Introduction to ATLAS Case Study 11: Flemish Cap

• Main Author: Pablo Duran Muñoz
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: Northwest Atlantic
• Online Access: https://zenodo.org/record/376233; https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.376233

11. Flemish Cap Introductory presentation given at the 1st ATLAS General Assembly, June 2016. Flemish Cap is an Oceanic Bank located in an Area Beyond National Jurisdiction within the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation Regulatory Area (NAFO) and separated from the Grand Banks by the Flemish Pass. It is situated in a transition area between the cold-waters of the Labrador Current and warmer waters influenced by the Gulf Stream. It is mainly covered with soft sediments and there are stones scattered in the entire area. The main focal ecosystems are sponge grounds and cold-water corals. The Flemish Cap includes important international fishing grounds and has the potential to become an important zone for oil, gas and bioprospecting. Current NAFO enforcement and conservation measures include catch and effort limitations, fisheries footprint, VMS, observers and closed areas to protect VMEs. Blue Growth Sectors: Biotechnology, Fisheries, Oil and Gas.