essential fish habitats
DESCRIPTION
World Fisheries Congress 2008TRANSCRIPT
Subsession 7e: Ecosystem and habitat assessment and management
Preserving Sensitive and Essential Fish Habitats in the Mediterranean: a valuable tool for the maintenance of
biodiversity and fisheriesThe case of the Balearic Islands
Joan MORANTA, Francesc ORDINES, Enric MASSUTÍ, Beatriz GUIJARRO, Antoni QUETGLAS, Maria VALLS Biel POMAR Michel J KAISERMaria VALLS, Biel POMAR, Michel J. KAISER
Spanish Institute of OceanographyPalma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
School of Ocean ScienceMenai Bridge, Anglesey, UK
Preserving SH and EFH in the MED: a valuable tool for the maintenance of biodiversity and fisheries. The case of the Balearic IslandsThe case of the Balearic Islands
ContentsContents
1 E t B d Fi h i M t1. Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Managementa. Impact of Trawling on Species and Habitatsb. Marine Protected Areasb a e o ec ed eas
2. What Happens Beyond 50 m Depth?
3 The International Bottom Trawl MEDITS Programme 3. The International Bottom Trawl MEDITS Programme
4. The Circalittoral Soft Bottoms of the Balearic Shelf
5 Conclusions5. Conclusions
1. Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management :Linking species, habitats and fisheries g p ,
Bare sandy/mudBottoms
Seagrass
Habitats
Bottoms
Coral reefs
Estuaries
Coral reefs
Rocky bottoms
Throughout their lives fish species may use manyThroughout their lives fish species may use manydifferent habitats to support breeding, spawning,nursery, feeding and protection functions.
Fi h i i t i bl li k d t h lth iFisheries are inextricably linked to healthy marinehabitats; protecting them will help to support speciesconservation but also the activity of fishing communities.
1a. Impact of Trawling on Species and Habitats
B tt t li i f th t d i d t th t fBottom trawling is one of the most damaging gears due to the amount ofdiscards and habitat destruction (MED: Multi-specific fishery).
Number of species: 100≤X≤300 (~100 of commercial interest)p ( )Amount of discards: 20≤X≤70 % of the catch
% f di d b d th i diff t t% of discards by depth in different ports
Port Year <150 m 151-350 m >350 m)Fuengirola 1995-96 45 55 42 Santa Pola 1995-96 23 56 24 Valencia 1995-96 23 27 21 Palma 1995-96 69 62 19 Al údiAlcúdia 1995-96 55 44 14Pisa 1995-96 32 21 22 Vilanova 1995-96 48 17 22 Mallorca 1996 97 42Mallorca 1996-97 - - 42Vilanova 1995-96 63 19 19
Average 45 38 25
1a. Impact of Trawling on Species and Habitats
B tt t li i f th t d i d t th t fBottom trawling is one of the most damaging gears due to the amount ofdiscards and habitat destruction (MED: Multi-specific fishery).
Number of species: 100≤X≤300 (~100 of commercial interest)
Sampling on Board (Mallorca 2001-2007)
p ( )Amount of discards: 20≤X≤70 % of the catch
Mean Biomass
1000
1200
80
100Discards Composition
ons
600
800
ntag
e (%
)
60
80
T
200
400 Per
cen
20
40
Fishing Tactic
0SS DS US MS
0SS DS US MS
Fishing TacticAlgae Discards
SS: shallow shelf (50-100 m) DS: deep shelf (101-200 m) US: upper slope (201-500 m) MS: middle slope (501-800 m)
Landings OthersPisces Mollusca Echinoidea Crustacea g
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have become valuable management tools
1b. The Marine Protected AreasMarine Protected Areas (MPAs) have become valuable management toolsaround the world for conserving the nation's natural and cultural marineresources as part of an ecosystem approach to management. Many types ofMPAs for many purposes exist, including conservation of natural andMPAs for many purposes exist, including conservation of natural andcultural heritage, and also sustainable production.
1b. The Marine Protected Areas
© www.medpan.orgSlovenia
UK (Gibraltar)Lebanon
Cyprus
~100 MPAs (17 countries)~9 million he (~4% of the area)
p g
Source: www.medpan.orgyp
IsraelMalta
AlgeriaSyria
TunisiaMorocco
Only the Sanctuary ofCetaceans (Ligurian Sea) covers~8 million he (90% of MPAs)
ww.mpaglobal.org
MoroccoCroatiaTurkeyFrance
SpainGreece
8 million he (90% of MPAs)
Most MPAs are coastal and arelocated below 50 m depth
Percentage of MPA0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Gr cItaly
Most MPAs only exits on paper,protection never enforced
2. What Happens Beyond 50 m Depth?
Europe (RE 1967/2006)
Current Legislation
Europe (RE 1967/2006) Seagrass: 3 Nm/<50 m(Posidonia oceanica)Coralligenous habitatsg
National (Spanish legislation APA/79/2006)
Maërl beds>1000 mTrawling
(Spanish legislation APA/79/2006)
According STECF1 other Sensitive Habitats (SH) have been identified:
C t l L t d b iCoastal Lagoons, seamonts and submarine canyonsFacies of the crinoid Leptometra phalangium, the cnidarian Funiculinaquadrangularis and the gorgonian Isidella elongataDeep sea coral mounts with colonies of the scleractinian LopheliaDeep-sea coral mounts with colonies of the scleractinian Lopheliapertusa and Madrepora oculata
Some of this habitats has been identified as Essential Fish Habitats (EFH)( )(P. oceanica1, Maërl beds1,2, L. phalangium1,2) and Peysonellia beds2
Little is know about these Habitats Location?
