Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament - The role of the CFP in implementing an ecosystem approach to marine management [SEC(2008) 449]
Date: 2008-04-11
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: common fisheries policy, environmental protection, fishery management, marine ecosystem, marine environment

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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 11.4.2008 
COM(2008) 187 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 

The role of the CFP in implementing an ecosystem approach to marine management 

[SEC(2008) 449] 

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Introduction and scope 

The  Treaty  includes  in  its  Article  6  the  obligation  to  integrate  environmental  protection 
requirements into the Community policies such as the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)1. The 
Council  Regulation  on  the  conservation  and  sustainable  exploitation  of  fisheries  resources 
under  the  CFP2  states  that  one  of  the  operational  objectives  of  the  CFP  is  the  progressive 
implementation of an ecosystem approach to fisheries management.  

An ecosystem approach is also included as an overarching objective in various international 
agreements that Member States have signed, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity 
(CBD) and the declaration of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in 
Johannesburg in 2002. 

A  Commission  staff  paper  on  the  possibilities  and  priorities  for  international  cooperation 
regarding an ecosystem approach to fisheries management was published in 20023, based on 
the  Reykjavik  Declaration  adopted  by  the  Food  and  Agriculture  Organization  of  the  United 
Nations (FAO)4 some months earlier.  

Implementing an ecosystem approach through the CFP concerns not only Community waters, 
but  all  oceans  worldwide.  Community  action  will  therefore  unfold  through  the  current  CFP 
instruments  for  Community  waters  and  via  Community  action  in  Regional  Fisheries 
Management  Organisations  (RFMOs),  through  the  UN  and  FAO  process  or,  where 
appropriate, via bilateral agreements.  

An  ecosystem  approach  to  managing  the  seas  cannot  and  should  not  be  implemented  in  a 
specific sector alone, but must be cross-sectoral. The Integrated Maritime Policy5 constitutes 
the overall framework for integrated action in the maritime field, and its environmental pillar, 
the Marine Strategy Framework Directive6, constitutes the general basis for implementing an 
ecosystem approach to the marine environment. The Habitats Directive7, with its requirement 
to establish networks of protected areas in the marine domain, provides some important tools 
for an ecosystem approach.  

The  general  policy  objective  of  an  ecosystem  approach  to  marine  management  cannot  be 
achieved  by  sector  policies  such  as  the  CFP  alone.  Actions  within  different  sector  policies 
must link to this integrative framework by developing and implementing those measures that 
can be taken within the sector policy to support the overall objectives.  

Various initiatives that contribute to that objective have already been taken under the CFP, but 
have not been seen as part of an overall strategy for implementation.  

The objective of this Communication is to:  

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7 

Consolidated version of the Treaty establishing the European Community (OJ C325, 24.12.2002, p. 42) 
Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002 (OJ L 358, 31.12.2002, p. 59).  
SEC (2001) 1696. 
http://www.fao.org/docrep/meeting/004/Y2211e.htm. 
COM (2007) 575 final and SEC (2007) 1278. 
Directive  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  establishing  a  Framework  for  Community 
Action  in  the  field  of  Marine  Environmental  Policy  (Marine  Strategy  Framework  Directive)  -  not  yet 
published 
Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna 
and flora (OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7) 

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–  report  on  those  aspects  of  the  CFP  which  have  contributed  to  the  implementation  of  an 

ecosystem approach so far,  

–  present how the CFP links to the integrative, cross-sector implementation of an ecosystem 

approach to marine management, and  

–  show  how  measures  taken  under  the  CFP  in  the  future  will  be  guided  by  an  ecosystem 

approach as the overarching principle. 

1. 

WHAT IS AN ECOSYSTEM APPROACH? 

