Management structures in the Baltic Sea must be adapted to mitigate challenges relating to the impact of changing environments and ecologies on fisheries, in the context of wider ecosystem interactions, while accounting for the additional complexity presented by invasive species and the unprecedented rate of warming in the area.
SEAwise has tested the potential effects of different management strategies, including under varying climate scenarios. This will ensure that research outputs, and eventual management advice, are resilient to future changes.
Here you can explore a range of social and ecological categories related to the Baltic Sea fisheries, and how these are expected to change over time and according to different scenarios, based on SEAwise research.
Clicking on the icons allows you to explore each category in more depth, while the filters below allow you to visualise the trade-offs across these categories, under different climate change and fisheries management scenarios.
Also provided is an indication of any gaps relating to our knowledge relating to these categories, alongside links to key SEAwise reports and the technical SEAwise EBFM Toolbox where these categories and the research underpinning the EBFM Tool can be explored more fully.
FILTERS
Assumes a continuation of the current trajectory of warming.
Assumes a trajectory of more extreme warming, driven by higher emissions, resulting in more severe impacts.
Assumes a continuation of current effort and exploitation patterns.
Assumes the adoption of a more flexible PYG approach, with a less severe effort reduction to achieve 95% MSY for key target stocks.
Assumes a strict MSY approach, whereby effort and catch limits are reduced to achieve MSY for key target stocks.
Assumes an additional management scenario specific to the case (further details can be found above).
The Baltic Sea region is characterised by areas of low oxygen concentration, historically high contaminant and nutrient levels, and significant interaction between fisheries and marine mammals.
SEAwise has examined how commercially-important fish stocks including cod, herring, and sprat) are impacted by changes in environmental and ecological conditions, and evaluated how such changes could alter the wider environmental impacts derived from fisheries.
We have also worked to predict changes in fisheries’ carbon emissions, fishing-related litter, seafloor impacts, and the accidental capture of marine wildlife.
Within the Glossary you will find definitions that are frequently used in the EBFM Tool.
| Terminology | Definition |
|---|---|
| Benthic Habitat | The lowest zone in a body of water which is inhabited by organisms. This refers to the surface of the seabed and/or the base layer (substrate) of the seabed itself and the organisms found there. |
| Bycatch | The unintentional capture of a non target species. This can include fish (e.g. bass) and non-fish (e.g. seal) species. |
| Choke species | When the total allowed catch is reached for one species, meaning the fishery has to close. This is to prevent vessels from accidentally catching more of the fully fished species – known as the ‘choke species’ – despite still having allocations remaining for other species. |
| Demersal Fishery | A fishery which targets fish found near to or on the seabed. This includes both large- and small-scale demersal fisheries. |
| Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) | An approach to fisheries management that takes a holistic overview of all ecosystem, social, and economic elements related to fisheries, including impacts on stocks, marine environments, social benefits, and heritage. |
| Gross Value Added (GVA) | The economic contribution of a producer or sector to the economy, represented by the revenues generated minus their fixed and variable costs. It can be interpreted as the economic gain from an activity. |
| Landing Obligation | Under the EU Landing Obligation catches of species regulated through catch limits or minimum size must be landed and counted against quotas. The aim is to prevent discards of unwanted fish at sea. |
| Management Measure | The specific elements of fisheries management aiming to control and steer fisheries activities in order to achieve desired outcomes (environmental, economic and social). |
| Management Strategy | A combination of policy instruments with associated management measures to achieve desired objectives. |
| Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) | European legislation which aims to protect and achieve good environmental status (GES) of the EU’s marine environment. It enshrines the ecosystem-based approach as the legally-binding and operational principle for managing that environment. |
| Pelagic Fishery | A fishery which targets fish found in the upper or middle layers of the water column, spanning both large- and small-scale pelagic fisheries. |
A droplet legend is used throughout the EBFM Tool to convey the relative status of different categories in the EBFM Tool (e.g. how well fish stocks are faring), and expected changes in these categories, based on various future management and climate scenarios, from the current baseline. The legend is intended as a visualisation tool for communicating trade-offs, and is indicative rather than absolute.