1. GENERAL FISHERIES COMMISSION COMMISSION GÉNÉRALE DES PÊCHES
FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN
COMMISSION GÉNÉRALE DES PÊCHES
POUR LA MÉDITERRANÉE
12th meeting of the Working Group on Good Environmental Status (WG GES)
Brussels, October 2014
Advances on the MSFD by the GFCM
Miguel Bernal, GFCM Secretariat

2. Activities in relation to the MSFD
Advice on the status of exploited populations in the Mediterranean and Black Sea (Scientific Advisory Committee – SAC)
Activities in cooperation with UNEP-MAP
Definition of indicators and targets for Ecological Objective 3 – Exploited populations
Joint monitoring for indicators included in EO3
Collaboration with ICES (GFCM experts and GFCM Secretariat) through an existing MoU
Joint project with Italian Ministry of Environment on the status of exploited populations – MedSUIT

3. SAC Advice on the status of exploited populations
Framework for providing advice on status of stocks adopted in 2013
General consistency with UN Johanessburg/Nagoya (i.e. with the concept of MSY and MSY objectives), although also maintains concepts of precautionary approach
Use of proxies for FMSY –> (F0.1, E = 0.4)
Promotion of both biomass and exploitation rate indicators and reference points
MSY used as a target when precautionary reference points exist; if no reliable precautionary reference points then MSY used as a limit.

4. SAC Advice on the status of exploited populations

5. SAC Advice on the status of exploited populations
Number of stocks assessed have triplicated since 2007
Percentage of catches assessed have duplicated
Still low percentage: high diversity of species and lack of detailed information for stock assessment – large sub- regional differences
Strategy for increased coverage in coming years (targeted stocks – DLS methods, new Data Collection Framework)

6. Advice in relation to MSFD criteria
Criterion 3.1: Level of pressure of the fishing activity
Few stocks below reference point
High pressure on stocks (up to 12 times ref. point)
Higher pressure on demersal species
Need to reduce fishing pressure

7. Advice in relation to MSFD criteria
Criterion 3.1: Level of pressure of the fishing activity

8. Advice in relation to MSFD criteria
Criterion 3.2: Reproductive capacity of the stock
Few stocks with biomass reference points: short time series, previous lack of survey data, lack of contrast
Difficult to provide a regional perspective, but stocks with biomass reference points are overexploited
Assessment slowly improving (surveys, data, time series)
Number of biomass reference points expected to increase in next years (tentative ref. points already available for some stocks)

9. Advice in relation to MSFD criteria
Criterion 3.3: Population age and size distribution
Difficulties in identifying most appropriate indicators
Lack (and poor reliability) of information on ages
More information on lengths; more technical work on testing indicators required
General comment:
Secondary indicators in the Mediterranean and Black Sea area provide some challenges due to short time series available and lack of contrast.

10. Activities in cooperation with UNEP-MAP
Definition of operational objectives, indicators and targets for Ecological Objective 3
Objectives, indicators and targets discussed by SAC for the first time in 2013 – revision of some indicators under way
Last proposal presented in UNEP-MAP 4th Meeting of the EcAp Coordination Group (8-10 October 2014)
Common indicators to be discussed in upcoming MedSUIT workshop and SAC
Joint monitoring for indicators included in EO3
Joint monitoring for EO3 to be discussed in upcoming MedSUIT workshop
Proposals for joint monitoring to be consistent with GFCM Data Collection Reference Framework

11. Activities in cooperation with UNEP-MAP
Operational objective
Indicator
3.1 Level of exploitation by commercial fisheries allows populations to be within biological safe limits
Total Official Landings (TOL) and Total Catch (TC)
Fishing mortality (F)
Biomass index (B)
Ratio between catch and biomass index (C/B ratio)
Proportion of stocks sustainably fished (SS)
3.2 The reproductive capacity of stocks is maintained
Mean Length of the population in the catch (mLc) and
in the surveyed community (mLsc)
Spawning Stock Biomass (SSB)
3.3. The impact of fishing activities in the ecosystem is low
Mean Trophic Level of the catch (TLc) and of the surveyed community (TLsc)
Proportion of Large Fish in the catch (LFc) and in the surveyed community (LFsc)
Proportion of exploited species with DEclining Biomass in the population (DEB)

12. MedSUIT Project
Joint project with the Italian Ministry of Environment related to the status of commercially exploited population in the Mediterranean related to the MSDF and the EcAP
Has facilitated more active participation within WG- GES and collaboration with ICES in relation to MSFD
Proposal made to UNEP-MAP for the Ecological Objective 3 of EcAP (February and revised in October )
Regional Workshop on indicators and targets to ensure GES of commercially exploited marine populations in the GFCM area (6-7 November 2014, Rome)

13. MedSUIT Project
Regional Workshop on indicators and targets to ensure GES of commercially exploited marine populations in the GFCM area (6-7 November 2014, Rome)
Objectives
Review existing information on the status of exploited living marine populations in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea;
Propose common indicators to ensure GES at the regional level;
Identify elements for joint monitoring programmes in the GFCM area,
Contribute to the ongoing work of the GFCM SAC in relation to the assessment and management of exploited marine populations.

14. 12th meeting of the WG GES, 20-21 October 2014
GENERAL FISHERIES COMMISSION
FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN
COMMISSION GÉNÉRALE DES PÊCHES
POUR LA MÉDITERRANÉE
Thank you for your attention!
12th meeting of the WG GES, October 2014