New methodologies for an ecosystem approach to spatial and temporal management of
fisheries and aquaculture in coastal areas (ECOAST)
Project duration: March 2016 - February 2019
ECOAST’s general aim is to merge different approaches (ecological, social and economic) within a unified framework to provide overall information for
future development of fisheries and aquaculture in coastal areas, also including spatial conflicts with other users and the stakeholders’ point of view.
This goal will be achieved by implementing and integrating already existing models (e.g., DISPLACE, GRID, InVEST) some of which have been developed by
the partners of this proposal in the framework of previous research projects. The project’s goals will be delivered through the following objectives:
- to map productive marine areas and priority areas for fisheries and aquaculture;
- to assess the interaction of fisheries and aquaculture with other human activities;
- to assess the cumulative impact of fisheries and aquaculture on ecosystem components with special focus on priority/sensitive habitats;
- to measure economic and ecological performance of alternative spatial plans by scenario evaluations including delineating locations and space
limits that ensures certain levels of production to local fishers and farmers;
- to develop an operational modelling framework to analyse stakeholders’ behaviour and predict their likely responses to spatial management options;
- to assess common opportunities and obstacles to integrate fisheries and aquaculture in MSP based on stakeholder consultations.
Participating Institutions:
- ISMAR - CNR Institute of MarineScienceoftheNational ResearchCouncil, Italy
- ISPRA,TheInstituteforEnvironmentalProtection andResearch, Italy
- DTU Aqua, TechnicalUniversityof Denmark
- IRIS, InternationalResearchInstituteof Stavanger, Norway
- IMR, InstituteforMarineResearch, Norway
- HCMR, HellenicCenterforMarineResearch, Greece
- INCDM, NationalInstituteforMarineResearchand Development "Gr. Antipa" Constanta, Romania
- ICBAS, InstituteofBiomedicalSciencesAbel SalazaroftheUniversityofPorto, Portugal
Project summary:
ECOAST aims to identify, develop and test new methodologies for spatial and temporal management of fisheries and
aquaculture incoastal areas.The overall approach will assess the impact of fisheries and aquaculture on coastal ecosystems, including essential
fish habitats and conservation priority habitats, as well as synergies and conflicts between human activities. Building on previous methodologies and
experiences the project will evaluate marine spatial planning in seven coastal case study areas having different ecological and socio-economic
characteristics: 1)AdriaticSea (ADR), 2)Ionian Sea (ION), 3)Black Sea (BLK), 4)Tyrrhenian Sea (TYR), 5)Baltic Sea (BAL), 6)Norwegian Fjords (NOR) and
7)NE Atlantic Coasts (ATL).The project outcomes willproduce case specific evaluation of the ecological footprints of aquaculture and fisheries
incoastal areas, maps of optimal areas for fisheries and aquaculture, evaluation of compatibility between fisheries, aquaculture and other human
activities in coastal areas, as well as implementation of holistic methods and an operational modelling framework to evaluate and predict stakeholder
responses to coastal spatial management options covering marine crosssector occupation of space. Several methodologies already exist to assess the
impacts on the ecosystem and the socio-economic effects of some spatial management measures, as well as to spatially manage some cross sector marine
activities, but none of them integrate all relevant management aspects for coastal areas. Therefore, the holistic methodology will cover in a single
system different approaches and management aspects, identifying realistic spatial and temporal potentials and limitations for the integration of
fisheries and aquaculture in coastal areas, in order to allow policy makers and stakeholders to evaluate management measures from different points of
view and share decisions in a transparent manner on case specific basis. ECOAST results will support the EU and national policies through the provision
of tools and data for an ecosystem based allocation of space and sustainable use of marine resources in coastal areas on case specific basis.
