On February 19 the Baltic Sea Advisory Council (BSAC) met in Copenhagen to discussion the development of a new Technical Measures Framework. This included specifically catch metrics, selectivity profiles, and closed areas. BSAC also included an afternoon discussion about the existing technical measures.
Shifting from input to output controls, or a results-based management logic, is one of the goals in the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The existing input controls, such as prescriptive details on mesh sizes and catch compositions, may be replaced with objectives and general standards. These objectives are still developing. Catch metrics, selectivity profiles, and a review of closed areas are the current alternatives under Commission consideration.
In principle, catch metrics define an output result in a fishery. This differs from catch composition regulations in that catch metrics are not necessarily specific to a gear type. Because the fisher’s catch profile is managed rather than the technology, fishers have increased freedom to modify their gears for increased selectivity.
Selectivity profiles represent the expected catch composition of a specific gear type, which could be used to determine what gears are most in line with the objectives of the CFP. Legislating selectivity profiles could represent a return to prescriptive management of gear types, which is contrary to the logic in the CFP of developing wider objectives and general standards. Selectivity profiles for gears could still be useful as a technically informative tool for fishermen wishing to more precisely tune their equipment.
With freedom comes responsibility, and the increased freedom in fishing gear design under catch metrics represents a need for increased responsibility in the fleet. The selectivity profiles of existing gears are already reasonably well established. These existing profiles make it easier for scientists to calculate anticipated habitat impacts and bycatch. However, even small modifications to fishing gear can have dramatic impacts on the catch composition and fishing characteristics of that gear, negating previous assumptions about the gear’s impact. These changes present the necessity to couple the introduction of catch metrics with robust catch monitoring and documentation aboard all vessels participating in a strictly output-controlled fishery. A catch monitoring program will also help ensure adherence to the landing obligation.
Discussion on closed areas was relatively short, and there was no clear joint conclusion on closures under the MAP. The discussion in BSAC on catch metrics and selectivity profiles was generally positive in that technical measures restrict fisher’s ability to innovate. Some proposed minimum gear regulations, but generally we found consensus on the issue. Debate was more intensive on the need for full catch documentation, and FISH maintains its support for full documentation of vessels with increased freedom in gear design.