MSC pre-assessment made public 

Participants confirmed 

Workplan published: 

North Sea plaice - 29 March 2018 

NS lemon sole - 30 Nov 2018

UK Lemon Sole Steering Committee meeting held; the harvest strategy and HCR were discussed

A Joint Fisheries Statement has been drafted which includes a FMP applicable to English waters; the JFS has been published for consultation

ICES has issued advice on the recommended TAC for lemon sole in 2023

FIP has produced a 5-year annual review report which includes a revised pre-assessment. 

A wheelhouse guide prototype has been developed out of a steering group sub-committee; the guide will build on the SFSAG skates and rays guide and help skippers identify ETP species 

November 2021 Steering Group meeting minutes made available; members drafted a harvest strategy 

A recent stock status review was completed by Project UK 

Meeting held to discuss Principle I and Principle II. 

A meeting was held to discuss progress on the stage 1 action plan for plaice and lemon sole

A report on catch composition was progressed by Steering Group members. This included a paper on existing initiatives being applied.

An ETP strategy has been developed for the SFSAG certified fisheries and  has been shared with the steering group 

A review was undertaken by Cefas on the Habitat assessment of plaice and lemon sole

Provisional agreement on a proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on establishing a multi-annual plan for demersal stocks in the North Sea and the fisheries exploiting those stocks and repealing Council Regulation

Undertake stock assessment 

Increase to PI 3.2.2; There is a decision-making process in place with regard to shared stocks like plaice and lemon sole

Increase to PI 2.3.2; SFSAG re-assessment conducted. No ETP conditions for the vessels within this UoA have been identified.

Increase to PI 3.1.1; The UK has exited the EU with resulting amendments to UK legislation confirming robust management systems in place resulting in >80 score

Increase to PI 3.1.2; The Fisheries Act and Joint Fisheries Statement outlines defined management roles and procedures

Increase in PI 2.3.3; Adequate information on ETP species continues to be collected. Through collaboration with the UK fishing industry, Clean Catch UK have produced an app designed to gather data on accidental wildlife bycatch

Increase in PI 3.2.4; The fishery-specific management systems are subject to an external review

Increase in 2.4.3 BMT score; the information presented in the habitat reporting shows that what is available through VMS and logbooks for these vessels, and its comparison against existing habitat information, is sufficient to score >80

Assessment of UoA interaction with the latest ETP species list was undertaken by WWF.

Increase in MSC PI 1.1.2. score - A review of 1.2.2 conditions for certified plaice fisheries by the SG has identified that this issue is now addressed in the LTMP for plaice.  The North Sea Demersal MAP includes  plaice and  provides well defined HCRs 

Improvement in MSC PI 2.2.2 - PUKFI review of alternative measures to address unwanted catch

Improvement on MSC PI 1.2.4 - publication of the 2017 ICES stock assessment with the current status of the lemon sole stock fluctuating around MSY

Increase in PI 2.2.1; Nephrops being treated as primary species, combined with the Cefas review of catch composition (2018) there are no ‘main’ secondary species

Increase in MSC PI 2.4.1 - available information about the impacts of the fishery on the habitat

Increase in MSC PI 1.1.1 - ICES confirmed that the stock is consistent or fluctuating around MSY