Exploring Changes in Fishery Emissions and Organic Carbon Impacts Associated With a Recovering Stock

• DOI: 10.3389/fmars.2022.788339
• Publication Date: 2022-04-25T16:48:17Z
• Authors: Angela Helen Martin; Erica M. Ferrer; Corallie A. Hunt; Katinka Bleeker; Sebastián Villasante
• Keywords: Overfishing; Merluccius merluccius; Bottom trawling; Stock (firearms)

International objectives for sustainable development and biodiversity conservation require restoring fish populations to healthy levels reducing fishing impacts on marine ecosystems. At the same time, governments, retailers, consumers are increasingly motivated reduce carbon footprint of food. These concerns reflected in measures EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) CFP Reform Regulation, which highlighted a need move from traditional single-stock management toward an ecosystem approach fisheries (EAF). Using publicly available landings effort data combined with estimates adult population biomass, we develop methods explore potential lowering emissions intensity organic stocks through ending overfishing rebuilding stocks. We use recent recovery European hake ( Merluccius merluccius ) Northeast Atlantic as case study. With focus France, Spain, United Kingdom, compare 2008 2016 years. make initial estimate influence changing stock status greenhouse gas during fishery phase fuel investigate disturbance ecosystem, specifically via identification bottom trawling overlap organic-rich muddy sediments, directly storage biomass. Our findings indicate that was associated reductions overall proportional impact populations, however, total both increased, did likely sedimentary surface sediments due benthic trawling. Ultimately, aims this analysis further climate overfishing, inform EAF EU.