NWWAC outlines 2025 choke risks in North Western Waters, urging balanced policies for sustainable fisheries management
The North Western Waters Advisory Council (NWWAC) has released its 2025 advice on addressing choke risks, a longstanding challenge under the EU’s Landing Obligation (LO).
Despite progress through exemptions and technical measures, the report warns that many fisheries in the North Western Waters (NWW) region still face significant risks that threaten their viability.
Choke Risks: A Continuing Challenge
The Landing Obligation, a key component of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), mandates that all catches of regulated species must be landed, effectively prohibiting discards. While intended to promote sustainability, it has created significant challenges for mixed fisheries, where unavoidable bycatch of non-target species with strict quotas can lead to early closure of fishing activities—a situation known as a “choke.”
The NWWAC states:
“Even with the current measures in the 2024-2027 Discard Plan, choke risks remain for many stocks, threatening early closure of multiple fisheries.”
Key Stocks at High Risk
The report identifies several stocks in the Celtic Sea, West of Scotland, and Irish Sea as high-risk choke species. For instance:
- Haddock (Celtic Sea): A 44% reduction in scientific advice has resulted in a 23% cut to the Total Allowable Catch (TAC), creating economic challenges for fishers.
- Cod (West of Scotland): The TAC was reduced by 20% due to concerns over depleted sub-stocks, with NWWAC calling for stock-specific management to avoid overly broad restrictions.
- Whiting (Irish Sea): Despite significant efforts to improve selectivity, bycatch remains high, further exacerbating choke risks.
Additionally, the council noted anomalies in scientific assessments, with fishers observing higher abundance of some stocks at sea than reflected in official data. This disconnect raises concerns about the accuracy of quotas and assessments.
Proposed Solutions
The NWWAC recommends a multifaceted approach to reduce choke risks:
- Enhanced Data Collection: Improved monitoring and assessment of stocks, including recruitment and bycatch levels, to ensure quotas reflect reality.
- Increased Flexibility: Adjustments to TACs to account for unavoidable bycatch, particularly for zero-catch advice stocks.
- Technical Measures: Continued development of selective fishing gear to avoid non-target species and reduce discards.
- Socio-Economic Support: Financial assistance for fishers to adapt to new measures and mitigate economic impacts.
Climate Change and Ecosystem Changes
The report also highlights the growing impact of climate change on fish distributions and recruitment, noting that these shifts could create new choke risks or exacerbate existing ones. The NWWAC calls for an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management to address these changes effectively.
Pelagic Bycatch and Offshore Energy Impacts
The council raised concerns about bycatch of pelagic species in demersal fisheries and the potential impacts of offshore renewable energy (ORE) developments on fisheries. In the Irish Sea, anecdotal evidence suggests that Nephrops catches have significantly decreased after ORE survey activities, prompting the NWWAC to recommend a full assessment of these impacts.
Collaboration and Future Strategy
The NWWAC emphasises the importance of collaboration between the EU, the UK, and stakeholders to address choke risks effectively. As the EU evaluates the CFP and the LO, the council sees an opportunity to rethink its strategy:
“A European strategy on discards must balance environmental objectives with the economic realities of fishing communities.”
The NWWAC’s advice underscores the urgency of refining fisheries management policies to ensure both sustainability and the livelihoods of those in the fishing industry.