Specifically  for  fisheries,  the  FAO8  states  that  the  purpose  is  “to  plan,  develop  and  manage 
fisheries  in  a  manner  that  addresses  the  multiple  needs  and  desires  of  societies,  without 
jeopardizing  the  options  of  future  generations  to  benefit  from  the  full  range  of  goods  and 
services provided by marine ecosystems”. The approach is here defined as one that “strives to 
balance  diverse  social  objectives,  by  taking  into  account  knowledge  and  uncertainty  about 
biotic, abiotic, and human components of ecosystems and their interactions and applying an 
integrated approach to fisheries within ecologically meaningful boundaries”. Based on more 
general definitions of the CBD9 and of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea 
(ICES) these definitions make it clear that an ecosystem approach is an instrument to pursue 
sustainable development in its three dimensions, which also form part of the objectives of the 
EU  Sustainable  Development  Strategy,  namely  environmental  protection,  social  equity  and 
cohesion and economic prosperity, and which are enshrined in the CFP Basic Regulation10.  

On  this  basis  the  Commission’s  understanding  is  that  an  ecosystem  approach  to  fisheries 
management  is  about  ensuring  goods  and  services  from  living  aquatic  resources  for  present 
and future generations within meaningful ecological boundaries. Such fisheries management 
will strive to ensure that benefits from living marine resources are high while the direct and 
indirect impacts of fishing operations on marine ecosystems are low and not detrimental to the 
future functioning, diversity and integrity of these ecosystems.  

An  ecosystem  approach  therefore  continues  from  the  earlier  “paradigm  of  limits”  of 
traditional  fisheries  management  focusing  on  the  target  resource.  However,  the  concept  of 
“limits” no longer considers only the impacts on a target population, but rather the fact that all 
ecosystems  have  limits  which,  when  exceeded,  can  result  in  major  ecosystem  change. 
Boundaries for impacts from fishing are ecologically meaningful if harvested populations are 
kept within ecologically viable levels, if biological diversity is maintained and if impacts on 
the  structure,  processes  and  functions  of  the  ecosystem  are  kept  at  acceptable  levels11.  In 
addition, since fishing interacts with other human activities and their consequences relating to 
the seas, these interactions must also be considered.  

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–  COP 

FAO  2003.  The  Ecosystem  Approach  to  Fisheries.  FAO  Technical  Guidelines  for  Responsible 
Fisheries. No 4, Suppl. 2. Rome, FAO. 112 pp.  
CBD 
05&id=7148&lg=0). 
Regulation 2371/2002 
FAO 2003 

(http://www.cbd.int/convention/cop-5-dec.shtml?m=COP-

5,  Decision  V/6 

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2. 

INTEGRATING  FISHERIES  MANAGEMENT  INTO  AN  ECOSYSTEM  APPROACH  TO 
MARINE MANAGEMENT 

Fisheries management can contribute to an ecosystem approach, but an ecosystem approach to 
marine management must integrate all economic sectors which impact the marine ecosystem.  

Some  countries,  such  as  Australia,  have  adopted  an  approach  where  fisheries  management 
takes  on  the  role  of  integrating  the  diverse  human  interests  in  the  marine  ecosystem  and 
provides  for  overall  integrated  risk  management  of  human  interaction  with  the  marine 
environment.  Such  an  approach  doesn’t  seem  a  feasible  option  in  the  EU  context,  with  its 
multitude of regional seas, each subject to the interests of several Member States, and where 
the  marine  ecosystems  in  most  cases  also  include  waters  under  the  jurisdiction  of  third 
countries.  In  this  more  complex  set-up  specific  integrative  policies  such  as  the  Marine 
Strategy12  are  required  to  provide  a  cross-sectoral  framework  for  marine  management.  The 
CFP  will  contribute  to  that  framework  by  taking  measures  in  relation  to  benefits  from  and 
impacts of fisheries. The conditions of fish stocks and fish habitats will be important elements 
in  the  assessment  of  good  environmental  status  which  is  envisaged  in  the  Marine  Strategy. 
Fisheries  management  measures  that  will  contribute  to  achieving  good  environmental status 
will be developed and implemented. 

