Coordinated and consistent regional systems for (1) risk assessment and robust targeted monitoring of commercial fisheries in European waters, (2) standardised observation, recording and reporting of mortality/injury interactions, and (3) the setting of scientifically coherent threshold values for non-target species’ mortality rates, should be investigated further and advanced to full operability where this is practically possible. Practical cost-effective methods to deter non-target marine vertebrates around identified problematic interactions with fisheries should be comprehensively investigated and fieldtested, with the aim of significantly reducing and resolving incidental by-catch mortality and/or injury of non-target species. Coordinated efforts should be made to scientifically evaluate and test methodologies for the assessment of habitat condition across a range of habitat types (e.g. pelagic broad habitat types), such that the condition of natural habitats for key criteria elements can be analysed and inform future assessments of environmental status.Targeted and collaborative international research is required on (a) the population ecology of Leatherback turtles in the North Atlantic and (b) the extent, severity and risk of impact from human activities (e.g. fisheries, pollution) on this species.