Vedran Nikolić and Katarzyna Janiak

European Commission

DG Environment

DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries

Workshop on fisheries management measures in Natura 2000 sites in the

Mediterranean Sea

10-12 October 2017

Zadar, Croatia

EU framework for fisheries management measures in Natura 2000 sites

Photo: Yannis Issaris

Conservation status of (non-bird) protected species

associated with marine ecosystems

State of nature in the EU Results from reporting under Birds and

Habitats directives 2007–2012

Coastal Shelf Open ocean

Open ocean

Coastal

Shelf

Population

status of

marine

birds

https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/state-of-nature-in-the-eu

The share of favourable assessments of marine habitats is very low and for some the status is still unknown. The Mediterranean Sea:

State of nature in the EU Results from reporting under Birds and

Habitats directives 2007–2012

https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/state-of-nature-in-the-eu

The two most common types of reported conservation actions for species are 'legal protection of habitats and species’ and 'establish protected areas/sites’.

Pollution of marine waters and fishing and harvesting aquatic resources are top two pressures/threats for marine habitats and species

https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/state-of-nature-in-the-eu

Natura 2000: European network of protected areas based on two EU Directives

HABITATS DIRECTIVE: SPECIAL AREAS OF CONSERVATION (SAC)

Habitat types listed in Annex I (e.g. Posidonia meadows, Reefs), marine species listed in Annex II of the Habitats Directive (e.g. Tursiops truncatus, Caretta caretta)

BIRDS DIRECTIVE: SPECIAL PROTECTION AREAS (SPA) Birds listed in Annex I of the Birds Directive (+ regularly occurring migratory birds)

Marine Natura 2000 sites need to be designated, protected and managed to ensure that these features can be maintained or, where

appropriate, restored at a favourable conservation status.

The nature directives - two pillars of protection: • Strict protection of species • Natura 2000 sites (protected areas)

HABITATS DIRECTIVE BIRDS DIRECTIVE

National list of proposed sites

(pSCI)

Sites of Community

Importance (SCI)

Special Areas of Conservation

(SAC)

Special Protection

Areas (SPA)

max. 6 years

Natura 2000: European network of protected areas based on two EU Directives

Marine Natura 2000

State of play

• More than 3140 marine sites (out of ˃27000)

• Covers 7% of EU seas (˃400.000 km2)

• Network is not complete in the offshore area

• Differences across regional seas

• Collective EU effort: the area under marine

Natura 2000 doubled in the last 5 years!

• Marine Natura 2000 is the main driver of MPA

designation in the EU and makes the main

contribution to reaching international targets

('Aichi Target 11' and SDG 14)

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/marine/inde

x_en.htm

Natura 2000 coverage in the Mediterranean

European regional seas and sub

regions (sensu MSFD)

EU part of

sea (km2)

Area covered

by N2K

(km2)

Total no of

N2K sites

% of EU

waters

covered by

N2K

% of 0-1

NM zone

covered by

N2K

% of 1-12

NM zone

covered by

N2K

% of 12 NM

to END zone

covered by

N2K

Mediterranean 1274892 62941 1169 4.9 31 11 1

Western Mediterranean Sea 659989 44926 524 6.8 53 20 1

Ionian Sea and the Central

Mediterranean Sea 240068 6667 155 2.8 29 6 1

Adriatic Sea 120069 6531 361 5.4 37 5 0

Aegean-Levantine Sea 190382 4818 137 2.5 14 2 0

Large gaps still remain in the Mediterranean, especially outside 1 NM zone

Management framework for Natura 2000 sites

Art. 6(2)-(4) of the Habitats Directive also applies to SPAs, while provisions analogous to those of Art. 6(1) apply to SPAs pursuant to Art. 4(1)(2) of the Birds Directive

• Member States shall take appropriate steps to avoid, in the special areas of conservation, the deterioration of natural habitats and the habitats of species as well as disturbance of the species for which the areas have been designated, in so far as such disturbance could be significant in relation to the objectives of this Directive.

Article 6(2)

• Member States shall establish the necessary conservation measures involving, if need be, appropriate management plans specifically designed for the sites or integrated into other development plans, and appropriate statutory, administrative or contractual measures which correspond to the ecological requirements of the natural habitat types in Annex I and the species in Annex II present on the sites.

Article 6(1)

Management framework for Natura 2000 sites

Management of Natura 2000 - priorities

Setting conservation objectives Implementation of necessary conservation measures

(enforcement) SAC designation: legal, statutory or contractual

arrangements Management plans as useful strategic management tools Full stakeholder engagement and better regional

cooperation Adequate financing

Effective protection is possible only if everyone understands the objectives of a Natura 2000 site, supports the conservation measures and takes ownership of the marine protected area.

