Workshop to evaluate long-term biodiversity/ecosystem benefits of NEAFC closed and restricted areas (WKECOVME) ...

• Main Author: ICES
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: ICES Scientific Reports 2023
• Subjects: Pressures, impacts, conservation, and management; North East Atlantic
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.17895/ices.pub.24198771.v2; https://ices-library.figshare.com/articles/report/Workshop_to_evaluate_long-term_biodiversity_ecosystem_benefits_of_NEAFC_closed_and_restricted_areas_WKECOVME_/24198771/2

The workshop to evaluate long-term biodiversity/ecosystem benefits of NEAFC closed and restricted areas (WKECOVME) was formed as part of the formal ICES advisory process in response to requests from the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) for advice on Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs) in relation to long-term biodiversity/ecosystem benefits of NEAFC’s areas restricted to bottom fishing, and VME closed areas and on the potential maximum depths of bottom fishing. With the aim of establishing a scientific basis for providing the advice the Workshop was requested: to evaluate the biodiversity of the areas concerned, to evaluate threats affecting or expected to affect the biodiversity attributes; to evaluate the NEAFC management measures as to whether they achieve, or are expected to achieve, positive and sustained outcomes for the in situ conservation of biodiversity; and to provide a commentary on current and potential maximum depth on the use of bottom-contacting fishing ...