What can we learn from D3 assessments? Mark Dickey-Collas @DickeyCollas

European Framework EEA has responsibility to develop a European assessment in 2019; At the European level we need European indicators & aggregation rules to support our assessments; Indicators are needed for all descriptors, and to support our analytical framework (DPSIR); Indicators need to have a common approach; Indicators should be based on information provided in 2018.

Good Environmental Status D3 Commercially exploited fish & shellfish Target: GES Good Environmental Status

D3 Pressure criteria 3.1 – fishing mortality State criteria No pressure Intense pressure Level of impact acceptable D3 Pressure criteria 3.1 – fishing mortality State criteria 3.2 – biomass 3.3 – population structure GES boundary Level of impact not acceptable State-based descriptors D1, 3, 4, 6

Reference points 3.1 Fishing mortality – EU agreement Fmsy 3.2 Biomass – EU agreement for SSB 3.3 Population structure – no accepted approach Embedded in CFP management plans or ICES MSY advice framework

Challenges Not all stocks assessed Pressure influences state, but does not determine state Mixed fisheries: where managing pressure on target stocks may not impact the state of non-target stocks

Catch advice- examples

Catch advice - examples

From stock to regional assessments Method – same in each MSFD regions: Step 1 – List commercially exploited fish & shellfish stocks Step 2 – Catalogue & document available information for assessment Step 3 – Evaluation of GES by appropriate groupings (e.g. demersal, pelagic, shellfish). Step 4 – Overall status, issues, problems, gaps and links to other MSFD

Example: subregions Celtics and Great North Seas F/Fmsy B/Bmsy tr Source ICES 2014 advice using ICES data

Aggregating the information, including gaps stocks with F & SSB info stocks with SSB info stocks with F info stocks with no GES info Source EEA assessment using ICES, STECF & ICCAT data

Assessing GES for D3 Source EEA state of Europe’s seas report using ICES, STECF & ICCAT data

Findings Aggregation as much a policy decision as a science decision Aggregation rules can be pressure oriented or state oriented Is OOAO appropriate for pressure and for state criteria? Much information already available for broad assessments Aggregation methods must also illustrate what we don’t know Aggregation rules need to show progress