The best environmental choice in seafood

1. Disclaimer If any interpretive issues arise in relation to the issues covered in these presentations, the text of the MSC Scheme Documents will prevail in all instances. The MSC is not responsible for any issues arising to any parties as a result of consulting these presentations. If you are unsure of any details on any of the subjects covered, please consult the relevant MSC scheme documents or contact the MSC at standards@msc.org. MSC Executive November 2011 The best environmental choice in seafood

2. Low Trophic Level Fisheries Clarification of requirements for scoring the Reference Points PI 1.1.2

3. Team Challenge • Teams of 3-4 • How many low trophic level species can each team name? • Limited time only • Share answers

4. Learning Objectives • To understand how key LTL species are defined • To be able to identify key LTL species • To understand how the reference points PI should be scored for these species

5. Agenda • Background • Implementation • What is a key LTL species? • Reference Point Requirements • Questions & Answers • Test! Photo: Sakurai Midori

6. Background • LTL species – critical role in ecosystems • FAM required special consideration of LTL species, including setting reference points higher than default BMSY ... • ... But FAM did not provide quantitative expectations for requirements for LTL species • New requirements developed during a 2-year project with active stakeholder engagement • Scientific studies published in Science (here)

7. Implementation • By 15 August 2011for fisheries not yet in assessment or have not yet held a site visit ... or ... • At time of reassessment for certified fisheries or those that have already held their site visit • See more details at end on implications...

8. Which species are ‘key LTL’ species? Criteria to identify key LTL spp. in Appendix 3: • Life history characteristics • Plankton feeders; trophic level 2-4; small size; early maturity; high fecundity; short life span; schooling behaviour • Key role in ecosystem • Large trophic ‘connectance’ (>4% of all links), or • High energy transfer through the species, or • Few other species at this level (‘wasp-waisted’)

9. Two ways to identify a key LTL species • Species is of a type listed in Appendix 1 and meets one or more of the ‘ecosystem role’ sub-criteria in Appendix 2 • Species is not of a type listed in Appendix 1 but still meets all of the ‘life history characteristics’ criteria in Appendix 3 and one or more of the ‘ecosystem role’ sub-criteria • Burden of proof to show species is not key LTL • CABs to determine status at time of assessment and review at each surveillance

10. Reference Point requirementsfor key LTL species • Default assumptions for BMSY and BLIM remain as given currently (as in FAM para 6.2.19 / CB 2.3.3) • These RPs cover the ‘single species’ situation • These still scored in scoring issues 2 and 3 • Higher reference point requirements to allow for the ‘ecosystem needs’ now clarified for SG60 and 80 (paras 8 and 9 of TAB Directive / CB2.3.17-18)

11. PI 1.1.2 requirements at SG60 • Default Target Reference Point (TRP) shall be ‘substantially above’ (15% above) the single-species BMSY, … and in any case shall not be less than 40%B0 • Default Limit Reference Point (LRP) shall be half the TRP, … and in any case shall not be less than 20%B0

12. PI 1.1.2 requirements at SG80 • Default TRP shall be 75%B0 • Higher or lower TRP may still score 80, if CB can demonstrate that the level does not: • Impact the abundance of more than 15% of other species/groups by >40% (compared to no fishing) or • Reduce the abundance of any other single species/group by >70% • Default LRP shall be half the TRP, and in any case shall not be less than 20%B0

13. Reference Point Requirements for normal species and …. key LTL species SG60 Default TRP ‘substanti-ally above’ BMSY (+15%) SG80 Default TRP 75% B0 Lower levels OK if impacts within allowed levels ‘Ecosystem needs’ LRP at half level of TRP (37.5%B0 if default used, or other level) SG60 Minimum allowed LRP at 20%B0or half TRP SG60 Minimum allowed TRP (‘fluc-tuating around’ this level) SG80 SG60 LRP

14. Other points on Reference Points • If surrogate (= proxy) RPs are used, these must be shown by CBs to be equivalent to the ‘%B0’ approach outlined above • Use of the Risk-Based Framework (RBF) • MSC still working on requirements for this • RBF not permitted until new requirements defined for PI 1.1.1 (expect during 2012)

15. Guidance • Use of models – levels of species aggregation (GCB2.3.15) • Use of diet information - % of connections • Definition of ‘wasp-waited’ ecosystems • “typically dominated by only one, or at most a few” LTL species that transfer a very large proportion of the total primary production through the lower part of the food web, that account for the vast majority of predator diets and that control the abundance of both the prey and the predators of these LTL species. • PI 1.1.2 focus on reference points; PI 2.5.1 focus on outcome (GCB3.17.4)

16. Implications for fisheries • At the time that requirements apply, fishery must achieve at least the SG60 level for PI 1.1.2 • TRP set above BMSY (+15%), and at least 40%B0 • LRP at least ½ TRP, and at least 20%B0 • Fishery must achieve SG80 level within 5 years • TRP set at 75%B0 or other level shown to be within allowed impact levels • LRP still at least ½ TRP • Normal scoring applies for PI 1.1.1 at all times • ‘Likely’ above LRP at SG60, fluctuating around TRP at 80

17. Test! • How would a CB show that a cod stock was not ‘key LTL’? • Would a herring or anchovy stock always be ‘key LTL’? • Must the TRP always be set at 75%B0 to achieve an 80 score? • Could LRP=23%B0 and TRP=38%B0 achieve a 60 score? • Can the RBF be used for key LTL species?

18. Answers • How would a CB show that a cod stock was not ‘key LTL’? Cod not in Appendix 1 so just show Appendix 3 Criteria 1 not met (easy) • Would a herring or anchovy stock always be ‘key LTL’? No. These species are in Appendix 1, but some stocks may not meet any of the ‘ecosystem role’ criteria in Appendix 2 • Must the TRP always be set at 75%B0 to achieve an 80 score? No. This is the default, but the TRP can be adjusted up or down within allowed impact levels • Could LRP=23%B0 and TRP=38%B0 achieve a 60 score? No. 23% LRP is ok as > ½ TRP, but 38% < minimum allowed 40% level for TRP • Can the RBF be used for key LTL species? Not yet (watch this space, method in development)

19. Questions & Answers Questions?