most of the pelagic fisheries in the world large fluctuations in biomass are registered year to year by these species due mainly to changes in the annual strength of recruitment processes affected by changes in oceanographic conditions. Also they are affected by the El Niño in the same way as in Peru. Since 1960 the growth of the Chilean fisheries has been remarkable (Figure 5). Since 1980 one has seen a change in species composition with a decline in sardine abundance that has been replaced by anchovy in the northern part of the country (Figure 6). FAO describes the jack mackerel fisheries as moderately fished and their statements on anchovy and pilchard are the same as for Peru.

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3.2 Chile

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3.2 Chile

The Chilean pelagic fishing industry finance most of the research on resources conducted in the country by means of a special tax to constitute the Fisheries Research Fund. Evaluation of the state of the fisheries, monitoring of the biological and oceanographic conditions and other studies are conducted yearly by institutes and universities with money provided by this Fund.

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3.3 USA

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES FISH OIL AND FISH MEAL FROM SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES

3.3 USA The production of fish meal and oil in USA is largely based on menhaden fish (related to herring). Menhaden is a fish found near the coast in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. It has no human food outlet because of taste and appearance - it is an excessively oily and bony fish - and is not a significant factor in the human consumption fisheries food chain. Catching of menhaden is regulated by two US agencies - the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission. The fishing season, set by government regulation, is from April through to October each year with a limited "second season" extending into late autumn in North Carolina. Repeated scientific studies over a number of years have shown the by-catch to be significantly less than 1%. The resource has been sustainable over many years. The decrease in recent years has been a consequence of economic forces and industry consolidation, significantly fewer boats are fishing today than 10 years ago. FAO1 recognise the fishery as being fully utilised.

Stock N.W.Atlantic menhaden W.C.Atlantic menhaden Gulf menhaden

Catches Main fishing ('000t) countries 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1992 USA

297 327 326 395 346

USA USA

26 34 31 34 51 27 F 907 639 583 520 551 433 F

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313 F

State of exploitation

3.3 USA

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4. DISCARDS OF FISH

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES FISH OIL AND FISH MEAL FROM SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES

4. DISCARDS OF FISH Discarding fish is an unfortunate practice of large sectors of the food-fish industry. When the fish are discarded at sea they are already dead. FAO 8 estimate that globally discards in commercial fisheries are about 27 million tonnes per annum with a range of estimates from 17.9 - 39.5 million tonnes. Shrimp trawl fisheries, particularly for tropical species, were found to generate more discards than any other fishery type and account for just over one-third of global total. At the other end of the scale, low levels of discard are recorded for pelagic trawls, purse-seines targeting on menhaden, sardine and anchoveta and some of the high seas drift net fisheries. Between these two extremes lie the other groups. Discards are a consequence of fishermen catching fish below the minimum landing size or having limited storage space and not wishing to store and land for further processing lower value fish species. Also they are a consequence of quotas, resulting in discards of particular species of fish when quotas are exceeded for that species, or when lower grades of the quota species are taken which would count toward the fisherman's quota but yield lower prices in the market place. Unlike the production of fish oil and fish meal, discards make a negligible contribution to the human food chain. They can be sources of food for sea-birds and for scavenger fish.

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5. SEABIRDS

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES FISH OIL AND FISH MEAL FROM SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES

5. SEABIRDS Seabirds often eat short-lived, schooling fish such as herring and sprats, anchovies and sandeels. Because in such short-lived fish species population fluctuations are typically high, they represent a highly variable and unpredictable food source. Changes in seabird populations associated with fluctuations in fish prey recruitment have been recorded in different geographical locations. For example changes in the kittiwake population in Nova Scotia, kittiwakes in the Bering Sea and puffins in the Norwegian Sea have been linked to low recruitment of their prey fish. The Marine Laboratory in Aberdeen, Scotland 9 in coordination with the UK Department of Environment, the Scottish Office, WWF, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds undertook a study on the biology of sandeels in the vicinity of seabird colonies at Shetland. It is evident from the fluctuations in sandeel abundance observed following the closure of the fishery, that the effect of fisheries need not be invoked when attempting to explain the changes in seabird population. Whilst these results do not prove conclusively that fishery had no deleterious effect on sandeel stocks, it does suggest that other factors were much more important including changing current patterns.

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6. OVERVIEW AND CONCLUSIONS

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES FISH OIL AND FISH MEAL FROM SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES

6. OVERVIEW AND CONCLUSIONS The state of utilisation of the industrial fish species in the world has been reported by UN Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO). On the basis of a classification of moderately fished, fully fished and depleted stocks, none of the industrial fish species showed depleted stocks. Industrial fishing is undertaken by conventional fishing vessels using conventional nets with government controlled mesh sizes. Worldwide nearly all of the industrial fish caught are subject to quotas. These are set by government bodies on the basis of scientific advice to ensure stocks are sustainable. No significant impact of industrial fisheries on availability of food for cod and haddock, the sustainability of which in the North Sea is of considerable concern, has been reported by independent scientific investigation. It is concluded that industrial fisheries in Europe, North and South America are sustainable and ecologically sound. The fish oil and meal industry believes it is necessary that industrial fisheries continue to be controlled and managed, based on scientific advice, by elected representatives of society in order to maintain this resource in a manner that is biologically, economically and socially sound.

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7. REFERENCES

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES FISH OIL AND FISH MEAL FROM SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES

7. REFERENCES Please use you back button on your browser to return to the previous page. 1. Review of the State of World Fishery Resources: Marine Fisheries (1995) FAO Circular No.884. 2. Review of the Common Fisheries Policy (1992) House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities Session 1992-3 Second Report pp.85-105. 3. K.Popp Madsen (1994) Fisk & Hav No.45 (English translation available). 4. Study of the Danish Fish Meal and Fish Oil Industry (1994) Danish Ministry of Fisheries in association with The Scottish Office ISBN 87-983198-2-5. 5. ICES (1995) Report of the Advisory Committee of Fisheries Management (ICES Cooperative Research Report) in press. 6. Net losses, gross destruction: European Fisheries in Crisis (1992) Greenpeace UK, London. 7. K.Popp Madsen (1992) "Industrial Fishery: A review of developments in the North Sea, Skagerrak and Kattegat and an assessment of its effects" published by the Danish Institute for Fisheries and Marine Research. 8. A global assessment of fisheries by-catch and discards (1994) FAO Fisheries Technical Paper 339. 9. Biology of Sandeels in the Vicinity of Seabird Colonies at Shetland: P J Wright and M C Bailey, Marine Laboratory Aberdeen. Fisheries Research Report No.15/93. 10. Living marine resources and their sustainable development (1995) FAO Fisheries Technical Paper 353. 11. J. Csirke et al (1996) Boletin IMARPE Vol 15 No. 1. INTERNATIONAL FISHMEAL & OIL MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION 2 College Yard, Lower Dagnall Street, St Albans, Hertfordshire AL3 4PA, UK. Telephone:01727842844 Fax: 01727842866 Telex: 94013381 (IAFM G) http://www.ifoma.com/ref.html (1 of 2) [21.03.2000 09:56:25]

7. REFERENCES

Email: [email protected]

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