Protected  areas  are  an  important  tool  for  protecting  sensitive  habitats  and  species  within  an 
ecosystem approach. The Habitats Directive13 provides for the establishment of a network of 
representative protected areas also in the marine domain. The CFP provides the instruments 
required to regulate fisheries so that the objectives of such protected areas are achieved.  

The task of fisheries management within an ecosystem approach in a EU context is thus to: 

(1) 

keep  direct  and  indirect  impacts  of  fisheries  on  marine  ecosystems  within  bounds  in 
relation  to  healthy  marine  ecosystems  and  ecologically  viable  fish  populations  by 
including  all  the  knowledge  we  have  about  the  interactions  between  fisheries  and 
marine ecosystems in decisions under the CFP, and 

(2) 

ensure  that  actions  taken  in  fisheries  are  consistent  with  and  supportive  of  actions 
taken under the cross-sectoral Marine Strategy and Habitats Directive. 

The integrated approach through the Maritime Policy and its environmental pillar, the Marine 
Strategy,  will  fully  benefit  sustainable  fisheries  by  ensuring  integrative  management  of  all 
human, environmental and economic interactions in the maritime field.  

The  benefits  to  fisheries  of  an  ecosystem  approach  to  marine  management  are  extensive. 
Fishing  is  probably  the  one  maritime  sector  which  is  most  directly  dependent  on  healthy 
marine ecosystems, and is thus also the sector which gains most from integrated protection of 
these ecosystems. An ecosystem approach to marine management will address the concerns, 
often  voiced  by  the  fishing  industry,  that  many  human  activities  impact  the  marine 
ecosystems and the fish stocks in them negatively and that all these impacts - not just fisheries 
- need to be managed in order to protect the marine ecosystems and fish stocks. An integrated 
ecosystem approach will do what fisheries management cannot do alone: ensure that marine 

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Marine Strategy Framework Directive - not yet published  
Council Directive 92/43/EEC 

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ecosystems recover to and are maintained in a healthy state whereby the basis for the future 
productivity of fish stocks is secured. 

3. 

CORE ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED 

Within the overall objective of an ecosystem approach, specific objectives need to be defined 
regarding  ecosystem  services  (i.e.  the  social  and  economic  benefits  from  fisheries)  and 
meaningful ecological boundaries for fisheries impacts (i.e. keeping populations within viable 
levels,  maintaining  biological  diversity  and  keeping  impacts  on  the  structure,  processes  and 
functions of the ecosystem at acceptable levels14).  

A starting point for action is the description of ecosystems and their structure, processes and 
functions  using  all  available  knowledge.  An  important  part  will  also  be  continuing  and 
expanding the current assessment of the status and trends of fish stocks and of the impact of 
fishing on ecosystems. These assessments need to be updated all the time as more information 
becomes  available.  The  scientific  bodies  consulted  for  advice  in  the  preparation  of  fisheries 
management  measures  build  on  long  time  series  of  relevant  knowledge  about  stock 
development  and  effects  of  management  measures  and  they  are  already  considering 
ecosystem-relevant information in their assessments.  

The main impact of fisheries on the marine ecosystem is the killing of marine animals. Fish, 
crustaceans and other marine organisms are extracted from the marine ecosystem and landed, 
but they are also killed incidentally if they are taken as unwanted by-catch and discarded at 
sea or if they are damaged by fishing gear without being taken on board.  

Fisheries may also impact habitats when fishing gear is in contact with the bottom and thus 
affecting  the  bottom  substrate  and  organisms  living  in  or  on  the  bottom.  Both  the  direct 
impact of killing marine animals and the impact on habitats are first and foremost linked to 
the amount of fishing activity that takes place.  