(1)Report of the SGMED of the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (2006).(2)Ordines F & Massutí E. Aquatic Conserv: Mar. Freshw. Ecosyst. DOI: 10.1002/aqc.969 (2008).(3)Colloca F et al. Mar. Biol. 145, 1129-1142 (2004).
3. The International Bottom Trawl MEDITS Programme
Th i t ti l MEDITS b tt t l d l d l thThe international MEDITS bottom trawl surveys developed along thenorthern MED countries could represents a very good opportunity toextend the classic objectives of fisheries management, for which MEDITSprogramme was promoted to a more EAFMprogramme was promoted, to a more EAFM.
4. The Circalittoral Soft Bottoms of the Balearic Shelf (WMED): High Biodiversity Habitats( ) g y
MEDTIS_ES 2001-2008 (483 samples)
Mallorca-Menorca
GOC73
Mallorca-Menorca
Aco
sta
00
5
GOC73
So
urc
e: 2
R/V F. P. Navarro
Cl t A l i
Eivissa-Formentera
Macro Epi-benthic species of the Continental Shelf (279 samples)
R/V Cornide de SaavedraCluster Analysis
PB
Shallow Shelf (50-90 m) Deep Shelf (91-255 m)
CBPeyssonnelia beds Crinoid beds
S d d b ttMB
SSM
DSM1
DSM2
Maërl beds
Sandy-mud bottoms Sandy-mud bottoms
Sandy-mud bottoms
4. The Circalittoral Soft Bottoms of the Balearic Shelf (WMED): High Biodiversity Habitats( ) g y
Total Number of SpeciesTAXON PS MB SSM CB DSM1 DSM2
Algae 58 27 28PB
Spec
ies
400
500Shallow
DeepAlgae 58 27 28Molluscs 67 51 49 22 37 43 Crustaceans 38 25 24 10 28 23 Equinoderms 31 27 32 24 27 27 Ascidians 50 38 39 18 16 15ta
l Num
ber o
f
100
200
300
Ascidians 50 38 39 18 16 15Chondrichthyes 19 18 10 11 15 12 Teleosts 85 61 73 59 75 79 Other invertebrates 67 46 54 16 32 40 Mean Biomass (Kg*km-2)
To 0
Km-2
5000100001200014000
Mean Biomass (Kg km )Algae 5304 1451 268 Molluscs 331 365 151 46 58 49 Crustaceans 29 10 12 5 4 5 Equinoderms 4682 815 309 650 99 159
Kilo
gram
s*K
010002000300040005000
Relative Biomass Composition
384042
Equinoderms 4682 815 309 650 99 159 Ascidians 366 72 100 17 4 3 Chondrichthyes 426 427 335 319 212 479 Teleosts 1399 733 2143 1779 1812 1532 Other invertebrates 351 70 51.4 38 21 48
0MBPS SSM CB DSM1 DSM2PB
Perc
enta
ge
4
6
8
10Other invertebrates 351 70 51.4 38 21 48
Non-Commercial Commercial Pelagic Fish0
2
4. The Circalittoral Soft Bottoms of the Balearic Shelf (WMED): High Biodiversity Habitats( ) g y
Shallow Shelf
Demersal Resources and Habitats
Shallow Shelf
is 2
MB
RD
A A
xi
PBDeep Shelf
2R
DA
Axi
s CB RDA Axis 1
5. Conclusions
I Th B l i h lf i th WMED i h t i d b th fI. The Balearic shelf in the WMED is characterised by the occurrence ofhigh biodiversity areas, which has been classified as SH and/or EFH.
II. These habitats are characterised by the presence of “foundationspecies” which increase the structural complexity of the habitat andsupport high number of species and biomass. Most of the commercial
III The occurrence of SH and EFH in the continental shelf of the MED
species present high abundance, biomass and number of recruits inthese habitats.
III. The occurrence of SH and EFH in the continental shelf of the MED,highlight the need of an ecosystem-based assessment andmanagement of the trawling fishery developed in the area.
IV. There is a need for a greater effort to know the localization andbathymetric distribution of these habitats in the MED. The internationalMEDITS surveys could represents an excellent opportunity for thispurpose.
V. The study of these habitats requires a more appropriate methodologiesfor better characterise the biodiversity (beam trawl and box-core) andfor better characterise the biodiversity (beam trawl and box-core) andnon-destructive methods for mapping (acoustic sonar, photograph-video sledges).
5. Conclusions
VI An spatially adapted management could be useful to preserve theseVI. An spatially adapted management could be useful to preserve thesehabitats in those areas where precise cartography exist. In other areas,in accordance with the principle of precaution, and due to the lack ofknowledge related with these habitats it should be advisable to extendknowledge related with these habitats, it should be advisable to extendthe prohibition of trawling on the continental shelf down to 100 mdepth.
VII Th il bilit f th d t bt i d f th V l M it i S tVII. The availability of the data obtained from the Vessel Monitoring Systemis completely necessary for an adequate scientific advise andmanagement.
VIII.This management strategy could be useful to avoid spatial pcompetence for the resources and will enhance the captures of more traditional gears (artisanal and recreational) which
ld ll h could allow the conservation of the SH and EFH in the MED.