Member State report / Art8 / 2018 / D1-R / Portugal / NE Atlantic: Macaronesia

Report type Member State report to Commission
MSFD Article Art. 8 Initial assessment (and Art. 17 updates)
Report due 2018-10-15
GES Descriptor D1 Reptiles
Member State Portugal
Region/subregion NE Atlantic: Macaronesia
Reported by DGRM
Report date 2021-03-03
Report access ART8_GES_PT_setembro2020.xml

Azores Subdivision (AMA-PT-SD-AZO)

GES component
D1-R
Feature
Turtles
Element
Caretta caretta
Chelonia mydas
Dermochelys coriacea
Element code
137205
137206
137209
Element code source
Species (D1) http://www.marinespecies.org/
Species (D1) http://www.marinespecies.org/
Species (D1) http://www.marinespecies.org/
Element 2
Element 2 code
Element 2 code source
Element source
National
National
National
Criterion
D1C1
D1C2
D1C3
D1C4
D1C5
D1C1
D1C2
D1C3
D1C4
D1C5
D1C1
D1C2
D1C3
D1C4
D1C5
Parameter
Abundance
Other
Parameter other
The Body Condition Index (BCI)
Threshold value upper
1.76
Threshold value lower
Threshold qualitative
The trend in the abundance of turtles is not adversely affected.
Threshold value source
Threshold value source other
Value achieved upper
1.82
Value achieved lower
Value unit
Value unit other
Proportion threshold value
Proportion value achieved
Proportion threshold value unit
Trend
Stable
Unknown
Parameter achieved
Yes, based on low risk
Unknown
Description parameter
Related indicator
Criteria status
Unknown
Good, based on low risk
Unknown
Not assessed
Not assessed
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Not assessed
Not assessed
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Not assessed
Not assessed
Description criteria
AMA-ST-BYC-MR ? SeaTurtlesBycatch: The accidental catch data for the Portuguese longline fleet operating in the waters of the Azores shall intermittently compile as from 2008. Since 2015, the Azores fisheries have been continuously monitored as part of the COSTA project (Consolidating Sea Turtle ...
AMA-ST-ABU-DS ? SeaTurtlesAbdateDistress: 46 turtles together were found during the OPIC SECO II ocean campaign campaign. The number of sightings of turtles did not allow the spatial analysis to be carried out for the calculation of the abundance in the Azores and, therefore, only an estimate is made on the basis of the experimental design. Total abundance estimation is 5.187 (95 % JI
AMA-PT-Z_DEM_BCI ? SeaTurtlesBodyConditionIndex Corporate Condition Index (BCI) The demographic parameter of the population considered for assessing sea turtles under this criterion is the Body Condition Index. This characteristic provides information on health and pressures affecting the popula...
The distribution area is a primary criterion for sea turtles (Commission Decision (EU) 2017/848, 2017). This criterion is not considered appropriate for oceanic sea turtles which demonstrate broad distribution limits and only a fraction of their distribution is included within areas under nationa...
Habitat for species is a primary criterion for sea turtles (Commission Decision (EU) 2017/848, 2017). This criterion is not considered appropriate for ocean turtles. Only a fraction of its habitat is included in areas under the jurisdiction of the countries of the European Union and generally occ...
D1C1 By-catch mortality rate (BR ? bycatch rate) The mortality rate by acccess is a primary criterion for sea turtles (Commission Directive 2017/845/EC, 2017). Incidental catching by fishing is one of the main anthropogenic pressures affecting sea turtle populations, which is one of the main caus...
The abundance of the population is a primary criterion for sea turtles (Commission Decision (EU) 2017/848, 2017). Juvenile turtles form groupings in the archipelagos of Macaronesia, but these animals originate from American and African spawning beaches. The variation in hatching success has an in...
D1C3 Population demographics Demographic characteristics of the population are a secondary criterion for sea turtles (Commission Decision (EU) 2017/848, 2017). Corporate Condition Index (BCI) The demographic parameter of the population considered for assessing sea turtles under this criterion is ...
The distribution area is a primary criterion for sea turtles (Commission Decision (EU) 2017/848, 2017). This criterion is not considered appropriate for oceanic sea turtles which demonstrate broad distribution limits and only a fraction of their distribution is included within areas under nationa...
Habitat for species is a primary criterion for sea turtles (Commission Decision (EU) 2017/848, 2017). This criterion is not considered appropriate for ocean turtles. Only a fraction of its habitat is included in areas under the jurisdiction of the countries of the European Union and generally occ...
D1C1 By-catch mortality rate (BR ? bycatch rate) The mortality rate by acccess is a primary criterion for sea turtles (Commission Directive 2017/845/EC, 2017). Incidental catching by fishing is one of the main anthropogenic pressures affecting sea turtle populations, which is one of the main caus...
The abundance of the population is a primary criterion for sea turtles (Commission Decision (EU) 2017/848, 2017). Juvenile turtles form groupings in the archipelagos of Macaronesia, but these animals originate from American and African spawning beaches. The variation in hatching success has an in...
D1C3 Population demographics Demographic characteristics of the population are a secondary criterion for sea turtles (Commission Decision (EU) 2017/848, 2017). Corporate Condition Index (BCI) The demographic parameter of the population considered for assessing sea turtles under this criterion is ...
The distribution area is a primary criterion for sea turtles (Commission Decision (EU) 2017/848, 2017). This criterion is not considered appropriate for oceanic sea turtles which demonstrate broad distribution limits and only a fraction of their distribution is included within areas under nationa...
Habitat for species is a primary criterion for sea turtles (Commission Decision (EU) 2017/848, 2017). This criterion is not considered appropriate for ocean turtles. Only a fraction of its habitat is included in areas under the jurisdiction of the countries of the European Union and generally occ...
Element status
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Description element
An assessment of GES is not yet possible for the aggregation of the common loggerhead of the Azores as there is not sufficient information available for all criteria. Only D1C2 was assessed. The information was considered insufficient to characterise and assess D1C1 and D1C3 in this cycle and i...
Integration rule type parameter
Integration rule description parameter
Integration rule type criteria
Integration rule description criteria
For assessment and integration of environmental status it is essential to collect a wider/diverse set of data, filling gaps for a precision assessment. the suggested integration rule OOAO (WG BEA, 2017) could offer a reliable and robust integration method if the status of each element, criterion, indicator could be assessed with a very high degree of confidence, this is rarely the case.
GES extent threshold
GES extent achieved
GES extent unit
GES achieved
Unknown
Description overall status
Only D1C2 has been assessed for one item. The information was considered insufficient to characterise and assess D1C1 and D1C3 in this cycle and in those cases GES was classified as ?Unknown?. Criteria D1C4 and D1C5 considered to be unsuitable, taking into account the characteristics of this func...
Assessments period
2012-2018
Related pressures
  • Extraction of, or mortality/injury to, wild species (by commercial and recreational fishing and other activities)
  • Input of litter (solid waste matter, including micro-sized litter)
Related targets

