Monkfish

 
 
 

  The South West monkfish Action Plan identifies 11 actions to address over the five-year duration of the FIP, covering 17 of the MSC Standard performance indicators. Each action consists of multiple milestones.

 
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To reach the best practice level of the MSC Standard (SG 80), this FIP is focussing on: 

Principle 1 (stock status):

  • Defining appropriate reference points for black-bellied monkfish, Lophius budegassa, and the introduction of probabilistic analysis of stock assessment with confidence limits;

  • Developing a harvest strategy including management specific to each monkfish species;

  • Developing harvest control rules and tools that apply at stock level; and 

  • Developing alternative management measures to reduce unwanted catch

Principle 2 (environmental impact):

  • Understanding the catch composition;

  • Identifying interactions with endangered, threatened and protected (ETP) species and developing additional management requirements in an ETP strategy; and

  • Reducing the impact of demersal and beam trawl gear on habitats, especially vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs). 

Principle 3 (management):

  • Developing a Fisheries Management Plan (FMP), which also documents stakeholder roles and responsibilities; and 

  • Developing short- and long-term fishery objectives; and

  • Commissioning external evaluation of the management of these monkfish fisheries.

 

Progress and updates

Priorities and challenges are highlighted in the MSC Performance Indicator Graph (right) and correspond to the three principles of the MSC Standard. More detail on the progress against these actions can be found in the FIP Action Plan.

The monkfish FIP is independently assessed by FisheryProgress.org. The FIP pre-assessment (conducted in 2016) is available here.

In 2022, the funders and Steering Group members reviewed the impacts of Brexit and the global pandemic on the progress of the FIP actions. They agreed to extend this FIP by two years to ensure that all identified actions impacted by these unforeseen events have the time and attention required to complete them. The updated action plan focuses on progressing the stock assessment for black bellied monkfish, mitigating the impacts of gear on the habitat, and supporting the development of a Fishery Management Plan.

 
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Scoring levels across MSC Performance Indicators for each monkfish fishery at the end of Year 6.

The monkfish FIP is supported by dedicated experts representing a range of stakeholder organisations.

Participants

Brixham Trawler Agents • Centre for Environmental & Fisheries Science (Cefas) • COOP (Switzerland) • Cornish Fish Producers Organisation (CFPO) • Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) • Devon and Severn IFCA • Falfish • Interfish • Marine Management Organisation (MMO) • Marks and Spencer • Natural England • Sainsbury’s • Seafish • South West Fish Producers Organisation • Western Fish Producer Organisation • WWF • WWF Switzerland

 
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Meeting Minutes

 

Minutes: Steering Group Meeting.

23/02/2023

Minutes: Steering Group Meeting.

2022

12/09/2022

Minutes: Steering Group Meeting.

14/03/2022

Minutes: Steering Group Meeting.

2021

19/01/2021

Minutes: Principle 3 meeting.

28/01/2021

Minutes: Principle 1 and 2 meeting.

22/06/2021

Minutes: Principle 3 and commercial update

24/06/2021

Minutes: Principle 1 and 2 meeting

2020

23/07/2020

Minutes: Steering Group Meeting.

20/07/2020

Minutes: Principle 2 meeting.

11/02/2020

Minutes: Steering Group Meeting.

 

2019

04/09/2019

Minutes: Steering Group Meeting.

2018

22/11/2018

Minutes: Steering Group Meeting.

19/06/2018

Minutes: Steering Group Meeting.

01/02/2018

Minutes: Steering Group Meeting.

2017

03/10/2017

Minutes: Steering Group Meeting.

19/01/2017

Minutes: Steering Group Meeting.

2016

02/06/2016

Minutes: Steering Group Meeting.