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The IMAGE project Indicators for fisheries MAnaGement in

Europe

A specific targeted research projectunder the European Commission 6th framework programme

Start November 2006

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The principal objectives of IMAGE are:

1.To develop a framework of indicators (ecological, economic, social) to support ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM);

2.To elaborate these in comprehensive dashboards (e.g. current values, trends, reference levels);

3.To develop methodology to integrate this information into tools supporting the decision-making process;

4.To develop a framework that can evaluate management strategies based on indicators;

5.To advise on how indicators can be used to support EBFM in selected regional case studies based on the new RAC areas.

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Consortium

• IMARES The Netherlands

• CEFAS United Kingdom

• IFREMER France

• DIFRES Denmark

• IFM Denmark

• COISPA Italy

• EMI Estonia

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Project overview

• Testing framework at RAC scale

• Linking pressure, state and response indicators

• Making policy tradeoffs explicit

• Stakeholders to provide guidance on objectives, tradeoffs and practicality of proposed approach

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General framework of the project

Social Economic

Social objectives

Economic objectives

Operational objectives

Operational objectives

Indicators, targets,limits

Indicators, targets,limits

Ecological

Ecological objectives

Operational objectives

Indicators, targets,limits

Social Economic

Social objectives

Economic objectives

Operational objectives

Operational objectives

Indicators, targets,limits

Indicators, targets,limits

Ecological

Ecological objectives

Operational objectives

Indicators, targets,limits

Ecological

Ecological objectives

Operational objectives

Indicators, targets,limits

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Relationships of Work Packages

WP 5WP 2 WP 3 WP 4

WP 1

WP 10WP 11

WP 9WP 6 WP 7 WP 8

Operational framework

Developing methods and tools

Case-studies

WP11Projectco-ordination

Pan Europeanevaluation & synthesis

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Objective: to design an operational framework to support the use of indicators in monitoring and managing the integration of environmental concerns into the Common Fisheries Policy

WP1. Design operational framework (Cefas lead)

The framework will focus on the development of indicator systems to support management at the scale of the RAC areas

The framework will allow the high level objectives within the CFP to be translated into operational objectives to be supported by indicators at the RAC scale.

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Specific actions:

WP1. Design operational framework (Cefas lead)

2. to identify and agree the structure of the indicator systems that support operational objectives and a process for indicator selection and screening

1. to identify and agree the fishing impacts and management actions that might compromise the achievement of operational objectives;

3. to identify and agree a process to ensure that selected indicators can support management decision making and

4. to identify and agree a process for providing indicator-based information on the environmental performance of fisheries management that would be accessible to stakeholders.

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WP2: Using ecological indicators in context (IFREMER lead)

Objectives

1. To select pressure, state and response indicators and to identify reference values, states and directions

2. To establish the links between ecological state, pressure and response indicators, by simulations and data-analysis

Pressure indicators– effort distribution– diversity of métiers– gear impacts– ...

State indicators– diversity– biomass– populations– ...

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WP3: Selection of indicators for socio-economic objectives (IFM lead)

Objectives 1.To develop an operational framework of

socio-economic indicators to support ecosystem-based fisheries management in RAC regions;

2.To identify shortcomings in availability of indicator data at the required scale and recommend on measures to provide such data;

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WP4: Tools for decision support (DIFRES lead)

Objectives

1.To combine signals from the indicators identified in WP2 and WP3 to address management issues on appropriate scales

2.To assemble a coherent and comprehensive toolbox for decision support that is flexible enough to addresses management needs in various European fisheries in an EBFM

3. To support the application of the prototype in the case studies in WPs 6-9.

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WP5: Management Strategy Evaluation

(IMARES lead) • The main objective of this WP is to develop a simulation model that

can evaluate how:– the choice of indicators and their reference points or directions– the monitoring procedures and type of information collected– the design of expert systems– the ensuing response of the fishing industryaffect the performance of the operational framework in a management context

• This model builds on an existing software framework intended to be used to evaluate and develop management strategies in a single-species context (commercial fish) but will be expanded to cover a broad range of indicators also covering other ecosystem components (e.g. benthos) and features

• The model is supposed to become a tool for indicator-based management where management strategies can be evaluated against the consequences for the biological properties of the ecosystem but also the economic consequences for the fishery.

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Case studies and stakeholders involvement

• Baltic Sea Baltic RAC

• Western waters North western waters RAC

• Tyrrhenian Sea fishermen associations

• North Sea North Sea RAC

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Objective: to evaluate and synthesize the outputs of the regional case studies and to develop tools to support the wider application and development of ecosystem-based fishery management in the EU.

WP10. Pan European synthesis (Cefas lead)

2. To identify and describe an approach by which assessments at the scale of the RAC area can best be used to report on the integration of environmental protection requirements into the CFP at a pan European scale

1. To identify priorities for data collection at the RAC scale (to supplement data already collected under the provisions of the DCR)

3. To develop and/ or describe recommended methods for presenting ecosystem-based fishery management advice (recognising the diversity of fisheries systems and environmental characteristics in the RAC areas and the variable resources available for data collection and analysis).

Specific actions: