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The Protection of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems in the ...€¦ · 2-4 August 2016, New York City,...
Transcript of The Protection of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems in the ...€¦ · 2-4 August 2016, New York City,...
The Protection of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems in the
Northwest Atlantic: NAFO Processes and Regulations
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UN Workshop – Implementation of UNGA Resolutions 64/72 and 66/68: Addressing
impacts of bottom fishing on VMEs and Long-Term Sustainability of deep- sea fish stocks.
2-4 August 2016, New York City, USA
Dr. Ricardo Federizon
Senior Fisheries Commission Coordinator
Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
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UN Workshop – Implementation of UNGA Resolutions 64/72 and 66/68: Addressing
impacts of bottom fishing on VMEs and Long-Term Sustainability of deep- sea fish stocks.
2-4 August 2016, New York City, USA
International Instruments – RFMOs, VME, SAI
• 2007 UNGA 61/105 on Sustainable Fisheries
Paragraph 83 – urges RFMOs to… to protect VMEs from SAI… by
regulating bottom fishing …
• 2008 FAO International Guidelines for the Management of Deep Sea
Fisheries in the High Seas
Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VME)
Significant Adverse Impacts (SAI)
• 2009 UNGA 64/72 on Sustainable Fisheries
Paragraph 119a – conduct assessment in accordance to paragraph 83
of 61/105 … vessels not … to engage in bottom fishing until
such assessments have been carried out.
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UN Workshop – Implementation of UNGA Resolutions 64/72 and 66/68: Addressing
impacts of bottom fishing on VMEs and Long-Term Sustainability of deep- sea fish stocks.
2-4 August 2016, New York City, USA
NAFO’s response
Chapter II of the NAFO Conservation and Enforcement Measures –
Bottom Fisheries in the NAFO Regulatory Area
Processes and regulations:
• Fishing Foot print
• Exploratory Fishing Protocols
• VME species indicators and elements
• Seamount closures
• High Sponge and coral concentration
area closures
• Encounter protocols
• Species thresholds
• Impact assessments
• Fisheries Assessment
• Review process
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UN Workshop – Implementation of UNGA Resolutions 64/72 and 66/68: Addressing
impacts of bottom fishing on VMEs and Long-Term Sustainability of deep- sea fish stocks.
2-4 August 2016, New York City, USA
NAFO Convention and Regulatory Area
NAFO is an RFMO responsible for
managing the fish stocks (except salmon,
whales, tuna and sedentary species) in the
NW Atlantic outside the EEZs of Coastal
States (FAO Statistical Area 21).
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UN Workshop – Implementation of UNGA Resolutions 64/72 and 66/68: Addressing
impacts of bottom fishing on VMEs and Long-Term Sustainability of deep- sea fish stocks.
2-4 August 2016, New York City, USA
NAFO 12 Contracting Parties
Canada
Cuba
Denmark (in respect of
Faroe Islands & Greenland)
European Union (EU)
France (in respect of
Saint Pierre et Miquelon)
Iceland
Japan
Korea, Republic of
Norway
Russian Federation
Ukraine
United States of
America
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UN Workshop – Implementation of UNGA Resolutions 64/72 and 66/68: Addressing
impacts of bottom fishing on VMEs and Long-Term Sustainability of deep- sea fish stocks.
2-4 August 2016, New York City, USA
Map of Footprint (Existing Bottom Fishing Areas)
� Adopted in 2011
� The “footprint” was determined based on the
historical fishing tracks 1987-2008.
� Plans to fish outside the footprint are subject
to prior Scientific Council evaluation and
Fisheries Commission approval.
� Fishing outside footprint subjected to strict
Exploratory Fisheries Protocol.
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UN Workshop – Implementation of UNGA Resolutions 64/72 and 66/68: Addressing
impacts of bottom fishing on VMEs and Long-Term Sustainability of deep- sea fish stocks.
2-4 August 2016, New York City, USA
Exploratory Bottom Fishing Activities
I. Exploratory Fishing Protocol
• Harvesting Plan – target species, dates and areas
• Mitigation Plan – measures to prevent SAI
• Catch Monitoring Plan – 100% satellite tracking and 100%
observer coverage
• Data Collection Plan – identification of VMEs and species
II. Notice of Intent to Conduct Exploratory Fisheries – Elaboration of the four plans
III. Exploratory Fishing Trip Report – Fishery Data Collection Form
IV. Assessment of Bottom Fishing Activity – baseline information,
Data gaps, risk assessment of likely impacts, proposed mitigation
And management measures.
