• Demersal fisheries: At a glance
  • Insights from the Demersal fisheries

Demersal fisheries

While the situation for stocks in the North Sea has been improving, a number of stocks continue to be overfished and several remain outside safe biological limits.

To assess the effect of a range of management and climate change scenarios, SEAwise has modelled the North Sea’s demersal mixed fisheries, including 46 fleets and 20 stocks for the main countries fishing in the region  (Belgium, Denmark, Germany, England, Scotland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden).

North Sea

Case Studies

Fish Stocks

F/Fmsy was used as the metric to assess stock status. The more droplets filled here the healthier the stock.

Biodiversity

Bycatch risk to protected, endangered and threatened (PETs) species was used as a metric to assess biodiversity. For this metric less droplets indicate a reduction in risk.

Habitats

Relative Benthic State (RBS), which indicates to what extent benthic biota have been depleted, was used as a metric to assess habitats. Less droplets indicates that more area is negatively impacted.

Communities

The ratio between small- and large-scale fishery landings was used as a metric to assess the status of coastal communities. The more droplets filled the greater the proportion of the catch attributed to the small-scale fleet.

Revenue

Gross Value Added (GVA) was used as a metric to assess revenue. The more droplets filled the greater fishing’s contribution to the economy by the sale of first landings.

Well-Being

The number of adults served annually with the recommended intake of fish was used as a metric to assess human well-being. The more drops filled the greater the meals provided relative to the current number.

EBFM IN THE REGION

Here you can explore a range of social and ecological categories related to North Sea fisheries, and how these are expected to change over time and according to different scenarios, based on SEAwise research. 

Clicking on the category 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.

 

*The FMSY and PGY management scenarios here assume full implementation of the Landing Obligation
**The Case Specific management scenario here assumes an imperfect implementation of the Landing Obligation, relaxing choking
***Climate Change Scenario A here assumes a moderate warming scenario (RCP 4.5)
****Climate Change Scenario B assumes an extreme warming scenario (RCP 8.5)

FILTERS

  • Climate change scenario A
    i
    Climate change scenario A

    Assumes a trajectory of moderate warming (RCP4.5).

  • Climate change scenario B
    i
    Climate change scenario B

    Assumes a trajectory of more extreme warming, driven by higher emissions, resulting in more severe impacts (RCP8.5).

  • Status quo
    i
    Status quo

    Assumes a continuation of current effort and exploitation patterns.

  • PGY
    i
    PGY

    Assumes the adoption of a more flexible PGY approach, with a less severe effort reduction to achieve 95% MSY for key target stocks.

  • FMSY
    i
    FMSY

    Assumes a strict MSY approach, whereby effort and catch limits are reduced to achieve MSY for key target stocks.

  • Case Specific
    i
    Case Specific

    Assumes an additional management scenario specific to the case (further details can be found above).

Case Study Regions

  • 2025
  • 2035
  • 2045
Fish Stocks
Biodiversity
Habitats
Communities
Revenue
Well-Being

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