Biology

Haddock is a cold-temperate (boreal) species. It is a migratory fish, found in inshore shallow waters in summer and in deep water in winter. Smaller than cod, it can attain a length of 70-100 cm and can live for more than 20 years. It spawns between February and June, but mostly in March and April. In the North Sea, haddock become sexually mature at an age of 3-4 years and a length of 30-40 cm. Maturity occurs later and at greater lengths in more northern areas of its range.

Stock information

Criterion score: 0.25 info

Stock Area

North Sea, West of Scotland, Skagerrak

Stock information

The stock is in a good state, but fishing pressure is too high.

Spawning-stock biomass (SSB) has been above MSY Btrigger (132,000t) in most of the years since 2002, and in 2018 it was 186,846t. Fishing mortality (F) has declined from around 0.8 between 1971 and 2001, and now fluctuates between 0.2 and 0.5, but it has been above FMSY (0.194) for the entire time-series (although the F target prior to 2017 was 0.37, owing to calculations being based on higher average recruitments). In 2018, F was 0.28. Recruitment since 2000 has been low with occasional larger year classes, but the size of even the large year classes is diminishing.

ICES advises that when the MSY approach is applied, total catches in 2020 should be no more than 30,228t. This is a drop of 11.1% compared to the previous year, owing to continued low recruitment for this stock. In recent years, Total Allowable Catches (TACs) have been set in line with scientific advice, and catches have been in line with TACs. TACs are split between the 3 areas of this stock, with around 85% allocated to the North Sea (area 4), 10% to West of Scotland (6a), and 5% to the Skagerrak (3a.20).

Management

Criterion score: 0.25 info

Some management measures are in place, but discards remain too high.

The EU landing obligation has been phased in to all catches of haddock in ICES Subarea 4 since 2016. Since 2019, the stock is fully under EU landing obligation, but there are some exemptions in place under the North Sea Demersal Discard Plan. Landings of fish below the minimum conservation reference size (MCRS) are very low, and discarding of this stock still takes place, although it is decreasing. The estimated discard amount is 4,895t in 2018 (12.4%) and 7,029t in 2017 (17.6%), based on observer data. The Scottish Conservation Credits scheme, which aimed to reduce cod mortality, improve gear selectivity, and reduce discards, ended in 2016 but was successful in its aims up until then. It also successfully reduced mortality of associated species, such as haddock. In early 2008, a one-net rule was introduced in Scotland as part of the CCS. This is likely to have improved the accuracy of reporting of landings to the correct mesh size range.

This stock is covered by the EU’s North Sea Multi Annual management Plan (MAP), and although the MAP has not been adopted by Norway, joint TACs are agreed through the EU-Norway Agreement. The fishing pressure on this stock has always been at levels above MSY, and while the spawning stock is currently in a good state, recruitment has been declining. Therefore, scientific advice for 2020 is an 11.1% reduction in TAC. In 2019 the European Union and Norway jointly requested ICES to advise on the long-term management strategies on joint stocks, including haddock, and ICES recommended its own MSY approach as the most precautionary solution. Until a strategy is agreed upon, ICES advice continues to be used.


In the European Union (EU), EU fishing vessels can fish up to 12 nautical miles of any Member State coast, and closer by agreement. There is overarching fisheries legislation for all Member States, but implementation varies between fisheries, Member States and sea basins.
The EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is the primary overarching policy. Its key environmental objectives are to restore and maintain harvested species at healthy levels (above BMSY), and apply the precautionary and ecosystem-based approaches to fisheries management. To achieve the MSY objective, the MSY exploitation rate is supposed to be achieved by 2020, but this seems unlikely to happen.
The CFP also introduced a Landing Obligation (LO) which bans the discarding at sea of species which are subject to catch limits. Some exemptions apply to species with high post-capture survival, and where avoiding unwanted catches is very difficult. These exemptions are outlined in regional discard plans. Despite quota ‘uplift’ being granted to fleets under the LO, available evidence suggests there has been widespread non-compliance with the policy, and illegal and unreported discarding is likely occurring.
Multi-Annual Plans (MAPs) are a tool for implementing the CFP regionally, with one in place or being developed for each sea basin. They specify fishing mortality targets and ranges for the main targeted species, as well as lower biomass reference points. If populations drop below these points it should trigger a management response. The MAPs also empower Member States to jointly apply measures such as closures, gear or capacity limits, and bycatch limits. There is concern however that the MAPs do not provide adequate safeguards to maintain all stocks at healthy levels.
The EU Technical Measures regulation addresses how, where and when fishing can take place in order to limit unwanted catches and ecosystem impacts. There are common measures that apply to all EU sea basins, and regional measures that vary between sea basins. Measures include Minimum Conservation Reference Sizes (MCRS, previously Minimum Landing Sizes, MLS), gear specifications, mesh sizes, closed areas, and bycatch limits.
The Control Regulation, which is being revised in 2019, addresses application of and compliance with the above, e.g. keeping catches within limits, recording and sharing data, and satellite tracking of vessels over 12 metres (VMS).

Capture Information

Criterion score: 0.5 info

Less than 4% of haddock in this fishery is caught by longlining. Longlining is not a well targeted fishing activity, and longliners in the demersal fisheries of the North Atlantic are known to take moderate quantities of vulnerable marine species, e.g. seabirds, sea turtles and sharks. Seabirds can be particularly vulnerable to longlines during the setting phase. Bycatch levels in EU longline fisheries may have had a negative impact on the population abundance of some bird species, e.g. the black-legged kittiwake, which has experienced severe decline in areas 4 and 6 as well as in Norway. Since haddock is mostly taken in mixed fisheries with cod and whiting, ICES scientists have advised that fishing for haddock should take place without bycatch or discards of cod. For cod, haddock, saithe and whiting in the North Sea and Skagerrak, if more than 10% of the catch by weight is juveniles (smaller than 35cm, 30cm, 35cm, or 27cm respectively), the area in which they were caught is closed for 3 weeks.

Set longlines have little interaction with the seabed compared to other fishing activities, but they can get entangled on habitat features. Mooring weights/anchors can cause abrasion and penetration of the seabed.

Alternatives

Based on method of production, fish type, and consumer rating: only fish rated 2 and below are included as an alternative in the list below. Click on a name to show the sustainable options available.