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UN Workshop – Implementation of UNGA Resolutions 64/72 and 66/68: Addressing
impacts of bottom fishing on VMEs and Long-Term Sustainability of deep- sea fish stocks.
2-4 August 2016, New York City, USA
Species• Large-sized sponges
• Stony Corals
• Gorgonian corals
• Sea pens
• Tube-dwelling anemones
• Erect bryozoans
• Sea lilies
• Sea squirts
Elements• Seamounts
• Fogo
• Newfoundland
• Corner Rise
• New England
• Canyons
• S of Flemish Cap
• Tail of Grand Banks
• Knolls
• Orphan
• Beothuk
• Shoal
• Tail of Grand Bank
Spawning Grounds
• Steep flanks
• SE of Flemish Cap
Photo credits: Bedford of Institute of
Oceanography, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia,
Canada
VME Indicator Species and Elements
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UN Workshop – Implementation of UNGA Resolutions 64/72 and 66/68: Addressing
impacts of bottom fishing on VMEs and Long-Term Sustainability of deep- sea fish stocks.
2-4 August 2016, New York City, USA
Areas closed to bottom fishing (380 000 km2) -
Ban on trawling using bottom contact gears
(2007, 2009)
(2010, 2014, 2015)
(2008)
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UN Workshop – Implementation of UNGA Resolutions 64/72 and 66/68: Addressing
impacts of bottom fishing on VMEs and Long-Term Sustainability of deep- sea fish stocks.
2-4 August 2016, New York City, USA
New fishing
area?
Has fishery
changed ?
Apply exploratory
fishery/data collection
protocols
< 2 yrs -
continue
fishing?
Stop
fishing
Review of
Assessment
Required
Y
Y
N
N Assessment
required
Y
New VME
information?
N
Assessment
required
Y
No
assessment
required
N
Existing and suggested instances when a
fishery assessment would be required
Start here
Periodic review
of existing
fishery?
Assessment
required
Y
N
New step
See separate flowchart
Bottom Fishing in NAFO Regulatory Area
Fisheries Assessment in 2016 and
every 5 years thereafter
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UN Workshop – Implementation of UNGA Resolutions 64/72 and 66/68: Addressing
impacts of bottom fishing on VMEs and Long-Term Sustainability of deep- sea fish stocks.
2-4 August 2016, New York City, USA
Exploratory Fisheries Process
FC-SC WG-EAFFM
FC-SC WG-EAFFM
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UN Workshop – Implementation of UNGA Resolutions 64/72 and 66/68: Addressing
impacts of bottom fishing on VMEs and Long-Term Sustainability of deep- sea fish stocks.
2-4 August 2016, New York City, USA
Encounter Protocol and Species Thresholds
• When fishing vessel catch VME indicator species above thresholds,
vessel must move away 2 nautical miles.
• Thresholds: 7 kg of sea pens and/or 60 kg of other live coral and/or
300 kg of sponges.
• Duties are spelled out in Article 22 of the NCEM
• Fishing Master – move away, reporting
• Observer – identification of VME indicator species
• Contracting Party – alert fleet and consider temporary closure of a 2 -
mile-radius area if encounter location is outside footprint
• Secretariat – archives information, forward to SC
• Scientific Council and Joint FC-SC WGs– analysis, provide advice
• Fisheries Commission – adopt conservation and management measures
Note: Scientific Council concluded that establishing closed areas to bottom
fishing is preferred management response over the move on rule.
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UN Workshop – Implementation of UNGA Resolutions 64/72 and 66/68: Addressing
impacts of bottom fishing on VMEs and Long-Term Sustainability of deep- sea fish stocks.
2-4 August 2016, New York City, USA
Assessment of Bottom Fisheries Activities – in 2016 and every 5 years(Article 23 of NCEM)
2016 Assessment completed by the Scientific Council in June 2016
Tasks – Par. 47 of
DSF Guidelines (Annex I.E,
NCEM)
Results (WG-ESA Report Nov 2015, SC Report June 2016)
Description of fisheries, bycatch,
effort
11 operational fisheries ID’ed. e.g. Halibut in Flemish Cap, Nose and Tail; Cod in Flemish
Cap (long line and bottom trawl), skates, shrimp, redfish fisheries, etc.
Habitats and communities,
ecosystems
Oceanographic conditions, Flemish Cap, benthic habitats, fish communities
Mapping of VMEs – known or
likely to occur in fishing area
[see next slides, for example]
Evaluation of likely impacts ---
Significant Adverse Impact
[see next slides, for example]
VME elements in fishing area 8 categories of VMEs, seamounts, canyons, slopes, flanks, etc.