The  fishing  pressure  on  four  fifths  of  European  fish  stocks  is  currently  above  sustainable 
targets.  This  means  that  most  European  fishing  fleets  have  a  fishing  activity  which  exceeds 
the  activity  required  for  fisheries  to  be  sustainable  even  if  sustainability  is  only  considered 
from the limited perspective of the single stocks of fish which are targeted by the fleets. 

The  main  and  first  task  of  fisheries  management  is  therefore  to  reduce  the  overall  fishing 
pressure  to  sustainable  levels.  By  reducing  fishing  activity  fewer  animals  are  killed  by 
fisheries  and  the  impact  on  marine  ecosystem  structure  and  functioning  is  therefore  lower; 
fewer  fish,  crustaceans,  seabirds  and  sea  mammals  will  be  killed  incidentally  by  fishing 
operations, and populations of these species are therefore less impacted, fewer individuals of 
sensitive species will be taken as by-catch and there will be less impact on habitats.  

The main instruments to act on the overall fishing pressure are long-term management plans 
building  on  the  WSSD  requirement  to  rebuild  fish  stocks  to  'maximum  sustainable  yield' 
(MSY)  levels.  Since  2002  several  recovery  and  long-term  management  plans  have  been 
adopted under the CFP, and communications on implementing MSY and on a new policy to 
reduce unwanted by-catch have been published (see chapter 6). 

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FAO 2003 

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Beyond such a general reduction of fisheries impacts on the ecosystem the following specific 
issues need to be addressed: 

There is a need to protect sensitive marine habitats. All habitats which are in physical contact 
with  fishing  gear  are  affected.  While  some  bottom  types  and  the  organisms  dependent  on 
them may be robust to such impacts, there are also habitats where the impacts of contact with 
fishing  gear  may  be  very  significant  and  long-lasting.  Cold  coral  reefs  such  as  Lophelia 
pertusa for example may take many decades to recover from the impacts of a single bottom 
trawl contact. The Natura 2000 network of marine protected areas will provide protection for 
representative habitats. The coordinated use of CFP instruments such as closures for specific 
fisheries  or  no-take  zones  will  be  implemented  as  required  to  achieve  the  objectives  of  the 
specific Natura 2000 site". Beyond that, specific measures are taken to reduce the mechanical 
impacts of fishing gear also outside such protected areas, and further measures will be taken 
to  protect  sensitive  habitats  when  awareness  of  such  habitats  and  threats  to  them  emerge. 
Several initiatives have been taken already in this field (see chapter 6). 

There is also a need to protect sensitive species killed incidentally in fishing operations and 
species  targeted  by  fisheries  that  have  been  reduced  to  below  safe  biological  limits.  The 
recovery plans are the main instrument for rebuilding stocks that are below safe limits and the 
new  discards  policy  will  contribute  to  protecting  sensitive  species  from  incidental  by-catch. 
Other instruments for the protection of sensitive species are regulations on the shape and use 
of fishing gear which diminishes incidental by-catches of such species and closures of areas 
where such by-catches are likely.  

Lower fishing pressure and specific protection of sensitive species and habitats will diminish 
the impact of fisheries on ecosystem structure, diversity and functioning. There are however 
cases  where  specific  measures  may  need  to  be  taken  to  prevent  distortions  in  the  food  web 
and ensure that natural ecosystem processes are not disrupted. An example is the dependence 
on  sandeel  for  breeding  success  of  some  seabird  colonies  on  the  west  coast  of  Britain  (see 
chapter 6).  

Environmental  drivers  impact  marine  ecosystems  and  the  fish  stocks.  Fishing  may  in  some 
cases  exacerbate  the  negative  impacts  of  such  drivers.  The  Intergovernmental  Panel  on 
Climate  Change  states  that  this  may  be  the  case  regarding  some  impacts  of  climate  on  fish 
stocks. It is an integral aspect of a precautionary approach that fisheries should be conducted 
in a way which is robust to environmental change and thus that fish stocks should never be 
exploited  to  a  point  where  they  are  not  resilient  to  environmental  change.  The  Commission 
has  specifically  requested  Scientific,  Technical  and  Economic  Committee  for  Fisheries 
(STECF) and ICES to incorporate any existing knowledge about environmental drivers in the 
assessments of the ecosystems and fisheries and in the advice.  

