WAKO II: an integrated assessment of the effects of beam trawl and trammel net fisheries for five structural ecosystem components: endofaunal and epifaunal invertebrates, fish, seabirds and marine mammals at the BPNS.
This project encompasses four work packages:
1. Quantification of the mortality and/or interaction of 5 ecosystem components (endofauna, epifauna, fish, seabirds and marine mammals) and beam trawl / trammel net fishery
2. Sensitivity assessment: Selection of key species, sensitive to beam trawl and/or trammel net fishery
3. Spatial and/or temporal distribution patterns of the selected, sensitive key species
4. Development of sensitivity maps for beam trawl and trammel net fisheries, based on the spatio-temporal distribution of key species and comparison with fishing effort at the BPNS.
The integration of spatial full cover distribution maps of key species, sensitivity analyses and the best available information on fishing effort will enable us to spatially map the impact of the two most important Belgian fisheries and will provide a baseline for the development of policies, leading to an appropriate environmental management and a sustainable coastal fisheries management for both beam trawl and trammel net fisheries.