Member State report / Art11 / 2020 / D4 / Netherlands / NE Atlantic: Greater North Sea

Report type Member State report to Commission
MSFD Article Art. 11 Monitoring programmes (and Art. 17 updates)
Report due 2020-10-15
GES Descriptor D4 Food webs/D1 Ecosystems
Member State Netherlands
Region/subregion NE Atlantic: Greater North Sea
Reported by Rijkswaterstaat Water, Verkeer en Leefomgeving Zuiderwagenplein 2 8224 AD Lelystad Postbus 2232 3500
Report date 2020-11-17
Report access

Descriptor
D4/D1
Monitoring strategy description
The principal purpose of the MSFD monitoring programme is to review the progress that has been made towards achieving good environmental status prescribed for each criterion in the Marine Strategy Part I (2018). This review is based on established indicators. The monitoring can also be used to evaluate the environmental targets defined for each descriptor. The environmental targets are operational in nature and are linked to specific actions and/or measures in the Marine Strategy Part 3. The effects of individual measures cannot generally be linked directly to environmental status or the criteria. Monitoring data can, however, indirectly give an indication of the effectiveness of measures. The monitoring (methods, spatial and temporal coverage) aims to achieve sufficient statistical confidence in the assessment. The risk of not achieving GES or deterioration from GES is addressed in the Marine Strategy, Parts 1 and 3. The European Commission requests that the electronic reports explain how the DPSIR cycle is monitored and to which part of the cycle the monitoring surveys are linked. The MSFD monitoring programme helps to generate better insight into the relationships between the use of the sea and the marine ecosystem. This can be accomplished by monitoring pressures and the underlying activities (D1C1: incidental bycatch, D2: non-indigenous species, D3C1: fish mortality, D5: eutrophication, D6C1/D6C4: physical loss of seabed/habitats and D6C2: fisheries intensity and sand extraction, D8 and D9: pollutants, D10: litter, D11: underwater noise), and by monitoring species and habitats (D1: biodiversity (with the exception of D1C1), D3C2: spawning stock biomass, D4: food web, D6C3/D6C5: habitats ) and hydrographical characteristics (D7). The numerous relationships between the various elements of the marine ecosystem are complex, and many are still not known. Consequently, it is often only possible to give an indication of the impact of specific activities on the marine ecosystem. Experts generally derive DPSIR relationships from the monitoring of pressures/activities and of species and habitats (from the MSFD monitoring programme), in combination with data derived from permits and research programmes. However, some surveys have been established to measure pressures and their effects and/or to learn more about the effectiveness of measures. In designing the monitoring survey for benthic animals (habitats), the Netherlands explicitly took account of the need to
Coverage of GES criteria
Adequate monitoring will be in place by 2024
Gaps and plans
D4 differs from all other descriptors. Achieving GES in other descriptors is a prerequisite for achieving GES for D4. This makes the functioning of the food web the ultimate litmus test for achieving (overall) good environmental status. In this light, although the future information requirements for D4C1 and D4C2 are not yet known, monitoring requirements can probably be met by the monitoring for other descriptors, in particular D1 (birds, fish, marine mammals) and D6 (benthos). Further expansion of the monitoring (and assessment) will be linked as far as possible to OSPAR. For D4C3, the monitoring programme is adequate.
