A brief history of lumpfishing, assessment, and management across the North Atlantic

Abstract

This report documents the fishery, assessment, and management of lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) across its distribution range. Targeting lumpfish for their roe on a large scale began in the 1950s in Iceland and Norway and then in Canada in the 1970s and Greenland in the 1990s. When the fishery began, there were few regulations, but limits on vessel size, mesh size, number of nets, and length of the fishing season were gradually implemented over time. Worldwide landings have varied from ca. 2000 to 8000 tonnes of roe between 1977 and 2016. Iceland and Canada accounted for >80% of the landings until 2000. After 2013, Greenland and Iceland accounted for >94%. All countries except Iceland show a decreasing trend in the number of boats participating in the fishery, which is related to several factors: the monetary value of the roe, changes in the abundance of lumpfish, and increasing age of artisanal fishers. Each country has a different combination of data available for assessment from basic landings and fishing effort data to more detailed fishery independent survey indices of abundance. The management of total catch also differs, with an effort-controlled fishery in Iceland and Canada, a total allowable catch (TAC) per boat in Norway, and TAC per area in Greenland. Population abundance is above management targets in Iceland and Norway, but the status is less clear in Greenland and around Denmark/Sweden and appears to be depleted around Canada. Certification by the Marine Stewardship Council was instrumental in the adoption of a management plan in Greenland; however, benefits to the fishers remain unclear. Aspects surrounding the biology of lumpfish, which is poorly understood and requires investigation, include growth rate, natural mortality, and population differentiation. In addition, there is concern about the potential impacts that the recent escalation in production of lumpfish for use as cleaner fish in the aquaculture industry could have on the wild population.

Conservation of spawning time between years in lumpfish Cyclopterus lumpus and potential impacts from the temporal distribution of fishing effort

“…When they migrate to the coast, their gonads are well developed, and they are targeted by fishers for their roe. In Iceland, female lumpfish are exclusively targeted by small coastal boats (<15 gross tonnage), which use large‐mesh, bottom‐set gillnets that are set in coastal areas with a depth generally <50 m and could be in areas as shallow as <10 m (Kennedy et al., ). Lumpfish in Iceland is documented to spawn from late March until mid‐July, but as the fishery extends into August in some years, it is likely that spawning extends further (Kennedy, ).…”

Cleaner fish in aquaculture: review on diseases and vaccination

“…Lumpfish had little commercial value up until the late 20th century, when several countries in the North Atlantic began large‐scale targeting of female fish for their roe, starting with Iceland and Norway in the 1940s‐1950s, Canada in the 1970s and Greenland in the 1990s (Davenport, 1985; Kennedy et al, 2019). The eggs are marketed as either whole roe or separated from the ovaries and further processed into lumpfish caviar, with Iceland, Canada and Norway as major producers (Johannesson, 2006).…”

“…The fishery is seasonal, and timing can vary between different areas. Participation has been declining in all countries except Iceland in recent years, with a price drop on lumpfish roe compared to other fish species suggested as the main reason (Kennedy et al, 2019). The increased use of lumpfish as cleaner fish in the salmonid aquaculture industry has in some places led to a demand for ripe females and fertilised eggs.…”

“…The increased use of lumpfish as cleaner fish in the salmonid aquaculture industry has in some places led to a demand for ripe females and fertilised eggs. This has also generated some concern, however, as increased lumpfish capture leads to depletion of wild stocks (Halvorsen et al, 2017; Treasurer, 2018a; Kennedy et al, 2019). Currently, lumpfish is listed as near threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List (Lorance et al, 2015).…”

Evaluating management strategies for marine mammal populations: an example for multiple species and multiple fishing sectors in Iceland

“…The lumpfish fishery uses large-mesh (267-292 mm) gillnets exclusively in shallow coastal waters of the southwest, west, and north of the country. The fishery targets lumpfish roe and is therefore highly seasonal, taking place during the spawning season (March-August), with the bulk of the fishing effort occurring in April and May (Kennedy et al 2019). The fishery is effort-controlled, but it does not fall under the Icelandic ITQ system.…”