ECOAST is divided into 6 work packages (WP):
WP1 – Project management and dissemination
Lead: ISMAR-CNR, Italy; Responsible: Fabio Grati
WP2 – Description of selected case studies in European Regional Seas. Mapping of productive marine areas and
priority areas for fisheries and aquaculture
Lead: ISMAR- CNR, Italy; Responsible: Luca Bolognini
WP3 – Ecological footprint of fish farming in coastal areas: identification and response for improved
management
Lead: IRIS, Norway; Responsible: Thorleifur Agustsson
WP4 – Identification of spatial synergies/conflicts between fisheries, aquaculture and other human activities
and assessment of cumulative impacts of fisheries and aquaculture on coastal ecosystem components with special focus on priority conservation features
Lead: HCMR, Greece, Responsible: Vassiliki Vassilopoulou
WP 5 – Analysis of fishermen’s behavior to spatial management options and assessment of the economic and
ecological performance of alternative spatial plans
Lead: DTU-Aqua, Denmark, Responsible: Francois Bastardie
WP6 – Identification of spatial and temporal potentials and limitations for the integration of fisheries,
aquaculture and other activities in the coastal areas-through stakeholder consultation
Lead: IMR, Norway, Responsible: Erik Olsen
Case study 3) Black Sea (Responsible: Laura Alexandrov NIMRD, Romania) – The Black Sea is an Unicum
hidrobiologicum because of its specificity and biodiversity. It is considered an internal brackish sea with 17‰ salinity under the Danube freshening,
sedimentary and anthropogenic impact. Romanian coast has two main parts: one, in front of Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, and the other, in the central
and southern part, which is under human pressures and demography development and activities effects. Not many activities are carried out at sea,
comparing with other seas and coasts, due to geographical and climate instability, strong winds and waves, coastal erosion, continental floods and
freshening influence, big temperatures, salinity, density variations. As a consequence, the coastal areas are inhabited by aquatic organisms with a
high plasticity, resistant to local conditions changes, but enough healthy, with qualities for aquaculture. Valuable and endemic species, like
sturgeons, flatfish, shads, mullets have here places for feeding and reproduction. The traditional ways of migrations must be recovered for the
most important species. To avoid transboundary conflicts a good management of the fish stocks is necessary, adding legislation harmonisation and control
improvement. As an exercise, the main activities of the marine space have been identified and should be up-dated by their geographical coordinates, for
mapping. The Romanian coast (in its whole integrity) answers to the ECOAST objectives, and can delineate human activities (tourism, navigation, oil and
gas extraction and transport,coastal pressures, etc.) including specifically locations for aquaculture, artificial reefs, marine protected areas,
natural resources stocks. All of these can be taken into account for interconnection and conflicts evaluation, also in transboundary way.
Recommendations will be elaborated following a good management of fisheries resources, habitats recovery, maritime spatial plans and scenarios approach.
As Member State, Romania has to implement all EU Directives regarding marine space and resources.
Expected results and Outputs:
The project outcomes produce:
- case specific evaluation of the ecological footprints of aquaculture and fisheries in coastal areas,
- maps of optimal areas for fisheries and aquaculture,
- evaluation of compatibility between fisheries, aquaculture and other human activities in coastal areas,
- implementation of holistic methods and an operational modelling framework to evaluate and predict stakeholder responses to coastal spatial
management options covering marine cross sector occupation of space.
The new methodologies:
- assess the impacts on the ecosystem and the socio-economic effects of some spatial management measures,
- spatially manage some cross sector marine activities,
- integrate all relevant management aspects for coastal areas.
The holistic methodology:
- cover in a single system different approaches and management aspects,
- identify realistic spatial and temporal potentials and limitations for the integration of fisheries and aquaculture in coastal areas, in order to
- allow policy makers and stakeholders to evaluate management measures and share decisions in a transparent manner on case specific basis.
ECOAST results support the EU and national policies through the provision of tools and data for an ecosystem based allocation of space and sustainable
use of marine resources in coastal areas on case specific basis first time for the Black Sea coast.
Project Leader/Contact Person
Fabio Grati
National Research Council (CNR)
Institute of Marine Sciences (ISMAR)
L.go Fiera della Pesca, 2
60125, Ancona
Italy
tel: +39 071 2078846
mob: +39 347 8293295
fax: +39 071 55313
More details here: www.e-coast.eu/wp/
Romanian project site: msp-platform.rmri.ro