Related targets
  • ANSNL-D4T1
Coverage of targets
Adequate monitoring will be in place by 2024
Related measures
  • ANSNL-M001 - 'Beoordeling van (grootschalige) ingrepen en compensatie daarvan'
  • ANSNL-M002 - 'Uitbreiding werkgebied Wet natuurbescherming'
  • ANSNL-M003 - 'Beperking van visserij in de kustzone'
  • ANSNL-M004 - 'Zoneren en faseren van activiteiten aan de kust'
  • ANSNL-M005 - 'Regulering van andere activiteiten binnen de kustzone'
  • ANSNL-M039 - 'Implementatie OSPAR-Lijst bedreigde diersoorten en habitats'
  • ANSNL-M040 - 'Beperking bodemberoerende visserij op Klaverbank, Doggersbank en Friese Front'
  • ANSNL-M041 - 'Kierbesluit gedeeltelijke openstelling Haringvlietsluizen'
Coverage of measures
Adequate monitoring will be in place by 2024
Related monitoring programmes
  • ANSNL-D1346-Sub3-SizeDistr
Programme code
ANSNL-D1346-Sub3-SizeDistr
Programme name
Mobile species - population characteristics
Update type
Same programme as in 2014
Old programme codes
Programme description
D1C3: To determine the ‘demographic characteristics´ (D1C3) of the fish population, the distribution by size of the fish community is assessed using OSPAR’s Large Fish Indicator (LFI). The necessary data are collected for the assessment of fish stocks in accordance with the CFP. Most of the data for the OSPAR Large Fish Indicator (LFI) are derived from the International Bottom Trawl Survey (IBTS). This survey falls under the monitoring for the Common Fisheries Policy and has been operational since the end of the 1960s. For the MSFD reporting, data since 1983 are used because the monitoring survey is guaranteed to have the necessary consistency from that year. One way that consistency is ensured is through the use of the standard bottom trawl, the Grand Ouverture Verticale (GOV), which involves multiple trawls according to the principles of ‘stratified random sampling’ in the relevant ICES blocks, in principle by different member states. Every year the trawls are aggregated to calculate the indices (ICES, 2012). The IBTS monitoring survey registers at least the species and size of every fish that is caught. The Dutch contribution to the IBTS falls under the Statutory Research Task (WOT) for Fisheries and the Data Collection Framework (DCF). This monitoring is conducted annually, in cooperation/coordination? with other countries, at the Greater North Sea level. ICES coordinates the monitoring and is responsible for the necessary quality assurance and quality control. An additional quality assurance and quality control process has been incorporated for calculations for this indicator (Moriarty, 2017, Greenstreet, 2017). There are no changes in the monitoring compared with the MSFD monitoring programme in 2014. D4C3: The size structure in trophic guilds is measured in relation to the fish community and is expressed in terms of ‘typical length’. The size structure of fish is monitored with the International Bottom Trawl Survey (IBTS) as part of the monitoring for the CFP. This monitoring survey has been operational since the end of the 1960s, however, only data that have been collected since 1983 are used for MSFD reporting, since the necessary consistency in the monitoring can only be guaranteed from that year. The survey employs the stratified random sampling method, with multiple trawls in each relevant ICES area, in principle carried out by different member states. At least the species and size of each fish caught is registered. The Netherlands contrib
Monitoring purpose
  • Environmental state and impacts
Other policies and conventions
  • Data Collection Framework Multi-Annual Plan (Common Fisheries Policy)
Regional cooperation - coordinating body
  • OSPAR
Regional cooperation - countries involved
Regional cooperation - implementation level
Joint data collection
Monitoring details
Features
Coastal fish
Deep-sea fish
Demersal shelf fish
Pelagic shelf fish
Shelf ecosystems
Elements
  • Anguilla anguilla
  • Chelon labrosus
  • Ciliata mustela
  • Ctenolabrus rupestris
