Advice on areas where Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs) are known to occur or are likely to occur in EU waters

Please note that the data product was updated on 25 September 2025.

ICES uses five scenarios to advise on areas (polygons) where Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs) are known to occur or are likely to occur and applies these scenarios separately to EU waters of the Celtic Seas and the Bay of Biscay and Iberian Coast.

For the Celtic Seas, the total number of VME polygons within the 400–800 m depth zone ranged 57–62, and the areal extent ranged 4 559–5 896 km2 among scenarios. For the Bay of Biscay and the Iberian Coast, the figures were 51–64 (total number of VME polygons) and 7 821–9 619 km2 (areal extent).

Changes to VME polygons relative to previous advice (ICES, 2023a) include additions, expansions, and reductions in the number, size, and shape of VME polygons. These changes are based on new or updated evidence of VME occurrence and/or on new or updated evidence of mobile bottom-contacting gears (MBCG) fishing intensity, resulting in a change in risk of further Significant Adverse Impacts (SAIs) to VMEs where they co-occur with fishing activity.