Supporting the management of Natura 2000

Commission guidance on establishment of marine Natura 2000, on setting conservation objectives and measures and on SAC designation

Supporting activities under the Marine Expert Group:

Common methodology to assess impact of fisheries on marine Natura 2000 (2012)

Overview of the potential interactions and impacts of commercial fishing methods on marine habitats and species protected under the EU Habitats directive - sensitivity analysis matrices (2014)

Exchange of best practices (cont.)

Socio-economic benefits of the EU marine protected areas (study, EC 2016)

Financing opportunities under EMFF (monitoring, restoration, management of N2000, reducing by-catch), LIFE+, INTERREG,…

Seminars on Natura 2000 management – forum for discussions, networking and cross-border cooperation

CFP Reg 1380/2013 highlights

CFP conservation measures (I)

CFP ‘tool box’ allows for a wide range of measures for the conservation and sustainable exploitation of marine biological resources

Examples (Art.7): multiannual plans, measures to achieve objectives of landing obligation, minimum conservation reference sizes, pilot projects on alternative types of fishing management techniques and on gears that increase selectivity or minimise negative impact of fishing activities on marine environment, measures necessary for complying with environmental legislation, technical measures

CFP conservation measures (II)

CFP provides for the possibility to establish:

- fish stock recovery areas to contribute to the conservation of living aquatic resources and marine ecosystems;

- conservation measures that are necessary for compliance with Union environmental legislation – Birds and Habitat Directives and MSFD (Art.11);

- conservation measures for purposes other than described in Art. 11;

- emergency measures in case of serious threat to the conservation of marine biological resources or to the marine ecosystem.

Multiannual Plans

Many important stocks and fisheries are managed by means of a multiannual plan (MAP).

New MAPs: target fishing at FMSY, measures for implementation of landing obligation; would incorporate safeguard measures to give a framework to restore stocks when they fall below safe biological limits; may also include technical measures.

MAPs in line with new CFP: 1) cod, herring and sprat in the Baltic Sea; 2) demersal stocks in the North Sea; 3) small pelagic stocks in the Adriatic.

Under preparation by COM: MAP for EU Western Waters and MAP for the fisheries exploiting demersal stocks in the western Mediterranean Sea.

https://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/cfp/fishing_rules/multi_annual_plans_en

Technical measures

Technical measures under CFP govern how, where and when fishermen may fish. TM may include: gear specifications, minimum conservation sizes, requirement of selective gears, closed areas or seasons, measures to minimize impact of fishing on marine ecosystem and environment.

Mediterranean Regulation (EC) No 1967/2006 sets rules:

- management measures and obligations to protect sensitive habitats from impact of fishing activities, to enlarge MPA network, prohibit destrictive fishing methods;

- technical measures on the characteristics of fishing gears allowed in various fisheries.

Proposal for new TM framework COM(2016)134 final: sets out measures to reduce incidental catches of cetaceans and seabirds

CFP regionalisation

Since fisheries policy is an exclusive competence of the European Union, it is up to the EU to take any fisheries-related measures.

The CFP introduced the regionalisation to shape a number of measures adopted through delegated acts, in particular conservation measures needed to comply with obligations under EU environmental legislation (Art.11) and discard plans (Art.15).

Where regionalisation applies, EU countries with a direct management interest may submit joint recommendations, after consulting relevant ACs, for the adoption of Commission delegated acts.

Joint recommendations under Article 11 CFP – state of play

Date

submission to COM

EU countries having direct

management interest Sea basin

13/03/2015 DE, DK, SE North Sea

13/03/2015 DE, DK, SE Baltic Sea

10/06/2016 DE, DK, SE North Sea

16/11/2016 DE, DK, SE North Sea

30/11/2016 DE, DK, SE, PL Baltic Sea

14/02/2017 BE North Sea

28/02/2017 BE, DE, DK, SE North Sea

https://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/cfp/fishing_rules_en

Delegated acts adopted by COM

Regulation number & date Sea basin Legal status

REG (EU) 2015/1778 of 25.06.2015 Baltic Sea and

Kattegat No longer in force

REG (EU) 2017/117 of 5.09.2016 Baltic Sea In force

REG (EU) 2017/118 of 5.09.2016 North Sea In force

REG (EU) 2017/1180 of 24.02.2017 North Sea In force

REG (EU) 2017/1181 of 2.03.2017 Baltic Sea In force

EXAMPLES fisheries measures (I)

Fisheries management measures for the protection of the marine environment in the Baltic Sea.

• Recommended measures concern seven Danish Natura 2000 sites in the Baltic Sea and comprise of prohibition of fishing activities with mobile bottom contacting gear in reef zones.

