WP2 Overview

Develop management objectives supported by metrics and indicators for the (a)NS, (b) NWW and (c) SWW regions

Description of work

It is recognised that humans and their activities are part of a wider ecosystem. The state of that ecosystem is
vital to the economic and social pillars of sustainability since the loss of an ecological resource base will
mean that no social and economic benefits can be derived from the seas. However, our perception of the
ecosystem is guided by the economic and social norms and values society generates. It is therefore
essential to fully integrate stakeholders’ perception into the development of objectives, as well as to seek
integration of the ecological and social and economic analysis. One of the greatest challenges to
management is searching for ways to evaluate and prioritise the ecological, social and economic
management objectives simultaneously, to identify the most suitable, and acceptable, operational strategies
to achieve them. However, as a starting point one could take the identification of what the ecological
objectives* of management are. Ecological objectives allow the institutional framework used to manage the
fisheries to make more informed decisions about the long-term aims of management.

* Ecological objectives provide a statement of what is to be attained for each ecosystem component (e.g.
habitats, fish, birds and marine mammals) and whose achievement will ensure productive and healthy
marine ecosystems.

Management objectives will be developed for those case studies identified in WP1 and will be
based on the descriptors of good environmental status listed in Annex VI of the draft Marine Strategy
Directive (EU, 2006). These identify specific objectives for components such as seabirds, fisheries,
contaminants and water quality, and will act as fixed points during the more detailed development within
MEFEPO of management objectives for ecosystem components. These descriptors are drafted so that their
achievement will result in good status throughout the marine waters of member states, thereby ensuring
sustainable use of the marine environment while safeguarding the potential for future use.

This WP will be achieved using a number of workshops, based on the regions with MEFEPO partners and invited regional experts, policy makers and fishing representatives to ensure the objectives are acceptable to the wider scientific and fisheries community. The workshops will be supported by high quality, focussed discussion reports which will be used to structure the workshops. The workshops will have clear objectives
and any discussions will be captured and subsequently reported in the technical report so as to reflect the
diversity of opinion and any consensus.

Deliverables

A technical report on the ecological objectives supported by metrics and indicators will be developed for each
regional area. The report will contain both a review of the work done by existing national and international
programmes and the ecological objectives and metrics and indicators agreed upon at the workshops.

WP Leader Institute: CEFAS

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