Data and methods to assess SAI NEREIDA scientific surveys, Kernel Density Analysis
Risk assessment of impacts due
to fishing
See next slides
Mitigation and management
measures, monitoring
FC-SC WG-Ecosystem Approach Framework to Fisheries Management meets on 10-12
August. Fisheries Commission meets in September 2016
Next step
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UN Workshop – Implementation of UNGA Resolutions 64/72 and 66/68: Addressing
impacts of bottom fishing on VMEs and Long-Term Sustainability of deep- sea fish stocks.
2-4 August 2016, New York City, USA
Areas of sponge (A), sea pen (B), and gorgonian coral (C) VME at high risk of impact (yellow), impacted (red) and low
risk (green) according to calculated fishing intensity cut-off value. (Source: Report of the 8th Meeting of the NAFO SC-
Working Group on Ecosystem Science and Assessment, 17-26 November 2015. SCS Doc. 15/19.)
A - Sponge B – Sea pen C – Gorgonian coral
Risk of Impacts:
Low – at current closures (both in/outside footprint) High – inside footprint, not closed to bottom fishing, not fished since 2008
Impacted – VME areas inside footprint, not closed to bottom fishing, high fishing effort for many years.
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UN Workshop – Implementation of UNGA Resolutions 64/72 and 66/68: Addressing
impacts of bottom fishing on VMEs and Long-Term Sustainability of deep- sea fish stocks.
2-4 August 2016, New York City, USA
SAI criteria Definition
Area/Biomass at low risk Proportion of the area or biomass of VME which is currently at
low risk either because it falls within a fishery closure area
and/or is in an area outside of the fishing footprint
Area/Biomass impacted Proportion of the area or biomass of VME which has been
exposed to a level of fishing effort above the defined cut-off point
within any one year
Area/Biomass at high
risk
Proportion of the area or biomass of VME which falls below the
defined cut-off point of fishing effort within any one year.
Number of overlapping
VMEs
Proportion of area overlapping with other VMEs
Fishing effort/biomass
cut-off value (Index of
VME sensitivity)
The impact cut-off values for each of the VMEs are used as a proxy
of sensitivity (a high cut-off value indicates a low sensitivity) as it
indicates the point at which trawl duration/length exceeds VME
indicator patch size within the habitat
Index of fishing stability Number of cells consistently fished above the impact cut-off value
over time as a proportion of the total cells impacted
Index of Risk of VME
fragmentation
Proportion of discrete VME without protection
Definition of criteria used to assess SAI
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UN Workshop – Implementation of UNGA Resolutions 64/72 and 66/68: Addressing
impacts of bottom fishing on VMEs and Long-Term Sustainability of deep- sea fish stocks.
2-4 August 2016, New York City, USA
Quantitative Evaluation of criteria in SAI assessment for
VME in the NAFO Regulatory Area
Sponge Sea pen Large Gorgonian
SAI Criteria Area Biomass Area Biomass Area Biomass
VME Low risk 65% 73% 16% 19% 56% 63%
VME High risk 14% 10% 46% 39% 12% 14%
VME Impacted 21% 17% 38% 42% 31% 23%
VMEs overlapping 11% 2% 74%
Index of Sensitivity 0.3 0.5 0.1
Fragmentation 1% 26% 2%
Fishing area of stability 32% 14% 21%
Working Group on Ecosystem Approach Framework to Fisheries
Management (WG-EAFFM) and Fisheries Commission task: translate the
results into mitigation measures to be used to prevent SAI on VMEs, and
the measures to be used to monitor effects of fishing operation.
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UN Workshop – Implementation of UNGA Resolutions 64/72 and 66/68: Addressing
impacts of bottom fishing on VMEs and Long-Term Sustainability of deep- sea fish stocks.
2-4 August 2016, New York City, USA
From FAO International Guidelines for the Management of Deep-sea
Fisheries in the High Seas (par. 18)
Significant adverse impacts
Six factors to consider:
1. Intensity or severity of the impact
2. The spatial extent of the impact
3. Sensitivity/vulnerability of the ecosystem
4. Ability of the ecosystem to recover
5. Extent to which ecosystem functions may be altered by the impact
6. Timing and duration of the impact relative to life-history stages.
First 3 factors – being addressed
Last 3 factors – at a latter time
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UN Workshop – Implementation of UNGA Resolutions 64/72 and 66/68: Addressing
impacts of bottom fishing on VMEs and Long-Term Sustainability of deep- sea fish stocks.
2-4 August 2016, New York City, USA
Thank you!