GESOther: 7 indicators defined related to fishing mortality and spawning stock biomass

GESOther: 7 indicators defined related to fishing mortality and spawning stock biomass

GESOther: 7 indicators defined related to fishing mortality and spawning stock biomass

LevelPressureLess12PassiveMobile

LevelPressureMore12Passive

LevelPressureMore12MobileSeabed

LevelPressureMore12MobileOther

LevelPressureFishingRecreational

LevelPressureShellfishCollection

ImpactPressureSeabedHabitats

ImpactPressureFunctionalGroup

ImpactPressureExploitedFish

ImpactPressureExploitedShellfish

Extraction3_1

ExtractionSeabedHabitats

ExtractionCommerciallyExpFish3_2or3_3

ShallMud, ShallSand, ShelfMxdSed, ShelfSand

FishAll, MammalsAll

FishAll

NotRelevant

NotAssessed

NotAssessed

NotAssessed

Unknown_NotAssessed

Unknown_NotAssessed

Unknown_NotAssessed

Shrimp fisheries take place in the coastal zone (< 3 mile; Vlakte van de Raan, Oostende and Coastal Banks), using small vessels (<= 221 kW). In 2010, Belgian fishermen landed 1649 tonnes, half of which is believed to have been fished in the Belgian coastal area.

Belgian bottom trawlers (Eurokotters) are concentrated around the Flemish Banks and south of the Goote Bank. The larger bottom trawlers are more evenly distributed along the BCS, but their intensity is lower.

Recreational fishery is mainly taken place close to shipwrecks, breakwaters, quays (recreational anglers) and in the intertidal zone (recreational trammel nets); these are hotspots of biodiversity (hard substrates) and of juvenile or spawning specimen of certain fish species (beach zone).

The physical effects of traditional beam trawling, and as a result the effects on benthic communities, depend on the size and even more on the intensity of the interactions between the fishery activities and the sediment/habitat. The main effects include the removal of physical structures, sand ridges and biogenic formations, sediment resuspension with local loss of or coverage by sediment, the loss of three-dimensional structures, changes in turbidity and visibility under water and sediment compression (Løkkeborg 2005, Depestele et al. 2012). Beam trawling leaves detectable traces that remain visible for a number of days (Fonteyne 1999, 2000; Van Lancker et al. 2009). Fishery activities generally are concentrated in the channels between the sandbanks and their largest impact can be found alongside the slopes of the banks.

Common fishing techniques only allow for non-selective fishing. Major effects of the fisheries pressure reported include: 1) discards from a major proportion of the total catches, 2) increasing proportion of smaller individuals among demersal species, 3) dissapearence of large groups of slowly reproducing fish species such as sharks, skates and rays, (some of them even extinct). Sea mammals are not or hardly affected by beam trawling. In trammel net fishery, bycatch of sea mammals strongly depends on the type of fishery. Recreational beach fishery targeted at sole constitutes a problem in spring (Depestele et al. 2012). A substantial side effect of beam trawling (both for flatfish and shrimp) is the effect on the seabird population as a result of the high discards, which serve as an additional and easily attainable food source for particularly gulls (Depestele et al. 2012).

As a result of European policies on fishery, a number of fish stocks in the North Sea – e.g. plaice and sole – are currently evolving in the right direction. Both species are within safe biological limits, with a strongly reducing fishing mortality and increasing (plaice) or stable (sole) spawning stock (of 27% and 4% in excess of the desired population size). Other fish stocks – such as cod – are still under enormous pressure. Present status in terms of EcoQO‟s varies depending on the species. There has been a positive development with an increased number of stocks in favourable conditions within the precautionary values, but there has also been an increase in the number of stocks outside the limits. At present, 5 of the 26 fish stocks are assessed to meet the EcoQO criteria on spawning stock biomass. For 11 stocks, reference points could not be set. The biomass of eight fish stocks is outside safe biological limits. There has been a decline in the length composition of demersal fish in the North Sea over the period 1975-2005. Data on shrimp fisheries indicate a downward trend from the late 1970s until the late 1990s. The downfall stabilised at the beginning of 2000 and the population even started showing growth. The reason for this long-term variation is unclear. The common shrimp stock is affected by technical measures. There are no TACs for common shrimp.

High

Non related GES component

High

Non related GES component

Non related GES component

Non related GES component

Non related GES component

Non related GES component

• Aquaculture
• NotReported
• Wild fisheries

• Aquaculture
• NotReported
• Wild fisheries

• Aquaculture
• NotReported
• Wild fisheries

• Aquaculture
• NotReported
• Wild fisheries

• Aquaculture
• NotReported
• Wild fisheries

• Aquaculture
• NotReported
• Wild fisheries

• Aquaculture
• NotReported
• Wild fisheries

• Aquaculture
• NotReported
• Wild fisheries

• Aquaculture
• NotReported
• Wild fisheries

• Aquaculture
• NotReported
• Wild fisheries