  • Hippocampus guttulatus
  • Hippocampus hippocampus
  • Lampetra fluviatilis
  • Nerophis lumbriciformis
  • Nerophis ophidion
  • Parablennius gattorugine
  • Platichthys flesus
  • Pollachius pollachius
  • Salmo salar
  • Sarpa salpa
  • Scorpaena scrofa
  • Spinachia spinachia
  • Symphodus melops
  • Syngnathus acus
  • Zoarces viviparus
  • Chimaera monstrosa
  • Malacocephalus laevis
  • Polyprion americanus
  • Amblyraja radiata
  • Anarhichas lupus
  • Argentina silus
  • Argentina sphyraena
  • Arnoglossus imperialis
  • Arnoglossus laterna
  • Blennius ocellaris
  • Brosme brosme
  • Buglossidium luteum
  • Callionymus lyra
  • Callionymus maculatus
  • Chelidonichthys cuculus
  • Conger conger
  • Ctenolabrus rupestris
  • Dasyatis pastinaca
  • Dicentrarchus labrax
  • Dipturus batis
  • Dipturus oxyrinchus
  • Echiichthys vipera
  • Enchelyopus cimbrius
  • Etmopterus spinax
  • Eutrigla gurnardus
  • Gadiculus argenteus
  • Gadus morhua
  • Gaidropsarus macrophthalmus
  • Gaidropsarus vulgaris
  • Galeorhinus galeus
  • Galeus melastomus
  • Glyptocephalus cynoglossus
  • Helicolenus dactylopterus
  • Hippoglossus hippoglossus
  • Labrus mixtus
  • Leucoraja circularis
  • Limanda limanda
  • Lophius budegassa
  • Lophius piscatorius
  • Lumpenus lampretaeformis
  • Macroramphosus scolopax
  • Melanogrammus aeglefinus
  • Merlangius merlangus
  • Merluccius merluccius
  • Microchirus variegatus
  • Microstomus kitt
  • Molva dypterygia
  • Molva molva
  • Mullus barbatus barbatus
  • Mullus surmuletus
  • Mustelus asterias
  • Mustelus mustelus
  • Myoxocephalus quadricornis
  • Myoxocephalus scorpius
  • Pagrus pagrus
  • Petromyzon marinus
  • Phycis blennoides
  • Pleuronectes platessa
  • Pollachius virens
  • Raja clavata
  • Raja montagui
  • Scophthalmus maximus [Psetta maxima]
  • Scophthalmus rhombus
  • Scyliorhinus canicula
  • Spondyliosoma cantharus
  • Squalus acanthias
  • Syngnathus typhle
  • Taurulus bubalis
  • Torpedo marmorata
  • Trachinus draco
  • Trigla lyra
  • Trisopterus luscus
  • Zeus faber
  • Cyclopterus lumpus
  • Pagellus erythrinus
  • Sub-apex demersal predators
  • Sub-apex pelagic predators
GES criteria
D1C3
D1C3
D1C3
D1C3
D4C3
Parameters
  • Size distribution
  • Size distribution
  • Size distribution
  • Size distribution
  • Size distribution
Parameter Other
Spatial scope
  • Beyond MS Marine Waters
Marine reporting units
  • L1.2
Temporal scope (start date - end date)
1983-9999
Monitoring frequency
Yearly
Monitoring type
  • In-situ sampling coastal
  • In-situ sampling offshore
Monitoring method
  • OSPAR CEMP Guideline: Combined guideline for the common indicators FC1, FC2, FC3 and FW3 for fish and food webs (Agreement 2018-05)
  • Other monitoring method
  • SISP 10 - Manual for the International Bottom Trawl Surveys, Revision IX
  • SISP 15 - Manual of the IBTS North Eastern Atlantic Surveys
Monitoring method other
Size distribution is not a standard parameter yet, however, the required data for the assessment is available through the regular surveys that are done for the DCF. Additional analyses of the data are necessary. The required data can be derived from the current database and based on this information the size distribution can be determined.
Quality control
Fish stocks are monitored by experienced researchers in accordance with internationally agreed working methods. . ICES coordinates the monitoring and the quality assurance and quality control. An additional Quality Assurance/Quality Control procedure is incorporated for the calculation of this indicator (D4C3).
Data management
Data access
www.ices.dk
Related indicator/name
Contact
References
Greenstreet S.P.R. & Moriarty M. (2017) Manual for Version 3 of the Groundfish Survey Monitoring and Assessment Data Product. Scottish Marine and Freshwater Science Vol 8 No 18.Greenstreet S.P.R. & Moriarty M. (2017) OSPAR Interim Assessment 2017 Fish Indicator Manual (Relating to 587 Version 2 of the Groundfish Survey Monitoring and Assessment Data Product).