Links between the qualitative descriptors of european marine strategy framework directive (msfd)

Resumen

Links between the qualitative descriptors of European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) Marine environments and ecosystems provide valuable goods and services to humans, including provision of food, nutrient cycling, transportation and recreational activities. However, many coastal and marine environments are facing problems, and are being threatened by anthropogenic activities such as excessive fishing, eutrophication, seabed destructions, accumulation of marine litter and contaminants, loss of biodiversity etc. The European Union understood the value of preventing pollution and preserving the marine environment. As a result, the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD, 2008/56/EC) was adopted in 2008 in European Coastal Member States to achieve good environmental status (GEnS) in European Seas by year 2020, using an Ecosystem Approach. The MSFD has 11 qualitative descriptors (marine biodiversity-D1, non-indigenous species-D2, commercial fish/shellfish populations-D3, food web-D4, eutrophication-D5, sea floor integrity-D6, alternations to hydrography-D7, contaminants-D8, seafood contamination-D9, marine litter-D10 and energy and noise-D11) to monitor and evaluate GEnS of European marine environments. However, these descriptors are not independent as one alters other¿s state mostly. The present analysis was carried out to explore the links between selected qualitative descriptors to find out how these links could be used in marine management in the frame of MSFD. Understanding the links between descriptors is shown to be useful (i) to simplify assessments; (ii) to avoid double accounting in assessments; and (iii) to make assessments more cost-effective and fit for purpose. During the first study Eutrophication and Biodiversity descriptors were considered and how eutrophication pressures act on marine biodiversity were examined. Also links between these descriptors were explored and a cost-effective and simple method was suggested in marine assessments under the MSFD. This method avoid double counting in environmental assessments too. The second study focused on commercial fish populations descriptor and food web descriptors. Mean trophic level (MTL) of commercial fish landings, Fish-in-Balance index, life history strategies of fish populations in each marine subareas in FAO 27 area was calculated. Using all of these parameters, environmental status of marine subareas were identified. Subareas I, II, V, VIII and IX had ¿good¿ environmental status while subareas III, IV, VI and VIII had ¿poor¿ environmental status. Another study was carried our using links between commercial fish populations descriptor and food web descriptors to evaluate the status of commercial fish stocks in Europe. MTL of fish landings and spawning stock biomass (SSB) were used in this analysis. The study revealed that in subareas I, II and V the fish stocks are sustainable and in areas VI the fish stocks are recovering. Fish stocks in area VI are seems to be recovering after 2008 and the status of fish stocks in subareas III, IV and VII were under heavy fishing. The overall research suggested that using the links between the qualitative descriptors the environmental assessments can be performed in a robust manner and also cost and time effective.