4. 

OPERATIONALISATION AND GOVERNANCE 

An  ecosystem  approach  to  marine  management  implies  that  multiple  and  often  conflicting 
interests need to be reconciled in the process. While there may be short-term contradictions 
between  social  objectives  and  the  requirement  to  conduct  fisheries  within  meaningful 
ecological boundaries, such contradictions largely disappear in the long term because healthy 
ecosystems are a prerequisite for the continued existence of a fishing industry.  

The broad objectives listed above apply generally, but there is also a need to spell them out 
and  make  them  operational  for  specific  ecosystems  and  fisheries.  This  must  take  place  in 

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interaction  between  the  European  institutions,  governments  and  stakeholders.  The  main 
mechanism  for  interaction  with  stakeholders  within  the  CFP  is  the  Regional  Advisory 
Councils (RACs). 

The general boundaries of an overall ecosystem approach will be defined by identifying good 
environmental  status  through  the  implementation  of  the  Marine  Strategy  Directive.  Specific 
objectives for fisheries will be developed through long-term management plans based on the 
MSY concept, but will in the future also integrate considerations of ecosystem impacts of the 
specific fisheries concerned.  

Objectives must be operationalised in specific actions. It has been argued that an ecosystem 
approach  needs  a  holistic  and  integrated  management  system  based  on  predictions  of  the 
diverse  ecosystem  effects  of  fisheries  and  of  management  measures.  But  knowledge  of  the 
dynamics of ecosystems and fisheries is always incomplete, and many effects of fishing and 
of  management  measures  can  as  a  result  not  be  predicted  precisely.  It  also  happens  that 
knowledge exists but is applied insufficiently or too slowly. Therefore, incomplete knowledge 
and insufficient instruments for integration should not prevent action. Progress on the basis of 
existing knowledge and with present instruments can and must be achieved.  

Current  knowledge  allows  us  to  take  management  measures  pointing  in  the  right  direction. 
Mechanisms  must  then  be  put  in  place  to  monitor  outcomes  and  take  corrective  measures. 
Both the CBD15 and ICES16 guidance documents state that the ecosystem approach requires 
adaptive  management  to  deal  with  the  complex  and  dynamic  nature  of  ecosystems  and  the 
absence  of  complete  knowledge  or  understanding  of  their  functioning.  Management  must 
therefore be able to respond to such uncertainties and contain elements of learning-by-doing 
or  research  feedback.  Measures  may  need  to  be  taken  even  when  some  cause-and-effect 
relationships are not yet fully established scientifically. 

The  outcomes  of  management  need  then  to  be  monitored  in  order  to  adapt  future 
management.  Analysis  of  outcomes  and  advice  on  options  for  management  adaptation  is 
requested from the institutions providing research-based advice to the Commission primarily 
the STECF, often building on advice from the ICES.  

The  Community’s  financial  instruments  should  be  used  as  much  as  possible  to  achieve 
progress and support implementation of the ecosystem approach. In the area of fisheries, the 
funds available for research and data collection are already contributing to this. The European 
Fisheries Fund (EFF) should be used to its fullest extent at the level of the Member States to 
promote the implementation of an ecosystem approach through - for example - support for the 
development of fishing practices and technologies with low ecosystem impact and awareness 
building. 

5. 

WHAT HAS BEEN DONE SO FAR? 

Until  now,  various  initiatives  have  been  taken  under  the  CFP  that  will  contribute  to  the 
objectives of integrated management of the seas based on an ecosystem approach: 

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CBD Decision V/6, paragraph 10. 
ICES cooperative research report No 273, chapter 6.1. 

