The GNSBI working track on Long Term Perspective for Fisheries (WT-LTPF) has recently published its first study titled Spatial challenges of the Greater North Sea fisheries.
The study examines the economic consequences for five European fleets of potential loss of fishing grounds by integrating commercial data with spatial information on future fisheries management in protected marine areas and offshore wind parks within the Greater North Sea. The aim is to map how the two transitions, namely the nature transition and energy transition, affect fisheries.
This is the first study showing fisheries data at this level of detail and transcending national borders that links the pressure from offshore wind parks and marine protected areas to aggregated fisheries data. Using the 'stress level' concept (SL, turnover and catch), the consequences were estimated for 10 gear types and 16 catch species. The research covers both individual, national fleets as well as aggregated data from Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden. Additionally, the individual stress level (ISL) per vessel for turnover was calculated and combined into ISL profiles for gear types, national and aggregated fleets, and ports. Finally, all nine GNSBI countries provided a national chapter highlighting the importance of fisheries and fisheries management at the national level.
This publication is the result of a collective effort by the GNSBI countries involved in the Working Track, reflecting their shared commitment to better understanding the changes ahead for the fisheries sector in the North Sea basin. The study was recently presented and discussed at the GNSBI Stakeholder Conference in Brussels, where it raised valuable exchanges between scientists, policymakers and industry representatives.
While providing an unprecedented knowledge baseline at the North Sea scale, the study also highlights remaining gaps: from incomplete fleet coverage to the need for regular updates as the policy landscape evolves. The Working Track is currently exploring how to strengthen its collaboration, with the aim of delivering an increasingly complete picture of the spatial challenges facing North Sea fisheries.