SEAwise is a dynamic research programme aimed at understanding the current state-of-play of fisheries management across Europe, and facilitating the widespread implementation of Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) in the region. Through a targeted research programme, and in close collaboration with our stakeholder network, we will work to develop a fully operational, synthesised management advice tool that highlights the benefits – or potential trade-offs – of fisheries management decisions. To do this, SEAwise will work to identify and address the key challenges currently inhibiting EBFM.
SEAwise has four specific objectives, designed to target and resolve the key challenges faced by EBFM today.
A network of stakeholders including advisory bodies, decision makers, and scientists will be established for the purpose of co-designing key priorities and approaches to EBFM, ensuring that SEAwise generates long-term impact.
Scientific research, combined with stakeholder insights, will be collated to substantially advance the best available information and provide a new knowledge base on European fisheries interactions with social, economic, and ecological priorities.
Innovative predictive models of fisheries interactions with social, economic, and ecological systems will be developed to evaluate management strategies within the context of changes in the environment and use of marine space.
Ready to use advice will be developed and provided for the implementation of EBFM within the Mediterranean, Western waters, the Baltic Sea, and the North Sea.
Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) is an approach to fisheries management that recognises the need to consider the social and economic benefits arising from fisheries (such as food provision, employment, and cultural heritage) as well as the impacts they have on the environment.
While the benefits of EBFM are widely recognised, a number of core challenges currently pose barriers to its effective uptake in fisheries across Europe. SEAwise seeks to identify and address these challenges.
SEAwise will be delivered over a period of four years from October 2021 to March 2025, and will feature seven core phases of work.
OCTOBER 2021
Regional scoping workshops – held with fisheries stakeholders across each of SEAwise’s four Case Study areas – allowed for the collaborative establishment of key ecosystem priorities and measures.
OCTOBER 2021 – MARCH 2022
Building upon the initial regional scoping workshops, the SEAwise work themes are conducting assessments of key ecosystem values and management measures across Case Study regions.
MARCH 2023
The first evaluations of scoping research and ecosystem assessments will be presented at co-design workshop.
MARCH 2023 – OCTOBER 2024
Building upon the outcomes and discussions at the co-design workshop, revisions will be made to the evaluations of management measures.
OCTOBER 2024
Existing research will be cross referenced with the ICES and GFCM benchmark on incorporating environmental factors and ecological considerations.
MARCH 2024 – OCTOBER 2024
A second round of revision of management measures will address visualisation and synthesis.
OCTOBER 2024
Research will undergo a further benchmark on social and economic effects of fishing, spatial considerations, and mixed fishery management strategy evaluations.
OCTOBER 2024 – MARCH 2025
SEAwise’s research and final results will be presented at a synthesis workshop, followed by a demonstration of produced advice, and a final symposium showcasing the SEAwise management advice tool and SEAwise education materials.
SEAwise’s work is divided into six core themes, designed to drive understanding of fisheries management, ecosystem welfare, and social reliance of European fisheries.
Our case studies seek to investigate regional nuances of fisheries welfare and management considerations, feeding geographically-relevant insights into recommendations for EBFM across Europe.
SEAwise is managed and delivered by a network of research partners, advisory bodies, industry representatives, conservation organisations, fisheries managers, and stakeholders, all working collaboratively to co-develop advice for EBFM.
Explore the results of our Work Themes as they are published.
A lack of co-designed, end-user driven advice: There is currently a shortage of fisheries management advice developed in conjunction with those who will ultimately use it. The co-development and targeted delivery of fisheries management advice must be strengthened to ensure that it is accessible and fit-for-purpose, enabling stakeholders to make informed trade-off decisions between different priorities.
A lack of clearly defined and widely accepted priorities: There are many ways that the ecosystem can impact fisheries, and vice versa, making it imperative to outline – and collaboratively agree upon – key priorities for action. By placing priorities within broader social and ecological contexts, we can focus efforts and target action to address them.
Gaps in the existing knowledge base: Implementing a pragmatic, effective approach to EBFM in Europe is dependent upon a robust understanding of ecosystems and fisheries management and welfare that draws upon scientific research, insights from the fishing industry, and the input of NGOs and other stakeholder groups.
A lack of specific, accurate, and adaptive predictive models: Presently, there are limited modelling tools adequate to predict the impact of management decisions across diverse regions. Those that do exist are not currently linked together, meaning that they are unable to capitalise upon integrated knowledge.
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