Report of the Working Group on the Effects of Extraction of Marine Sediments on the Marine Ecosystem (WGEXT), 11–15 April 2011 Delft, the Netherlands

• Main Author: ICES
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: Rouen; Iceland
• Online Access: https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00134/24571/22600.pdf; https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00134/24571/

The Working Group on the effects of extraction of marine sediments on the marine ecosystem (WGEXT) met at Delft, The Netherlands, 12–15 April 2011. Thirteen participants from seven ICES member countries attended the meeting. The objective of WGEXT is to provide a summary of data on marine sediment extraction, marine resource and habitat mapping, changes to the legal regime, and research projects relevant to the assessment of environmental effects. A general pattern of reduced amounts of extracted marine sediments across member countries was identified by WGEXT, likely as a result in the economic climate. Discussion on the tools and policies to control the extraction of marine sediments were discussed but little in the way of change was reported across member countries either in their national control measures or in the use of the WGEXT 2003 Guidelines. A movement to more broad scale/ regional approaches to monitoring the affects of extraction were reported. A rapid movement away from the production of paper maps was identified but data acquisition campaigns are still taking place in a number of countries. Research into the impacts and effects of marine sediment extraction continued across member countries and a mix of national/ regional focussed and multinational programmes exist. Reports were reviewed from fifteen (of 21) member countries. Although six member countries did not provide reports, the available data is thought to provide a representative assessment of the overall total of material extracted from the member states. Contact was made with Iceland and WGEXT look forward to welcoming representatives from Iceland and other potential new members to the next meeting. ICES WGEXT agreed to meet again in Rouen in April 2012 as guests of the University of Rouen.