Programme: FP7- Collaborative project
Project title: Benthic ecosystem fisheries Impact Study
Acronym: BENTHIS
Duration: 10/10/2012 – 30/09/2017
EU contribution: EUR 5.994.250
ISMAR budget: EUR 436.058
Web site: https://www.benthis.eu/en/benthis.htm
Summary:
Benthic ecosystems provide important goods and services, such as fisheries products and supporting, regulation and cultural services. There is serious concern about the adverse impact of fisheries on benthic ecosystem which may negatively affect the fisheries yield and integrity of the sea bed. To develop an integrated approach to the management of human activities in the marine environment, in particular fishing, there is a need to develop quantitative tools to assess the impact of fisheries on the benthic ecosystem and at the same time collaborate with the fishing industry to develop innovative technologies and new management approaches to reduce the
impact on benthic ecosystems. BENTHIS will provide the knowledge to further develop the ecosystem approach to fisheries management as required in the Common Fisheries Policy and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. It will study the diversity of benthic ecosystem in European waters and the role of benthic species in
the ecosystem functioning. Fisheries impacts will be studied on benthic organisms and on the geo-chemistry. The newly acquired knowledge will be synthesized in a number of generic tools that will be combined into a fishing/seabed habitat risk assessment method that will be applied to fisheries in the Baltic, North Sea, Western waters, Mediterranean and Black Sea. Fisheries will be selected with the fishing industry based on the impact on the benthic ecosystem. BENTHIS will integrate fishing industry partners to collaborate in testing the performance of innovative technologies to reduce fishing impact. Finally, in collaboration with the fishing industry and other stakeholders, new management approaches will be developed and tested on their effects on the ecosystem and the socio-economic consequences. As such BENTHIS will the urgently needed scientific basis to integrate the role of marine benthic ecosystems in fisheries management.
Contact person in ISMAR: a.sala@ismar.cnr.it
Partnership:
- DLO (IMARES/LEI),Stichting Dienst Landbouwkundig Onderzoek, (Netherlands)
- ILVO, Vlaams Gewest, (Belgium)
- DEFRA-CEFAS, The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (United Kingdom)
- BU, Bangor University, (United Kingdom)
- UABDN, The University Court of the University of Aberdeen, (United Kingdom)
- MarLab, The Scottish Ministers acting through Marine Scotland, (United Kingdom)
- IFREMER, Institut Francais de Recherche pour l’Exploration de la Mer, (France)
- MI, Marine Institute, (Ireland)
- DTU-Aqua, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, (Denmark)
- AU-Bioscience, Aarhus Universitet, (Denmark)
- UCPH, Københavns Universitet, (Denmark)
- SLU, Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet, (Sweden)
- IMR Havforskningsinstitutet, (Norway)
- CNR, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, (Italy)
- HCMR, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, (Greece)
- CFRI, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, (Turkey)
- SME01 SP/F Syntesa (Faroe Islands)
- SME02 VG86 Atlas (Sweden)
- SME03 Hans Jørgen Hansen & Dan Hansen (Denmark)
- SME04 Wittrup Seafood A/S (Denmark)
- SME05 Gi-Bri A/S (Denmark)
- SME06 Marine Monitoring vid Kristineberg AB (Sweden)
- SME07 Anton Dekker Beheer BV the (Netherlands)
- SME08 C.W. Nagel the (Netherlands)
- SME09 copropriété TREGUIER (France)
- SME10 Didelot Yann (France)
- SME11 Brannelec (France)
- SME12 Technopesca (Italy)
- SME13 Officina Meccanica Grilli di Grilli Roberto & C. s.a.s. (Italy)
- SME14 Mori Carlo s.r.l. (Italy)
- SME15 Kemal Malkoc (Turkey)
- SME16 Mustafa Sadiklar (Turkey)
- SME17 Vof. Pesce 43 (Netherlands)
- OMU Ondokuz Mayıs University (Turkey).