Deep water fisheries
As more traditional fish stocks have dwindled, fishers have moved into deeper waters in a "gold rush" for new fisheries that has caused a rapid decline in stocks and left fisheries managers limping behind. Despite concern for the sustainability and long-term viability of deep water fisheries, there is at present no adequate monitoring, management or protection of these stocks. Seas At Risk promotes a precautionary approach to ensure sustainable deep water fisheries, both within EU waters and in the international waters of the North East Atlantic.
Deep water fish species tend to be slow growing, late maturing and low in reproductive capacity, which makes them particularly vulnerable to large-scale fishing activities. After a decade of ever stronger (but ignored) warnings, the International Council for Exploration of the Sea (ICES), the chief scientific advisory body on fisheries management in North East Atlantic waters, called in October 2005 for "a complete overhaul of deep water fisheries"; with most deep water stocks at a historically low levels, ICES advise cutting back fishing as much as possible. In May 2006 they effectively repeated this same advice.
The two main regulatory bodies responsible for deep water fisheries management in the North East Atlantic are the European Community (for all European waters) and the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (for international waters). Both have been ignoring scientific advice and their current deep water fisheries management is totally inadequate. Seas At Risk is pushing for these two regulatory bodies to drop fishing effort to minimal levels until it can be shown to be sustainable, and to immediately introduce closed areas for the protection of spawning stocks and vulnerable habitats.
Seas At Risk background paper on deep water fisheries (October 2006).
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For ICES advice on fisheries management click here:
ICES advice |
EU deep water fisheries management
Council regulation (2347/2002) on access requirements for deep water fisheries (28/12/2002)
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Commission Consultation document on the review of the deep sea access regime
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Seas At Risk reaction to the Commission consultation on the review of the access regime for deep-sea stocks
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Commission Consultation document on deep sea TACs and quotas 2011-2012
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Joint NGO response to Commission consultation on deep sea TACs and quotas 2011-2012
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NEAFC deep water fisheries management
For NEAFC measures on deep water fisheries click here:
NEAFC measures |
NAFO
DSCC Recommendations to the 32nd NAFO Annual General Meeting
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