NORTHERN SHRIMP IN THE SNÆFELLSNES AREA Pandalus borealis
Publication of Advice: 30 April 2025. Published by Marine and Freshwater Research Institute.
Advice
MFRI advises in accordance with the MSY approach that catches in each of the periods 1 May 2025 to 15 March 2026 and 1 May 2026 to 15 March 2027 should be no more than 460 tonnes.
Stock development
Fishable biomass index is above Ilim and the fishing pressure is below Fproxy.
Northern shrimp Snæfellsnes. Catches, Fproxy and fishable biomass indices with Itrigger and Ilim.
Basis of the Assessment and reference points*
Basis of the advice | MSY approach |
Management plan | There is no management plan for this stock |
Assessment type | Trends in biomass indicators |
Input data | Commercial catch and survey biomass indices (Icelandic shrimp survey) |
Approach | Reference point | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
MSY approach | Fproxy | 0.5 | Historical relationship between catch and survey index |
Precautionary approach | Ilim | 520 | Proxy for Blim. Biomass index value of 20% of the mean of the three highest indices. |
Itrigger | 520 | Ilim |
The ICES framework for short lived stocks for which analytical assessment is not possible but trends in biomass indicators are assumed to reflect changes in stock dynamics was applied (Category 3 stock, ICES, 2022).
Survey biomass index of northern shrimp, along with catch, is used to calculate Fproxy (catch/survey biomass). The advice is based on multiplying the most recent index value with the target Fproxy value.
Northern shrimp Snæfellsnes. Advice calculation.
Ay: Catch advice for 2024/2025 | 375 |
Biomass index | |
Latest index value (I2025) | 920 |
Fishing pressure proxy** | |
Fproxy: Historical relationship between catch and survey index | 0.5 |
Biomass safeguard | |
Index trigger value (Itrigger) | 520 |
b: Index relative to trigger value, min{I2025/Itrigger, 1} | 1 |
Precautionary multiplier to maintain biomass above Blim with 95% probability | |
Catch advice for 2025/20261) | 460 |
% advice change2) | 23 |
1) Ay+1 = Iy× Fproxy × b | |
2) The figures in the table are rounded. Calculations were done with unrounded inputs, and compared values may not match exactly when calculated using the rounded figures in the table. | |
Prospects
A high proportion of the stock is mature females, whereas males compose a considerably lower proportion of the fishable biomass. The absence of juveniles (MFRI Assessment Reports 2025) indicates that the recruitment patterns and drift of larvae from adjacent areas are unknown.
Other information
The abundance of cod and haddock 2 years and older was low. The abundance of 1 year old haddock was been very high in the shrimp survey since 2020. As sorting grids are mandatory in the fishery, the discarding of fish is considered negligible.
Advice, Tac and catch
Northern shrimp Snæfellsnes. Recommended TAC, national TAC, and catches (tonnes).
Fishing year | Recommended TAC | National TAC | Total catch |
|---|---|---|---|
2002/2003 | 300 | 300 | 89 |
2003/2004 | 200 | 200 | 209 |
2004/2005 | 200 | 200 | 265 |
2005/2006 | 200 | 200 | 238 |
2006/2007 | 200 | 200 | 316 |
2007/2008 | 400 | 400 | 530 |
2008/2009 | 400 | 400 | 779 |
2009/2010 | 900 | 900 | 830 |
2010/2011 | 450 | 414 | |
2011/2012 | 850 | 1 632 | |
2012/2013 | 1 000 | 1 755 | |
2013/2014 | 950 | 1 698 | |
2014/2015 | 600 | 600 | 133 |
2015/2016 | 700 | 700 | 590 |
2016/2017 | 820 | 820 | 826 |
2017/2018 | 698 | 698 | 645 |
2018/2019 | 442 | 442 | 516 |
2019/2020 | 393 | 393 | 90 |
2020/2021 | 491 | 491 | 304 |
2021/2022 | 393 | 393 | 325 |
2022/2023 | 393 | 393 | 239 |
2023/2024 | 375 | 375 | 56 |
2024/2025 | 375 | 375 | 143 |
2025/2026 | 460 | ||
2026/2027 | 460 |
References and further reading
ICES. 2022. ICES technical guidance for harvest control rules and stock assessments for stocks in categories 2 and 3. In Report of ICES Advisory Committee, 2022. ICES Advice 2022, Section 16.4.11. (https://doi.org/10.17895/ices.advice.19801564).
MFRI Assessment Reports 2025. Northern shrimp Snæfellsnes. Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, 30 April 2025.