“Deep Sea species: Toward a sustainable fishery”. 19 February 2013 Mª del Mar Sacau Cuadrado- Instituto Español de Oceanografía Programa de Pesquerías Lejanas Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo ESPAÑA
“Deep Sea species: Toward a sustainable fishery”. 19 February 2013
Mª del Mar Sacau Cuadrado- Instituto Español de OceanografíaPrograma de Pesquerías LejanasCentro Oceanográfico de VigoESPAÑA
Identification of VMEs in the high seas
- Since 2004, discussions on VME have been taking place at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). This process culminated in 2006 with the adoption of the UNGA Resolution 61/105.
- Spain has undertaken an ambitious and costly program of scientific mapping of the seabed in different parts of the oceans:
ECOVUL-ARPA Project (2005-2008) 19,000 km2
ATLANTIS Project (2007-2010) 59,000 km2
RAP-Sur Project (2008-2010) 15,800 km2
UNGA resolution 66/68 (2011): Recognized the utility of the seabed mapping programmes.
NEREIDA project: Institutions
Geological Survey of Canada. Natural resources Canada
Canadian Hydrographic service. Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science.
Secretaría General del Mar (SGM). Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural Marino
Instituto Español de Oceanografía
CA
NA
DA
SP
AIN
RUSSIA
UK
NEREIDA project: Objectives
MULTIDISCIPLINARY SURVEYS
2009 & 2010
Cartography
Benthic ecology
Hydrography
R/V Miguel Oliver R/V Hudson
Implementation of the Ecosystem Approach to the Fisheries Management in order to identify and protect Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs)
paying special attention to the cold water corals and sponges.
GENERAL OBJECTIVE
NEREIDA: Study area & surveys
Total surveyed area: ~69,000 km2
6 MULTIDISCIPLINARY SURVEYS
368 Box Corer105 dredges414 CTD RV Miguel Oliver - SGM (Spain)
2 VISUAL SURVEYS
2143 photos 116 hr (video)
RV Hudson - DFO (Canada)
NAFO Regulatory
Area
NEREIDA project: Hydrography
CTD
415 stations
R/V Miguel Oliver (SGM)
NEREIDA project: Cartography
Multibeam echosounder
Multibeam prospected area: 68,950 km2
Parametric sub bottom profiler (TOPAS)
TOPAS lines: 28,113 km
NEREIDA project: Geology
13 Geological features
Summary of the geological context for the interpretation of the biological samples
NEREIDA project: Benthic studies
Rock dredgeHard bottoms
Box corerSoft bottoms
Video and photographic transects
NEREIDA project: Rock dredge
105 samples
NEREIDA project: Box Corer
368 samples
Sponge Grounds, dominated by large, structure-forming species of Geodia. High structural complexity & diversity.
Hudson vessel CCGS Canada
NEREIDA project: Video & Photographic Transects
NEREIDA project: Photos
Hudson vessel CCGS Canada
Hexactinellida
Hippasteria phrygiana
2143 photos and 116 hours of video
NAFO Management measuresArea Closures & Protection Zones
2007Four seamounts closed to
bottom fishing
2008A Coral Protection Zone declared in Division 3O
2009 Two more seamounts closed
2010 Eleven areas were closed to
bottom fishing to protect significant concentration of
corals and sponges In total 18 areas in NAFO RA have been closed to bottom fishing
NEREIDA: Management measures
CURRENT SITUATION 11 closed areas
~ 8,500 km2
11 areas identified by groundfish surveys (UE, Spain and Canada)
Protection of corals and sponges
These areas can be REFINED in light of the
information collectedthrough NEREIDA.
Review by the
Fisheries Commission
in
2014
Big amount of NEREIDA samples Establish a priority of study on the Closed Areas
Area by Priority using NAFO CEM numbering and
nomenclature
Box Core RockDredge
Video/Still
CTD (excl. DFO data)
Other
6 – Sackville Spur 5 (9) 1 (2) 8 6 (12) MB 100%
2 – Flemish Pass/Eastern Canyon
21 (33) 14 (8) 3 (4) 28 (35) MB 98%
4 – Eastern Flemish Cap 4 (6) (2) 2 (2) 4 (8) MB 100%
3 – Beothuk Knoll 2 (3) (1) 1 2 (3) MB 100%
5 – Northeast Flemish Cap 3 (7) 4 (3) (1) 7 (8) MB 100%
1 – Tail of the Bank 2 (4) (1) 0 2 (6) MB 100%
8 – Northern Flemish Cap 2 (2) 2 0 2 (2) MB 100%
9 – Northern Flemish Cap 2 (2) 1 (1) 0 3 (3) MB 100%
10 – Northwest Flemish Cap 2 (1) 2 0 3 (1) MB 100%
11 – Northwest Flemish Cap 1 (1) 1 0 2 (1) MB 100%
7 – Northern Flemish Cap 1 0 0 1 MB 25%
3O 0 0 0 0 0
NEREIDA project: Areas by priority
Priority
+
-
Table summarizing the amount of samples
NEREIDA project: Review of the closures
Closed Area 6 at Sackville Spur
Results from analysis were presented to the NAFO Working Group on the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (WGEAFM). They supported this closure in its current form.
6
Closed Area 5 Flemish Cap Northeast Prong
5
Dive results suggested that the lower bathymetric boundary should be extended into deeper water to the 2500 m contour.
2
Closed Area 2 (being studied)
NEREIDA project: Future activities
Review of the current VME closed areas by the
Fisheries Commission in 2014 - New video analysis from the Flemish Cap closures. This analysis will bring new information related to the assessment of biodiversity with respect to VME structure forming species.
- Complete analysis of Rock dredge samples against recently produced list of VME indicator species.
- Complete analysis of Box corer samples. These samples provide a fully quantitative description of the soft bottom habitat in the NRA. Only 40 (of the 368 samples) have been processed.
All these analysis are critical for the delivery of the review of NAFO fisheries closures since it is the only source of benthic community data available which covers all of the closures in the fishing footprint and adjacent areas.
The extent of work on these topics depends on FUNDING
Thanks for your attention
“Deep Sea species: Toward a sustainable fishery.”
19 February 2013
Mª del Mar Sacau CuadradoInstituto Español de OceanografíaPrograma de Pesquerías LejanasCentro Oceanográfico de VigoESPAÑA