Madeira subdivision (AMA-PT-SD-MAD)

GES component
D1-R
Feature
Turtles
Element
Caretta caretta
Element code
137205
Element code source
Species (D1) http://www.marinespecies.org/
Element 2
Element 2 code
Element 2 code source
Element source
MS in (sub)region
Criterion
D1C1
D1C2
D1C3
Parameter
Mortality rate / Mortality rate from fishing (F)
Abundance
Other
Parameter other
The Body condition index
Threshold value upper
Threshold value lower
Threshold qualitative
Threshold value source
Threshold value source other
Value achieved upper
Value achieved lower
Value unit
(number of) individuals
Value unit other
Proportion threshold value
Proportion value achieved
Proportion threshold value unit
Trend
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Parameter achieved
Not assessed
Not assessed
Not assessed
Description parameter
Based on experimental design abundance: 149 individuals (95 % CI
1,74 ± 0,08 (n = 7) [2017; MISTIC SEAS II]
Related indicator
  • AMA-ST-DEM-BC
Criteria status
Not assessed
Not assessed
Not assessed
Description criteria
The mortality rate by accessibilities of the common turtles has not yet been assessed in Madeira.
This is the first estimate of abundance of sea turtles in Madeira and therefore established as a reference value for future evaluations.
In order to be able to assess the GES in a reliable manner, further sampling is necessary and the threshold and the reference value must be defined.
Element status
Not assessed
Description element
An assessment of GES is not yet available for the whole common turtle aggregation in Madeira
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
Not assessed
Description overall status
Sea turtles are highly mobile with an extension of distribution that is not limited to the waters of Macaronesia. In Madeira there are no current abundance estimates for common loggerhead turtles. The global sex ratio of the common loggerhead, calculated between 2000 and 2006 in Madeira, was 2 fe...
Assessments period
2014-2018
Related pressures
  • Disturbance of species (e.g. where they breed, rest and feed) due to human presence
  • Extraction of, or mortality/injury to, wild species (by commercial and recreational fishing and other activities)
  • Litter in the environment
  • Physical loss of the seabed
Related targets
  • AMAPT-T003-D1MAD
  • AMAPT-T005-D1MAD
  • AMAPT-T006-D1MAD
  • AMAPT-T007-D1MAD
  • AMAPT-T009-D1MAD
  • AMAPT-T011-D1MAD
  • AMAPT-T012-D1MAD
  • AMAPT-T013-D1MAD
  • Diretiva Habitats
  • Meta DQEM BEA