Integrating scientific evidence on the broader ecological impacts of fishing is essential for Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM). Though unintended, fishing impacts the broader marine ecosystem, beyond target species, affecting foodwebs and the health of marine wildlife and habitats.
This brief synthesises SEAwise’s work examining the ecological effects of fisheries across European waters – detailing findings from our modelling of stocks, foodwebs and community diversity, bycatch, impacts to benthic habitats, and fisheries-related litter. Our work offers insights on how these impacts vary between fleets, different gear types, and across regions. Through modelling ecological dynamics under regulatory and climatic change, our work also provides an outlook on where management change and trade-offs may be required to safeguard the health of European seas and fisheries.
Read the full policy brief here.
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