Odd Aksel Bergstad Institute of Marine Research Norway

Transcription

1 Odd Aksel Bergstad Institute of Marine Research Norway Deep-sea field scientist since 1980s Member and former chair of relevant ICES expert groups Scientific delegate to NAFO, NEAFC, SEAFO. Contributor to relevant FAO efforts since mid-2000s. Some roles in processes under OSPAR, CBD a.o. In 2011, consultancy under DOALOS Co-author to Ch. 42 and 51 of the WoA. Key experiences: PI of 10-year MAR-ECO programme under Census of Marine Life (study of the northern mid-atlantic Ridge) PI of RV Dr Fridtjof Nansen campaign to SE Atl. seamounts 2015

2 Segment 1. Impacts of bottom fisheries on vulnerable marine ecosystems and the long-term sustainability of deep-sea fish stocks Request: Introduce findings of First Global Integrated Marine Assessment (World Ocean Assessment) Own proposal: Bottom fishing areas and past and present impacts on VMEs in the Atlantic ABNJ. Some knowns and unknowns.

3 First Global Integrated Marine Assessment (UN, 2016) Chapter 42. Cold-Water Corals Chapter 51. Biological Communities on Seamounts and Other Submarine Features Potentially Threatened by Disturbance

4 Chapter 42. Cold-Water Corals Cold-water corals (CWC) most commonly occur in continental slope settings, on deep shelves and along the flanks of oceanic banks and seamounts. The majority occur at m, with the bathymetric ranges becoming shallower towards the poles. Many taxa, but reef-forming taxa most relevant in this context. Impacts: Physical impacts from both trawl fisheries and long-lining are likely to be significant anywhere deep-water fisheries are active, but have been welldemonstrated in the North Atlantic and Norwegian Seas, on the Australian seamounts, off the coast of New Zealand, and Southwestern Atlantic slope. Recovery: Stony coral reefs and black corals will only recover very slow (decades to millennia), but colonies may grow rather quickly (e.g. experiences from recovered oil rigs).

5 Management actions and challenges: Some of the protective efforts, including fisheries closures, within EEZs predate the UNGA resolutions, but the resolutions stimulated further action in ABNJ and within EEZs (a short regional summary is provided). A scientific challenge is to assess the effectiveness of current and new protective measures and to develop management in areas that need greater attention, such as those for which no RFMOs exist. The fisheries sector is often perceived as representing the major threat to cold-water corals, but a growing challenge is to avoid adverse impacts from other industries moving into areas containing known coral habitats, e.g. mining, oil and gas industries, and renewable energy industries operating under different management regimes.

6 Chapter 51. Biological Communities on Seamounts and Other Submarine Features Potentially Threatened by Disturbance Final statement: Our starting point in attempting to understand and manage these habitats is, to paraphrase Socrates, that we know almost nothing. The geomorphological features considered: Seamounts (and oceanic island slopes) thousands in all oceans, but only the ones with summits shallower than 2000m are relevant for fisheries. Ridges and plateaus plateaus near continents very significant for fisheries, mid-ocean ridges less so. Canyons limited significance for fisheries. Trenches not relevant for fisheries.

7 Ch. 51 continued: Scales of the fisheries and historical development: Deep-water demersal fisheries over the continental slope, ridges, seamounts, and plateaus landed between 800,000 and 1,000,000 t per annum from the mid- 1960s to 1990s and annual landings on the order of 100,000 t since about The vast majority of seamount-associated demersal fisheries have proven unsustainable, undergoing a boom-and-bust cycle that has usually lasted less than 10 years. Scales of impacts on benthic communities: Probably widespread but true scale not fully appreciated due to lack of observational data and ground-truthing of model outputs. Significance of impacts where they occurred assumed high, but not well understood.

8 What is the current state and future prospects? 1) From state-subsidised unregulated fisheries in the past, unregulated fisheries have become virtually politically unacceptable. 2) There is a growing appreciatian that commercial prospects in deepwater demersal fisheries are limited or absent. 3) Regulations (stock and gear-specific and VME-related) have restricted the spatial distribution of the few remaning fisheries. End result: Most fisheries have declined to much reduced levels. Risk to vulnerable benthic communites has declined. Some resources have stabilised or are growing.

9 Are VMEs in the fishing areas of the ABNJ significantly adversely impacted? Examples of SAI are well documented. But what is the true scale of SAI? Where systematic mapping using modern technology has been conducted at relevant spatial scales and depths, intact communities appear very common, even in or near past and present fishing areas. Norwegian shelf and slope waters. Mid-Atlantic Ridge. SE Atl. seamounts.

10 SEAFO Seamounts Cruise, Multibeam acoustics, Video transects (<1000m) 8 summits visited No obvious SAI Some litter Spatially targeted VME protection feasible, but data-demanding

11 Major challenges to research community Provide scientific advice facilitating sustainable fishing, i.e. commercially viable fishing actvity striking the balance between maintaining resource production and protection of VMEs against SAI. Propose management strategies that maintains/enhances recovery potential of resources and VMEs that experienced SAI in the past. Facilitate assessments of the effectiveness of management measures implemented. Facilitate multi-sectoral analyses of actual and potential impacts.