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•  Since in the present situation in Europe the first and most important step in an ecosystem 
approach is a significant reduction of the overall fishing pressure on marine ecosystems, a 
policy  has  been  developed  to  reduce  the  exploitation  of  marine  fish  populations  to  MSY 
levels, as laid down in the Communication on MSY17.  

•  The reduction of fishing pressure to MSY levels is supplemented by a policy to reduce and 
eventually  eliminate  unwanted  by-catch  (the  discards  policy).  This  will  be  implemented 
gradually on a fisheries-by-fisheries basis through the new discards policy18.  

•  Initiatives have been taken under the CFP to protect sensitive habitats from harmful effects 
of fishing, such as the closure of cold water coral reefs west of Ireland19. These actions aim 
at achieving  the  conservation objectives of  Natura 2000 sites belonging to the ecological 
network set up by the Habitats Directive. In the Mediterranean area, the use of dredges and 
towed  nets  beyond  1000  metres  has  been  prohibited  to  protect  deep  sensitive  habitats 
including coral reefs, and three areas in international waters have been closed for fishing 
under  decisions  taken  by  the  General  Fisheries  Commission  for  the  Mediterranean 
(GFCM)  and  implemented  in  Community  law.  Moreover,  the  Mediterranean  Regulation 
aims  to  ensure  a  high  standard  of  protection  of  sensitive  habitats  such  as  Posidonia  and 
mäerl beds, (which are also listed in the Habitats Directive) and requires Member States to 
establish a network of fisheries protected areas to protect nursery areas, spawning grounds 
or marine ecosystems in general. 

•  Measures  have  also  been  taken  to  avoid  incidental  by-catches  of  sea  mammals  by 
legislation  making  the  use  of  pingers  compulsory  on  gill  nets,  and  action  plans  on  the 
reduction of by-catch of seabirds and elasmobranches are in preparation. 

•  Fisheries can impact the functioning of ecosystems by excessively removing the food for 
predators  (or,  in  the  case  of  discards,  by  increasing  food  availability  for  scavengers)  and 
thereby adversely affecting the populations of for instance sea birds. To address this issue 
areas have been closed for fishing of sandeel within flying range of seabird colonies which 
depend on such prey. 

•  Several actions have been taken recently to limit the negative impacts of fishing, such as 
banning  the  use  of  nets  below  depths  of  200  metres  in  certain  areas,  banning  destructive 
fishing practices or actions to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in 
European and international waters20.  

•  An adaptive approach is increasingly being applied within the CFP to address situations of 
uncertainty and - within the MSY policy - situations where several species with different 
dynamics  and  interactions  are  caught  simultaneously  and  where  the  overall  effects  of 
policy measures therefore cannot be known. 

•  In  order  to  ensure  progress  to  make  fisheries  management  contribute  to  an  ecosystem 
approach  a  transition  must  be  made  from  ad  hoc  decisions  to  recovery  and  long-term 
management  plans  based  on  principles  of  ecological  sustainability.  In  recent  years  such 

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20 

COM(2006) 360 final. 
COM(2007) 136 final. 
COM(2007) 570 final. 
COM(2007) 604 and 605 final.  

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plans  have  been  developed  for  several  stocks  in  EU  waters  and  stocks  shared  with  other 
partners, including recovery or management plans for North Sea herring, northern hake, all 
cod stocks in Community waters and bluefin tuna in the ICCAT area.  

•  An  ecosystem  approach  must  be  underpinned  by  research-based  information.  Several 
research  projects  to  understand  marine  ecosystems  and  develop  frameworks  to  include 
such  knowledge  in  an  ecosystem  approach  have  been  initiated  and  funded  by  the 
Commission through the research framework programmes. 

