Member State report / Art9 / 2012 / D3 / Cyprus / Mediterranean: Aegean-Levantine Sea

Report type Member State report to Commission
MSFD Article Art. 9 Determination of GES (and Art. 17 updates)
Report due 2012-10-15
GES Descriptor D3 Commercial fish and shellfish
Member State Cyprus
Region/subregion Mediterranean: Aegean-Levantine Sea
Reported by Department of Fisheries and Marine Research, Ministry of Agriculture Natural Resources and Environment
Report date 2013-04-25
Report access MSFD9GES_20130426_145959.xml
GES component
D3
3.1 Level of pressure of the fishing activity
3.1.1 Fishing mortality
3.1.2 Fish catch/biomass ratio
3.2 Reproductive capacity of the stock
3.2.1 Spawning stock biomass
3.2.2 Biomass indices
3.3 Population age and size distribution
3.3.1 Proportion of larger fish
3.3.3 Fish length distribution
3.3.4 Fish size at sexual maturation
Method used
MAL-CY-MS: GES was determined through both a qualitative description and using environmental thresholds/limits which quantitatively describe the desired state of the environment: (a) The qualitative expression of GES describes what the environment should look like in terms of the state/condition of the ecosystem, based on the best available data provided in the Initial Assessment with regards to the state of the environment and pressures and impacts. (b) The quantitative thresholds/limits which determine whether GES is achieved or not are possible in specific cases because of the relatively high availability of data collected in the framework of monitoring and research programmes.
Where lack of data prevented a quantitative determination of GES, GES was expressed qualitatively at the level of the descriptor, e.g., D2 and D7.
In the case of data-rich descriptors, criteria and indicators, quantitative thresholds/limits were calculated by developing a status estimation system, which was largely based on the Initial Assessment reports, published discussions of GES and the descriptors in the reports of the JRC/ICES Task Groups as well as the peer-reviewed literature.
In order to calculate the status at a descriptor level, differently weighted site-based indicators were estimated as follows: (1) Presence of reference condition sites: the deviation (%) of indicator mean value estimated at all sites from indicator mean reference condition sites value, (2) Absence of reference condition sites: Coefficient of Variance (CV=standard deviation/mean), (3) Absence of quantitative data: expert judgment.
All data were assigned a status value (between 0 as low and 1 as high). GES was considered to be achieved if the status is given a value of 0.75 or greater.
Marine reporting units
  • Marine waters of the Republic of Cyprus, as part of the marine subregion "Agean-Levantine sea"
  • Marine waters of the Republic of Cyprus, as part of the marine subregion "Agean-Levantine sea"
  • Marine waters of the Republic of Cyprus, as part of the marine subregion "Agean-Levantine sea"
  • Marine waters of the Republic of Cyprus, as part of the marine subregion "Agean-Levantine sea"
  • Marine waters of the Republic of Cyprus, as part of the marine subregion "Agean-Levantine sea"
  • Marine waters of the Republic of Cyprus, as part of the marine subregion "Agean-Levantine sea"
  • Marine waters of the Republic of Cyprus, as part of the marine subregion "Agean-Levantine sea"
  • Marine waters of the Republic of Cyprus, as part of the marine subregion "Agean-Levantine sea"
  • Marine waters of the Republic of Cyprus, as part of the marine subregion "Agean-Levantine sea"
  • Marine waters of the Republic of Cyprus, as part of the marine subregion "Agean-Levantine sea"
  • Marine waters of the Republic of Cyprus, as part of the marine subregion "Agean-Levantine sea"
Feature
  • CephalopodsCoastShelf
  • Coastal fish
  • Current velocity
  • ExtractSpeciesFishShellfish
  • FishDemersal
  • FishDemersalElasmobranchs
  • FishPelagic
  • FishPelagicElasmobranchs
  • LitRock
  • LitSed
  • MarineCoast
  • MarineOceanic
  • MarineShelf
  • Mixing
  • Residence time
  • Salinity
  • SeaSurfaceTemperature
  • ShallCoarseSed
  • ShallMud
  • ShallMxdSed
  • ShallRock
  • ShallSand
  • ShelfCoarseSed
  • ShelfMud
  • ShelfMxdSed
  • ShelfRock
  • ShelfSand
  • TopographyBathymetry
  • Transparency
  • Turbidity (silt/sediment loads)
  • Upwelling
  • WaveExposure
Criterion/indicator
D3
3.1
3.1.1
3.1.2
3.2
3.2.1
3.2.2
3.3
3.3.1
3.3.3
3.3.4
GES description
The marine environment of Cyprus is considered to be in good environmental status by the year 2020 if: (a) no stock is exploited beyond safe biological limits; If Fmsy (or his proxy F0.1) is not known, it will be assessed based on reported captures/biomass index, (b) The spawning stock biomass (SSB) is at a level capable of providing MSY or higher. If SSB is not known, the biomass index from trawl survey will be assessed, (c) Each fish stock contains a high percentage of adult fish and an adequate/normal population structure.
Threshold values
Threshold value unit
Proportion of area to achieve threshold value
Reference point type
Baseline
Assessment method
Based on four criteria, weighted as follows (for a total of 1.0): 0.275 - D3.1 (Level of pressure of the fishing activity) 0.265 - D3.2 (Reproductive capacity of the stock) 0.085 - D3.3 (Population age and size distribution) 0.375 - (Community indicators)
Development status