• STECF advice: conservation objectives within protected areas could not be fully achieved without appropriate measures to prevent fishing activity in the areas.

EXAMPLES fisheries measures (II)

Fisheries management measures for the protection of the marine environment in the North Sea.

• Recommended measures concern i) three Danish Natura 2000 sites in the Kattegat, NS, and comprise the prohibition of the fishing activities with mobile bottom contacting gear in reef (habitat type 1170) zones and the prohibition of all fishing activities in bubbling reef (habitat type 1180) zones; ii) Bratten area in the Skagerrak, NS – prohibition of all fishing activities in a number of zones.

• STECF advice: conservation objectives within those areas could not be fully achieved without appropriate measures to prevent fishing activity in the areas.

Data collection

Under CFP the Member States need to collect and made available the biological, environmental, technical and socioeconomic data for science-based fisheries management

New Data Collection Framework (DCF) Regulation (EU) 2017/1004 & Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/1251 adopting a multiannual Union programme for the period 2017-2019 (EU-MAP)

New requirement: data to assess the impacts of EU fisheries on marine ecosystems in EU and non-EU waters (e.g. incidental by-catch of all birds, mammals and reptiles and fish protected under Union legislation and international agreements).

EU financial support - EMFF

Promoting environmentally sustainable, resource efficient, innovative fisheries and knowledge based fisheries

• Aim at reduction of impact of fisheries on the marine environment and contribute to better management or conservation of marine biological resources

Fostering CFP implementation through scientific advice and knowledge & DCF EU-MAP

• To improve and supply of scientific knowledge and collection and management of data

Supporting control and surveillance

• Support to inspection services & for actions aimed at maintaining and enhancing biodiversity and ecosystem services

Benefits of management measures for fishing in Natura 2000 (I)

Meet the objectives of CFP and environmental legislation.

Ensure an appropriate balance between sustainable exploitation of resources and the need to conserve important habitats.

Bring together fisheries and environmental stakeholders.

Enhance cooperation between national administrations and stakeholders.

Benefits of management measures for fishing in Natura 2000 (II)

Promote regional cooperation between MS having direct management interest in certain fisheries or areas.

Reinforce a role of the Advisory Councils, the consultation of which is compulsory.

Ensure a level playing field by preventing the existence of different management measures for similar marine feature within one region.

Shape legislation in an open and transparent way.

Aspects for improvement

Fisheries conservation measures for the protection of the marine environment have been slow:

Careful attention has been paid to adequate socio-economic and environmental impacts

Lengthy consultation process of local/regional stakeholders

Agreement between fisheries and environmental stakeholders

Agreement between different MS concerned

Need for further work in the Mediterranean and Atlantic seabasins

Improved collection of biological data for better scientific assessment and thus enhanced fisheries management

Due to slow start of the EMFF implementation – Member States are encouraged in spending of available funds

Call for action in Mediterranean

More efforts are needed

Management measures to be strenghtened at all levels (national, EU and international)

Early involvement of all stakeholders concerned (fish.and env. adminstration, industry and NGOs)

Ecosystem based approach to be integrated in fisheries management

The control, enforcement and stock assessement to be improved

Socioeconomic impact of measures to be carefully evaluated (attention to small-scale fisheries)

Action plan for nature, people and the economy

A response to an extensive evidence - based Fitness Check

evaluation of the Birds and Habitats Directives

Directives are fit for purpose, but fulfilling their objectives and realising their full potential depends upon greatly improving implementation.

Objectives:

to realise the full potential of the Directives to achieve healthy ecosystems, whose services benefit people, nature and economy

to boost their contribution towards reaching the EU's biodiversity targets for 2020

to improve the Directives' coherence with broader socio-economic objectives

Marine-related actions

Completion of marine Natura 2000 (including SAC designation) Methodologies to assess coherence of MPA networks Increase synergies with MSFD Develop new guidance on Natura 2000 and fisheries under the

CFP Facilitate the implementation of fisheries management

measures under the CFP for marine Natura 2000 Cooperation with RSCs and RFMOs Adaptation strategy to deal with IAS impact on Med fisheries Biogeographical process in marine regions Contribute to the adoption of a comprehensive regional management

plan for red coral under GFCM Synergies with CFP and IMP Full use of financial resources under EMFF

Towards a coherent protection regime

Full implementation of EU policies, Regional Sea Conventions (Barcelona) and other international agreements + national and regional strategies (EUSAIR)

Policy integration (ecosystem approach): MSFD/BHD/CFP/WFD/MSPD/ICZM – joint measures and adaptive management

Financing: ESIF 2014-2020 (EMFF), LIFE+, INTERREG,…

Effective cooperation at all levels (national, regional, EU) between all stakeholders

• THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION