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Fish stock assessment—Changes at ICES
Volume 10/Number 6/June 1979
"Well, we finally made it through four hundred miles of polluted sea - I only hope the girls made it!"
Fish Stock AssessmentChanges at ICES The Report of the Liaison Committee of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), the 'bible' of international fish stock management in the north east Atlantic during the last 30 years, is no more. In its place we have the reports of the ICES Advisory Committee on Fishery Management, the first of which, covering the year 1978, has just been issued as Cooperative Research Report No. 85 and runs to 157pp. The change has been made to meet the requirements of the new situation brought about by the extension of national fishing limits to 200 miles (with the consequent reduced role of the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission, NEAFC), the development of the Common Fisheries Policy of the EEC and the creation of the International Baltic Sea Fisheries Commission. The new Advisory Committee consists of one scientist nominated by each member country of ICES, the Chairmen of the Council's Demersal, Pelagic and Baltic Fish Committees as ex-officio members (changing at regular intervals), with a Chairman nominated by the Consultative Committee of ICES. It is stressed that 'all members are appointed by the Council and ... are responsible only to ICES in providing the best scientific advice on the state of
the stocks, and the measures necessary for their efficient management'. Although the ICES mechanism for providing advice on fishery management has changed, the principles on which this advice is based remain the same. One may be excused for murmuring 'plus 9a change.., la m~me chose" and for pointing out that scientific advice has usually been more than adequate to maintain productive fish stocks if human greed could be restrained. What is required is honest, effective, sustained and totally realistic control of fishing effort. For the foreseeable future 'control' in this context means 'reduction'. The new Committee is larger than the Liaison Committee but so far increase in size has not produced additional qualifications and uncertainties in the advice given; it is mostly crisp and clear and all too easy to understand. The writing on the wall is clear provided that national fishery administrations do not view it through rose-tinted spectacles. There is no place for optimism in fish stock conservation. Cooperative Research Report No.85 is a meaty document. In general the outlook for the fish stocks is discouraging with a few exceptions, particularly North Sea plaice and sole. For herring the bell tolls and it is a funeral peal. For 1979, outside the Baltic, total allowable catches (TACs) of nil are recommended for all stocks reported upon except those to the west of Ireland (7000 tons) and in the Irish Sea (11 000 tons). In contrast to this picture of decimation by overfishing, the Baltic herring stock has survived and is well above the pre-1973 level of abundance - t h e recommended TAC for 1979 is 386000 t o n s - a matter for reflection by those loose thinkers in environ151
Marine Pollution Bulletin
mental pressure groups who quote the Baltic as a seriously polluted area. Cooperative Research Report No. 86 has also been issued by ICES and is of great importance to anyone concerned to obtain, in summarized form, an up to date picture of the 'biology, distribution and state of exploitation of fish stocks in the ICES area'. This report, running to 202pp with 66 most informative figures and numerous tables, forms Part 11 of the ICES' statement regarding the fish stocks of the N.E. Atlantic, Part 1, dealing only with the North Sea, having appeared in 1978 as Cooperative Research Report No.74. One can only commend the clarity and economy of presentation of the facts and anyone wishing to have on hand a convenient source of easily understood information, without problems of mathematical interpretation, cannot do better than keep these two reports on a convenient shelf. It is particularly valuable to have information about the less important or recently exploited stocks such as, for example, lemon sole and Greenland halibut in the first category and blue ling and horse mackerel in the second. Part 1I includes a statement on stocks in the Baltic area and also a section devoted to stocks whose distribution extends across more than one region. For all species and stocks the notes on distribution include information on the spread of stocks outside national and 200-mile limit areas (treating the EEC countries as one group) and brings out the extent of international cooperation needed if certain stocks are to be efficiently managed. Hake and blue whiting provide important examples, the former extending from the coasts of Norway to Cape Blanc in Mauritania and the latter from approximately 35-80°N, i.e. from Morocco to the north coast of Spitzbergen. If there are distinct regional stocks within these ranges then they have not so far been distinguished. These two species are specially mentioned because young hake urgently need more protection in the southern half of their range (off the coasts of Portugal, Spain and the Bay of Biscay) if yields are to approach the optimum and blue whiting is clearly an immense stock which is very lightly exploited at present. In a pollution context it is of special value to have summarized information on spawning areas and nursery grounds for young fish in coastal areas likely to be affected by potentially harmful discharges of industrial wastes and sewage. The ability of ICES to assemble and publish this mass of information and to deliver, year by year, authoritative assessments of the state of exploited fish stocks throughout the northeast Atlantic and in the Baltic Sea should convince any sceptic of the need to sustain this organization at full strength in the new world fishing situation and, in particular, while national fleets are being re-structured and new fishing patterns established. Most of the scientific effort within ICES is of a collective cooperative nature and it is usually invidious to assign credit to particular individuals. However, the first Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Fishery Management, Alan Saville of the Aberdeen Marine Laboratory deserves a mention, as does the International Council's Statistician, Dr V.M. Nikolaev, who acts as the Committee's Secretary. H.A. COLE
152
Tanker Industry Optimisticor Complacent? Despite the catalogue of oil spill disasters throughout the world in recent years, an oil spill conference in Los Angeles was given the optimistic forecast that the petroleum industry now feels it is close to eliminating accidents during the loading, unloading and shipment of oil. The conference was told by James A. Cole Jr, the chairman of the American Petroleum Institute's central committee on transportation that progress had been made in reducing both operational and accidental discharges and new operating procedures had solved the problems of spills during loading and unloading. But many delegates were aware of two recently published sets of statistics which allow less room for complacency. A special report published by Oil Spill Intelligence revealed that during 1978 more than 206 million gallons of oil were spilled or lost in refinery fires; and according to US Coastguard data between 1970-77 oil spills from tankers accounted for almost 65 %oof oil lost during this period. The conference heard that working on a slightly more pessimistic view of the future, the US Coastguard has estabfished a computer-based inventory of clean-up and containment equipment. This system, known as SKIM, will aid coordinators on the spot to decide upon the best combination of the resources available and be able to provide equipment in areas where it is needed in a short space of time. A debate on the use of dispersants resulted in a number of conflicting views although there was general agreement that further research into the ecological effects of chemical dispersants was desirable. A speaker from Exxon argued that water-based dispersants as opposed to those with a hydrocarbon base could remove oil from beaches with less environmental damage. He claimed that tests had shown that while hydrocarbon chemicals cleaned the beach surface they had the effect of driving the oil deeper into the sand, whereas water based dispersants did not. The conference also hear of a new method for diverting oil slicks away from threatened beaches that involves a boom which uses high velocity air jets to blow the oil slick across the water surface so that it can be collected by a skimmer. Developed by Hydronautics Inc, the 10m long cylindrical boom has been tested successfully diverting oil slicks at 3 knots with 85% efficiency.
Dilution of Sewage Report The initial dilution of sewage on discharge into the sea from an outfall pipe is discussed in detail in Technical Report TR99, Chapter 6, now available from the UK Water Research Centre. The report includes a detailed description of the experiments carried out by WRC's Stevenage Laboratory at five outfalls to determine the effect of water movements on initial dilution. There is also an account of laboratory experiments made in conjunction with the Hydraulics Research Station to investigate novel devices for achieving predilution of sewage at the seaward end of an outfall pipe.
"Well, we finally made it through four hundred miles of polluted sea - I only hope the girls made it!"
Fish Stock AssessmentChanges at ICES The Report of the Liaison Committee of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), the 'bible' of international fish stock management in the north east Atlantic during the last 30 years, is no more. In its place we have the reports of the ICES Advisory Committee on Fishery Management, the first of which, covering the year 1978, has just been issued as Cooperative Research Report No. 85 and runs to 157pp. The change has been made to meet the requirements of the new situation brought about by the extension of national fishing limits to 200 miles (with the consequent reduced role of the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission, NEAFC), the development of the Common Fisheries Policy of the EEC and the creation of the International Baltic Sea Fisheries Commission. The new Advisory Committee consists of one scientist nominated by each member country of ICES, the Chairmen of the Council's Demersal, Pelagic and Baltic Fish Committees as ex-officio members (changing at regular intervals), with a Chairman nominated by the Consultative Committee of ICES. It is stressed that 'all members are appointed by the Council and ... are responsible only to ICES in providing the best scientific advice on the state of
the stocks, and the measures necessary for their efficient management'. Although the ICES mechanism for providing advice on fishery management has changed, the principles on which this advice is based remain the same. One may be excused for murmuring 'plus 9a change.., la m~me chose" and for pointing out that scientific advice has usually been more than adequate to maintain productive fish stocks if human greed could be restrained. What is required is honest, effective, sustained and totally realistic control of fishing effort. For the foreseeable future 'control' in this context means 'reduction'. The new Committee is larger than the Liaison Committee but so far increase in size has not produced additional qualifications and uncertainties in the advice given; it is mostly crisp and clear and all too easy to understand. The writing on the wall is clear provided that national fishery administrations do not view it through rose-tinted spectacles. There is no place for optimism in fish stock conservation. Cooperative Research Report No.85 is a meaty document. In general the outlook for the fish stocks is discouraging with a few exceptions, particularly North Sea plaice and sole. For herring the bell tolls and it is a funeral peal. For 1979, outside the Baltic, total allowable catches (TACs) of nil are recommended for all stocks reported upon except those to the west of Ireland (7000 tons) and in the Irish Sea (11 000 tons). In contrast to this picture of decimation by overfishing, the Baltic herring stock has survived and is well above the pre-1973 level of abundance - t h e recommended TAC for 1979 is 386000 t o n s - a matter for reflection by those loose thinkers in environ151
