OSPAR request for status assessments for Atlantic cod, orange roughy and Atlantic bluefin tuna

ICES drafted status assessments for Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus), and Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) following the approach and format defined in the OSPAR Guidance on the Development of Status Assessments for the OSPAR List of Threatened and/or Declining Species and Habitats (Agreement 2019-05 OSPAR, 2019). In the draft assessments, statuses are reported at the species level by OSPAR region. When there is more than one recognized stock of a species in an OSPAR region, or stocks span region boundaries, variations in individual stock status and the allocations of stocks to regions are described.

For Atlantic cod, information on spawning‑stock biomass (SSB) in relation to reference points and on SSB trends is available for six stocks and substocks (hereafter referred to as “stocks”) in OSPAR Region I, three in Region II, and two in Region III. Cod are present in regions IV and V, but information on SSB in relation to reference points and on SSB trends is not available. The eleven stocks span a range of status classifications. In general, northern stocks have a more favourable biomass status than those at the southern end of the distribution, where stocks tend to have reduced reproductive capacity and high exploitation rates. At a species level, and following the OSPAR criteria, ICES concluded that cod in Region I were in good status, while cod in Region II and Region III were in poor status.

For orange roughy, there are no assessments of SSB in relation to reference points or SSB trends. The previous OSPAR assessment defined its status as poor in Region I and Region V. Given the magnitude of fishing‑induced depletion from the early 1990s to the late 2000s and the very low biological productivity of the species, ICES concluded that SSB would still be low. Biomass increases are expected in the longer term because the main threat to orange roughy, from fishing, is now strongly reduced by fishery regulation. At a species level, and following the OSPAR criteria, ICES concluded that orange roughy in Region I and Region V remain in poor status.

For Atlantic bluefin tuna, assessments of the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean population provide information on stock status and SSB trends. Spawning‑stock biomass has increased substantially since the 2003 OSPAR listing and is now at the highest levels since the 1960s. Spatial distribution has expanded. There are effective management measures in place, and there is no overfishing. At a species level, and following the OSPAR criteria, ICES concluded that Atlantic bluefin tuna in Region V were in good status (Region V is the main area of distribution for Atlantic bluefin tuna and the focus of the assessment, but they also visit all other OSPAR regions).