The exploratory fishery is a part of the Institute of Marine Research work in developing a new method for amount estimation of sandeel.
According to the most recent estimate of SSB (Stock Spawning Biomass) (2009), ICES classifies the stock as being at risk of reduced reproductive capacity.
Management technical regulations of the fishery
ICES recommends that management should try to prevent local depletion of sandeel aggregations, particularly in areas where predators congregate. Since 2000, the Firth of Forth area on the east coast of Scotland has been closed to protect nesting kittiwakes (birds). Since 2007 ICES has recommended closing of the fishery no later than August 1st to protect young of the year sandeel. In April 2007 and 2008, EU and Norway carried out joint exploratory fisheries as a basis for setting a TAC for the rest of the year. Except for 2007, landings of sandeel from the North Sea have never been restricted by quotas. In the Norwegian zone, though, there was only a limited exploratory fishery in 2006, whereas in 2008 Norwegian authorities close the fishery before the quota was taken because of a very poor year-class in the Norwegian zone in 2007.
Between 2001 and 2007 the spawning stock of sandeel (SSB) was at a very low level and was considered to have had reduced reproductive capacity. However, the most recent estimate of SSB (2008) ICES classifies the stock as having full reproductive capacity, but the stock is forecast to decline below the precautionary limit (Bpa) at the start of 2009. For 2009 ICES recommended that fishing grounds that are known to be commercially depleted should be closed to fishing until there is evidence from monitoring programs that local populations have recovered.
Mesh sizes in sandeel trawls are limited to less than 16 mm, and by-catches are restricted to maximum five percent in the EU zone and 10 per cent in the Norwegian zone. In recent years, by-catches in the Norwegian sandeel fishery have varied between 1 and 3 per cent.
Ecosystem
Sandeels are important prey for a variety of predators, including fish, sea birds and mammals, and as such, constitute an important link between the pelagic community and organisms higher up the food chain.
Sandeels are small, eel-like fishes that bury in the bottom substrate. Although there are five species of sandeel in the North Sea, landings are totally dominated by one species, namely lesser sandeel (Ammodytes marinus). The patchiness of suitable habitat consisting of relatively coarse sand is a key constraint on the distribution of sandeels. Lesser sandeel emerge temporarily from the sandy bottom around New Year to spawn. Around March to April, one year and older sandeel emerge from the bottom to feed on pelagic zooplankton during daytime, but bury in sand during the night. In June to July, the majorities of older sandeel stop feeding and go into hibernation. However, young-of-the-year sandeel continue to feed until October before hibernating.
About the fishery
The main fishing season for sandeel is between April and June with one and two year old sandeel dominating landings. Historically, the fishery started at a moderate level in the early 1950s and increased gradually to around 150 000 tons in the latter half of the1960s. In the 1970s, the fishery developed rapidly, and after 1980 annual landings have fluctuated around 800 000 tons. In 2003, landings dropped abruptly and have fluctuated between 170 000 and 360 000 tons. The collapse of the fishery was particularly severe in the Norwegian economical zone with a close to 95 per cent reduction in landings in 2005.