•  The review of the Data Collection Regulation to support the move towards an ecosystem 
approach  in  order  to  include  new  information  that  is  required  to  monitor  the  wider 
ecological impacts of fisheries is completed. The new regulation is expected to be in force 
from 2009 and will cover the collection of data which can underpin indicators relating to 
ecological  impacts  of  fisheries  and  thus  be  supportive  of  an  ecosystem  approach  to 
management21. 

•  A first set of indicators to monitor the fisheries impact on the ecosystem has been selected 
and is published together with this Communication as a Commission staff working paper.  

The Commission will continue to develop such measures to reduce or eliminate the ecological 
impact  of  fisheries  whenever  new  knowledge  of  such  impacts  becomes  available.  The 
Commission has to this end requested the ICES and the STECF to provide advice on any new 
knowledge  on  the  interaction  between  fisheries  and  the  ecosystem.  Collection  of  data  to 
derive  indicators  on  the  ecosystem  effects  of  fisheries  will  be  included  in  Member  ’States’ 
data collection programmes as from 2009. 

6. 

NEXT STEPS 

The CFP will support policies aimed at an ecosystem approach to marine management: 

•  In  the  short  and  medium  term  steps  to  reduce  overall  fishing  pressure  on  marine 
ecosystems  will  continue,  including  implementation  of  the  MSY  approach  through  long-
term management plans and in annual or multiannual proposals on catch limitations.  

•  Legislation  will  be  developed  to  reduce  unwanted  by-catches  through  the  discard  policy 
and  technical  measures  will  be  revised  to  include  considerations  of  habitats  damage  and 
by-catch. 

•  For  specific  groups  of  sensitive  species  plans  of  action  are  being  developed  where  a 
toolbox  of  instruments  is  used  to  provide  specific  protection.  A  plan  of  action  to  protect 
sharks and elasmobranchs will be published in 2008 and a plan of action to protect seabirds 
will be published in 2009.  

•  Simplified  technical  measures  through  the  new  regulation  proposed  in  2008  will  trigger 

improvements in the selectivity of fishing gear. 

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Regulation 199/2008. 

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•  The  condition  of  fish  populations  will  be  an  element  in  determining  good  environmental 
status under the Marine Strategy, and CFP instruments will be implemented to achieve the 
goals relating to fish populations and impacts of fisheries on habitats and sensitive species.  

•  A first set of selected indicators will serve as a practical basis for fisheries managers in the 
implementation of an ecosystem approach. This will be further developed and completed 
and the supporting data will be collected under the revised Data Collection Regulation to 
come into force from 2009.  

•  CFP instruments will be used to ensure appropriate management of fishing activities within 
areas protected by Community legislation (e.g. Natura 2000 sites, or other protected areas 
including under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive). 

•  The Community will support initiatives to promote an ecosystem approach in RFMOs, in 
the  UN  framework  and  other  international  fora  and,  where  appropriate,  in  bilateral 
agreements. 

•  An  ecosystem  approach  will  furthermore  be  seen  as  the  guiding  principle  for  decisions 
under the CFP where an incremental approach will be taken to address issues of excessive 
fishing pressure on populations and ecosystems, minimising impacts on sensitive habitats 
and species and preventing distortions of ecosystem structure and functioning.  

•  Research  on  the  ecosystem  approach  will  remain  a  priority  in  the  FP  7  programme  and 
research  activities  on  all  its  aspects  will  continue  to  be  promoted  in  order  to  improve 
knowledge  and  fill  gaps  in  the  description  of  marine  ecosystems,  thus  feeding  into  the 
adaptive  process  of  its  implementation.  Furthermore,  scientists  and  managers  need  to 
intensify their dialogue so that the management tools can be improved continuously.  

•  Member States are invited to use the funding possibilities of the EFF in order to achieve 
progress in the implementation of an ecosystem approach by promoting measures such as 
the  improvement  of  knowledge  and  fisheries  management,  training  of  fishers  in  low-
impact fishing  practices,  and development of practices and technologies with low impact 
on the environment. 

EN 

10 

   EN