Marine Pollution Bulletin
mental pressure groups who quote the Baltic as a seriously polluted area. Cooperative Research Report No. 86 has also been issued by ICES and is of great importance to anyone concerned to obtain, in summarized form, an up to date picture of the 'biology, distribution and state of exploitation of fish stocks in the ICES area'. This report, running to 202pp with 66 most informative figures and numerous tables, forms Part 11 of the ICES' statement regarding the fish stocks of the N.E. Atlantic, Part 1, dealing only with the North Sea, having appeared in 1978 as Cooperative Research Report No.74. One can only commend the clarity and economy of presentation of the facts and anyone wishing to have on hand a convenient source of easily understood information, without problems of mathematical interpretation, cannot do better than keep these two reports on a convenient shelf. It is particularly valuable to have information about the less important or recently exploited stocks such as, for example, lemon sole and Greenland halibut in the first category and blue ling and horse mackerel in the second. Part 1I includes a statement on stocks in the Baltic area and also a section devoted to stocks whose distribution extends across more than one region. For all species and stocks the notes on distribution include information on the spread of stocks outside national and 200-mile limit areas (treating the EEC countries as one group) and brings out the extent of international cooperation needed if certain stocks are to be efficiently managed. Hake and blue whiting provide important examples, the former extending from the coasts of Norway to Cape Blanc in Mauritania and the latter from approximately 35-80°N, i.e. from Morocco to the north coast of Spitzbergen. If there are distinct regional stocks within these ranges then they have not so far been distinguished. These two species are specially mentioned because young hake urgently need more protection in the southern half of their range (off the coasts of Portugal, Spain and the Bay of Biscay) if yields are to approach the optimum and blue whiting is clearly an immense stock which is very lightly exploited at present. In a pollution context it is of special value to have summarized information on spawning areas and nursery grounds for young fish in coastal areas likely to be affected by potentially harmful discharges of industrial wastes and sewage. The ability of ICES to assemble and publish this mass of information and to deliver, year by year, authoritative assessments of the state of exploited fish stocks throughout the northeast Atlantic and in the Baltic Sea should convince any sceptic of the need to sustain this organization at full strength in the new world fishing situation and, in particular, while national fleets are being re-structured and new fishing patterns established. Most of the scientific effort within ICES is of a collective cooperative nature and it is usually invidious to assign credit to particular individuals. However, the first Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Fishery Management, Alan Saville of the Aberdeen Marine Laboratory deserves a mention, as does the International Council's Statistician, Dr V.M. Nikolaev, who acts as the Committee's Secretary. H.A. COLE
152
Tanker Industry Optimisticor Complacent? Despite the catalogue of oil spill disasters throughout the world in recent years, an oil spill conference in Los Angeles was given the optimistic forecast that the petroleum industry now feels it is close to eliminating accidents during the loading, unloading and shipment of oil. The conference was told by James A. Cole Jr, the chairman of the American Petroleum Institute's central committee on transportation that progress had been made in reducing both operational and accidental discharges and new operating procedures had solved the problems of spills during loading and unloading. But many delegates were aware of two recently published sets of statistics which allow less room for complacency. A special report published by Oil Spill Intelligence revealed that during 1978 more than 206 million gallons of oil were spilled or lost in refinery fires; and according to US Coastguard data between 1970-77 oil spills from tankers accounted for almost 65 %oof oil lost during this period. The conference heard that working on a slightly more pessimistic view of the future, the US Coastguard has estabfished a computer-based inventory of clean-up and containment equipment. This system, known as SKIM, will aid coordinators on the spot to decide upon the best combination of the resources available and be able to provide equipment in areas where it is needed in a short space of time. A debate on the use of dispersants resulted in a number of conflicting views although there was general agreement that further research into the ecological effects of chemical dispersants was desirable. A speaker from Exxon argued that water-based dispersants as opposed to those with a hydrocarbon base could remove oil from beaches with less environmental damage. He claimed that tests had shown that while hydrocarbon chemicals cleaned the beach surface they had the effect of driving the oil deeper into the sand, whereas water based dispersants did not. The conference also hear of a new method for diverting oil slicks away from threatened beaches that involves a boom which uses high velocity air jets to blow the oil slick across the water surface so that it can be collected by a skimmer. Developed by Hydronautics Inc, the 10m long cylindrical boom has been tested successfully diverting oil slicks at 3 knots with 85% efficiency.
Dilution of Sewage Report The initial dilution of sewage on discharge into the sea from an outfall pipe is discussed in detail in Technical Report TR99, Chapter 6, now available from the UK Water Research Centre. The report includes a detailed description of the experiments carried out by WRC's Stevenage Laboratory at five outfalls to determine the effect of water movements on initial dilution. There is also an account of laboratory experiments made in conjunction with the Hydraulics Research Station to investigate novel devices for achieving predilution of sewage at the seaward end of an outfall pipe.