October 2024 – Catch Limit Review
Consultation description
September 2024 - Overview of recent catch limit decisions
Since the last catch limit review, we have changed the following catch limits due to requests from industry.
Pollack 7 – 10m & Under pool:
MMO have decided to raise the catch limit for pollack in ICES area 7 to 200kg per month, to make use of remaining quota from the MMO’s original allocation, in addition to quota traded in by the MMO’s quota managers. This follows the decision not to raise the catch limit using banked pollack quota from 2023, which stands.
With vessel landings taken into account, the remaining quota across the English non-sector pools, excluding banked quota and following recent inward quota trades, is approximately 45 tonnes for the remainder of the year.
Having reviewed uptake for 2023 and 2024 to date, the catch limit will be increased as of the end of this week (approximately 15th September 2024) to 200kg per month. Licence holders will be notified via the usual process.
Uptake will remain under continuous review for the rest of the year and catch limits adjusted as required to maximise uptake of the MMO’s original allocation of pollack 7 quota.
The decision to raise the catch limit at this time has been taken to help support the end of the handline fishing season. Handliners are the most sustainable and selective form of fishing and are reliant on the pollack fishery. This decision is in line with the MMOs obligations under the Fisheries Act 2020.
The MMO remains committed to its stance on not utilising banked quota to increase the pollack catch limit as catch scenarios produced by ICES for 2024 suggested that if no banked quota was used in 2024, the stock size would increase by 20% (assuming perfect compliance with the regulations, and not considering recreational catches). It is estimated that if the UK used the entirety of its banked quota (164t, of which 98.5t sits in the non-sector), this would reduce the expected benefit to the stock size by around 40%.
Pollack 7 – Over 10m non-sector:
The MMO have decided to raise the catch limit for pollack in ICES area 7 to 200kg per month for vessels in the over 10m non-sector from 1st October 2024 following recent industry requests. The MMO is able to support this increase using allocated quota and will keep this position under continuous review for the remainder of the year.
Overview of Catch limit Changes
10m & under vessels
| Stock by Area | September 2024 | September 2024 increase |
|---|---|---|
| Pollack – Area 7 | 0.1t monthly | 0.2t monthly |
Over 10m Non-Sector Vessels Category
| Stock by Area | September 2024 | September 2024 increase |
|---|---|---|
| Lemon Sole – Area 7d | 0.2t monthly | 0.5t monthly |