Member State report / Art8-2024 / 2024 / D4 / Belgium / NE Atlantic: Greater North Sea

Report type Member State report to Commission
MSFD Article Art8
Report due 2024-10-15
GES Descriptor D4 Food webs/D1 Ecosystems
Member State Belgium
Region/subregion NE Atlantic: Greater North Sea
Report date 2026-01-13 14:08:15

Belgian Part of the North Sea (ANS-BE-MS-1)

Regional assessment area
size-composition-fish-communities-qsr23-ospar-North Sea and Skagerrak
size-composition-fish-communities-qsr23-ospar-North Sea and Skagerrak
Component MRUs
GES component
D4
D4
Feature
Shelf ecosystem
Shelf ecosystem
Element
Sub-apex demersal predators
Sub-apex demersal predators
Element extent
Trend element
Unknown
Unknown
Element 2
Element source
OSPAR
OSPAR
Criterion
D4C3
D4C3
Parameter
Size - length
Size distribution
Threshold value upper
Threshold value lower
Threshold value operator
Threshold qualitative
No decrease in Typical Length
Threshold value source
DirectionalTrends
Value achieved upper
Value achieved lower
Value unit
Significance statistical
index
Proportion threshold value
Proportion value achieved
Proportion threshold value unit
Trend parameter
Unknown
Unknown
Parameter achieved
No
Unknown
Description parameter
No adverse change in mean value between statistically identified stable periods (6 years or more). Zoals vermeld in de OSPAR-evaluaties, is verder werk nodig om correcte basislijnen en beoordelingswaarden te evalueren. Dit is nodig omdat elke historische basislijn voor de vis- en elasmobranchen-gemeenschap waarschijnlijk een reeds aangetaste toestand weergeeft. Idealiter zouden de beoordelingswaarden moeten worden vastgesteld door middel van multispecies modellering.
A common pattern of decreases in LFI (Large Fish Index) between the 1980s and 2000 is consistent between surveys. The trend towards recovery, reported in the North Sea and northern Celtic Seas in the Intermediate Assessment 2017, did not continue.
Related indicator
  • size-composition-fish-communities-qsr23-ospar
  • proportion-lfi-qsr23-ospar
Criteria status
Unknown
Unknown
Description criteria
Element status
Unknown
Unknown
Description element
Source assessment feature
  • OSPAR
  • OSPAR
Reporting method feature
Type A
Type A
Trend feature
Unknown
Unknown
Integration rule type parameter
Integration rule description parameter
Integration rule type criteria
Integration rule description criteria
GES extent threshold
GES extent achieved
GES extent unit
GES achieved
Unknown
Unknown
Description overall status
The typical length indicator measures the size-structure of fish communities and decreases under high fishing pressure. The indicator is low in the Greater North Sea, compared to the 1980s. Long-term declines in the Proportion of large fish (Large Fish Index) are evident in the greater North Sea, with the recovery noted in the 2017 interim assessment stalling before 2020. Thresholds were not met. Knowledge gaps remain to enable threshold value setting.
The typical length indicator measures the size-structure of fish communities and decreases under high fishing pressure. The indicator is low in the Greater North Sea, compared to the 1980s. Long-term declines in the Proportion of large fish (Large Fish Index) are evident in the greater North Sea, with the recovery noted in the 2017 interim assessment stalling before 2020. Thresholds were not met. Knowledge gaps remain to enable threshold value setting.
Assessments period
2015-2020
2015-2020
Related pressures
  • Extraction of, or mortality/injury to, wild species (by commercial and recreational fishing and other activities)
  • Extraction of, or mortality/injury to, wild species (by commercial and recreational fishing and other activities)
Related targets
  • D4.2
  • D4.2
Test TV
NA
NA
Test results
False
Correct