A Demonstration Internet Mapping Server to Display Maps Showing the Distribution of North Sea Commercial Fishes (ICES-FishMap)

Background

ICES Fishmap Fishery scientists possess a wealth of information that is important for the management decision-making process but is not readily available to all interested parties because it is contained in technical papers. In 1993, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) published the Atlas of North Sea Fishes, based on data from 1985 to 1987. Since then, new information has become available which would make it possible to describe and compare seasonal distributions in the 1990s. The complete set of data from the International Bottom Trawl Survey (IBTS) in February, dating back to 1965, has also become available which would help illustrate the major shifts in North Sea stock levels and distributions over more than three decades.

Objectives

ICES-FishMap is the first phase of a potential two-phase programme.

This first phase will update and publish on-line the existing Atlas of North Sea Fishes: maps showing (seasonal) distributions, changes in abundance over the past decades, etc. - http://www.ices.dk/marineworld/fishmap/ices/
The most important commercial species will be included, in addition to some species of particular ecological interest
The on-line atlas will contain interactive maps that will allow direct comparison of distributions between years
A second phase is dependent on further funding, but it would develop a fully interactive on-line atlas with wider species coverage. Where possible, it will also include information from the Baltic and Mediterranean; a hard-copy colour NE Atlantic Fish Atlas would then be published

Policy development

The project will demonstrate the feasibility and value of a comprehensive, readily understood and up-to-date fishery reference document
This pilot atlas will provide (limited) ready-reference material that can contribute to the debate on marine protected areas (MPAs)
A full-scale atlas would give policy-makers access to a robust reference work that enables them to assess historic precedents, seasonal variations and current status to ensure that future fishery management decisions utilise all relevant and available information

Cefas contribution

Developed the infrastructure framework for the online atlas:

Prepared and interpreted the existing fisheries data, which were then incorporated into a series of maps created using GIS technologies and loaded into a map database based on a similar system used for Cefas data.

Production of textual content to go alongside the GIS maps containing information on stocks of the relevant species.

Partners

This project involves 3 partners from 3 different countries.