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.
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.
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
Meeting Minutes
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.
2018
22/11/2018
Minutes: Steering Group Meeting.
19/06/2018
Minutes: Steering Group Meeting.
01/02/2018
Minutes: Steering Group Meeting.
Additional Documents
2023
Round 1 Monkfish: Year 6 report (April 2023)
2022
Round 1 Monkfish: Year 5 report (April 2022)
2021
Fishery Progress: Three Year Review (June 2021)
Photos by ©MSC / Nigel Millard (Image 1); ©PublicCo—5009832 via Canva (Image 2) and ©Gyro via Canva (Image 3)