The diversity of stocks, fisheries and fleets in this region renders effective management challenging – a situation which is further complicated by potential changes to fishing rights following Brexit, changing environmental conditions, and reduced fish growth and reproduction in the area.
By integrating social, ecological, and economic considerations into our predictions, SEAwise has worked to offer well-informed recommendations for the implementation of Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management in the Western Waters.
Here you can explore a range of social and ecological categories related to Western Waters 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.
FILTERS
Assumes a trajectory of moderate warming, driven by lower emissions, resulting in less severe impacts.
Assumes a trajectory of more extreme warming, driven by higher emissions, resulting in more severe impacts.
Assumes a continuation of the current trajectory of fisheries management.
Assumes the adoption of a more flexible PYG approach.
Assumes a strict MSY approach
Ranging from the semi-enclosed Irish Sea to the exposed continental shelves of the Celtic Sea and Bay of Biscay, the Western Waters region is characterised by its diverse marine environments that play host to a broad range of fish stocks and fisheries.
SEAwise has analysed the implications of environmental change on fished species, and assessed how different management measures designed to deal with such changes could impact fisheries and the wider marine ecosystem – predicting their influence on catches, carbon emissions, seafloor impacts, fishing-related litter, and bycatch rates.
Alongside this, we have examined the potential effects of management strategies on stakeholders.
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.