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19 Dec 2011
Unit:
Wageningen UR
After nearly three years of negotiations between government, fisheries and nature conservationists, marine reserves are going to be established in the North Sea, and restrictions will be imposed on fishing within them. A good thing, says IMARES, part of Wageningen UR, researcher Han Lindeboom.
As an Alterra, also part of Wageningen UR, researcher, Lindeboom published a memo in 2005 about marine areas with exceptional ecological value that merits protection. As early as 1990, he suggested that one quarter of the North Sea should be closed to the unselective seabed-disturbing fishing methods which drag nets on chains over the seabed. But the Dutch ministry of EL&I, one of the signatories to the agreement, is not going that far now.
‘This year two coastal areas are being protected. Fine. These areas are within the 12 mile zone, so the Dutch government can decide on that unilaterally. Beyond that limit, the agreement of European partners is required. The Netherlands expects to reach an agreement with other fisheries countries next year, on the Cleaver Bank and the Dogger Bank. All these areas put together make up 15 percent of the North Sea. The government has now divided these areas in three: in one section everything is still allowed, in one certain forms of fishing are still allowed, and in a third fishing is reduced to zero. Like this, about ten percent of the area of these reserves is closed to fisheries. That is 1.5 percent of the North Sea. Still, it's a good start.
The next step should be to protect the Frisian Front better. This is a much more interesting area than the other reserves. It has a unique ecosystem with great biodiversity and high productivity, which means a lot of fish - that is why the fishers are keen to hold on to it. The Netherlands will soon be protecting this area because of the Birds Directive. As a result, the fishers will no longer be allowed to use standing nets. But the government is not obliged to protect the seabed, so there is not going to be a ban on trawlers. That's a pity, as it means you miss out on a measure that really would protect a unique ecosystem.' / Astrid Smit
The above article was written by the editorial staff of Resource, the bi-weekly newspaper for Wageningen University and Research centre. For more information, contact the press and science information officer of Wageningen UR, e-mail: pers.communicatie@wur.nl or the editorial staff of Resource, e-mail: resource@wur.nl. See the archived articles at resource.wur.nl
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