Case study regions

Large regional differences exist across Europe in data availability, fishing techniques/cultural heritage, and in the ecology and status of fisheries targets.

To take into account these differences, the empirical research and collaboration with stakeholders in the PANDORA project will be conducted in 7 case study (CS) regions across Europe. Each of these CS is represented in all WPs. With this case study approach, PANDORA helps ensure high impact by consideirng the existing differences among Europe’s regional seas in the provision of knowledge and tools needed to improve fisheries management. Whilst embracing the idea that there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to increasing the effectiveness of stock assessments and enhancing Blue Growth across European waters, there are many general advancements that can be shared. Our case study approach therefore has two overarching aims:

Taking into accoung the differnces that exist in European fisheries management, data availability and socio-economic situations between our case study regions, and
at the same time generating data, knowledge and management approaches that can be shared between case studies to jointly contribute to more sustainable Blue Growth.

For more information, see the map of our case studies and connected research topics above, or click the links below for a detailed description of our activities in each region.

North Sea

A wide variety of commercially important species inhabits the North Sea leading to a complex food web structure and mixture of fisheries with strong technical interactions (more than one species are caught simultaneously and one species may be fished by different gears). Several stocks that have analytical assessments show decreasing fishing mortalities in recent years and biomass recovered above reference levels (e.g., cod, plaice, sole). However, many stocks are still categorized as data-poor, being landed primarily as bycatch and/or inadequately sampled by existing scientific surveys and/or commercial sampling programs. Management in the North Sea will benefit from improved information on sub-stock definitions (e.g. cod or Nephrops), exchange rates, spatial extent, predator-prey interactions and other factors governing dynamics, while data-poor stocks require the development of improved monitoring strategies to aid in their assessment and management.

Species researched in the North Sea:

Cod, haddock, saithe, whiting, sole, plaice, hake, mackerel, herring, sprat, horse mackerel, brill, turbot

Research foci:

Density dependence, food webs, enviromental drivers, industry self-sampling (click here for details about research topics)

PANDORA partners in the North Sea case study:

TI for Sea Fisheries, DTU Aqua, University of Hamburg (UHAM), Cefas, Danish Pelagic Producer Organisation (DPPO), European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC), Norwegian School of Economics (Center for Applied Research) (SNF), Cooperatie Kottervisserij Nederland UA (VisNed)

Contact: Dr. Alexander Kempf, TI for Sea Fisheries

Eastern Baltic Sea

In the Eastern Baltic Sea, cod, herring and sprat fisheries constitute about 80% of the commercial catches. The Common Fisheries Policy foresees that these three species are managed accounting for cod predation in a multispecies approach. However, there is currently no population model for cod, since age-reading is impossible. Hence, natural mortality rates for herring and sprat have to be considered outdated. Furthermore, the invasive round goby is spreading, and its potential commercial importance is unknown.

Species researched in the Eastern Baltic Sea:

Cod, herring, sprat, round goby

Research foci:

Density dependence, spatial structure, food webs, environmental drivers (click here for details about the research topics)

PANDORA partners in the North Sea case study:

University of Kiel (CAU), DTU Aqua

Contact: Dr. Rudi Voss, University of Kiel (CAU)

Northwestern European Shelf

The Northwestern European Shelf case study region in PANDORA comprises the sea areas west of Scotland and Ireland (ICES subarea 6a, 7b,c) and the northern North Sea (ICES IVa), which provide important spawning, feeding and nursery areas for some of the most abundant pelagic fish in the NE Atlantic; namely mackerel, herring, blue whiting and western horse mackerel. Priorities for conservation and managing these stocks at MSY necessitate improved understanding of the degree of mixing, fidelity to spawning areas and the ecological drivers determining their abundance, distribution and body condition. Mackerel, the single most valuable (and abundant) pelagic stock, spawns in waters of the western shelf edge, migrating north to northern Norway and west as far as Greenland during the summer and back southward in winter. The exploitation of this stock is highly valuable to many fleets of Europe, as well as Norway, Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland.

Species researched in the Northwestern Europea Shelf region:

Mackerel

Activitiy focus:

Industry self-sampling, research of spatial sturcure (click here for details about the research topics)

PANDORA partners in the Northwestern Europea Shelf case study:

University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), Scottish Pelagic Fishermen Association (SPFA), Marine Scotland Science (MSS)

Contact: Dr. Chevonne Angus, University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI)

Bay of Biscay

In the Bay of Biscay, a range of species are exploited as target or bycatch in multi-species fisheries, though only a few stocks are analytically assessed. Many stocks constitute potential choke species (once quota for this species is hit, fishers have to discontinue operations due to the landing obligation), in particular while stocks rebuild. More realistic assessment models will allow reduced uncertainty buffers in Total Allowable Catches (TACs) and hence reduce their effects as choke species.

Species researched in the Northwestern Europea Shelf region:

Blackspot seabream, thornback ray, spotted ray, blonde ray

Research foci:

Spatial structure, environmental drivers (click here for details about the research topics)

PANDORA partners in the Northwestern Europea Shelf case study:

Institut Français pour l’Exploitation de la Mer (Ifremer); Department of Biology, University of Bergen (UoB)

Contact: Verena Trenkel, Ifremer

Western Mediterranen Sea

In the Mediterranean Sea, 85% of the few assessed stocks are currently overfished compared to a maximum sustainable yield reference value (MSY) while populations of many commercial species are characterized by truncated size and age-structures. Rebuilding the size and age-structure of exploited populations is a management objective that combines single species targets such as MSY with specific goals of the ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management, preserving community size-structure and the ecological role of different species (Colloca et al. 2011). The result will be advancements transferable to most (if not all) commercially important European fisheries.

Species researched in the Western Mediterranean case study:

Atlantic bluefin tuna, albacore, red mullet, hake

Research foci:

Density depencende, spatial structure, environmental drivers (click here for details about the research topics)

PANDORA partners in the Western Mediterranean case study:

Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO); Department of Biology, University of Bergen (UoB); CSIC; SOCIB

Contact: Patricia Reglero, IEO

Strait of Sicily

In the Mediterranean Sea, 85% of the few assessed stocks are currently overfished compared to a maximum sustainable yield reference value (MSY) while populations of many commercial species are characterized by truncated size and age-structures. Rebuilding the size and age-structure of exploited populations is a management objective that combines single species targets such as MSY with specific goals of the ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management, preserving community size-structure and the ecological role of different species (Colloca et al. 2011). The result will be advancements transferable to most (if not all) commercially important European fisheries.

Species researched in the Strait of Sicily case study:

Red mullet, pink shrimp

Research foci:

Density depencende, food webs, environmental drivers (click here for details about the research topics)

PANDORA partners in the Northwestern Mediterranean case study:

Italian National Research Council (IAMC-CNR)

Contact: Paolo Domenici, CNR

Aegean Sea

In the Mediterranean Sea, 85% of the few assessed stocks are currently overfished compared to a maximum sustainable yield reference value (MSY) while populations of many commercial species are characterized by truncated size and age-structures. Rebuilding the size and age-structure of exploited populations is a management objective that combines single species targets such as MSY with specific goals of the ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management, preserving community size-structure and the ecological role of different species (Colloca et al. 2011). The result will be advancements transferable to most (if not all) commercially important European fisheries.

Species researched in the Strait of Sicily case study:

Red mullet, hake

Research foci:

Density depencende, environmental drivers (click here for details about the research topics)

PANDORA partners in the Northwestern Mediterranean case study:

Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR)

Contact: Dimitrios Damalas, HCMR