OSPAR request to support the development of common and candidate OSPAR biodiversity indicators for benthic habitats: pressure maps

ICES  has  collated  Vessel  Monitoring  System  (VMS)  and  logbook  data  received,  but  submissions  were  not  received  from  all  those holding the required data.
ICES evaluated the fishing pressure abrasion maps and found that over 90% of activity by vessels over 10  m (overall length) was represented,  but  notes  that  data  from  vessels  under  10  m  (30%  of  fleets  in  terms  of  numbers  of  vessels,  although  not necessarily of activity) are not included in this calculation or in the maps.
ICES  provides  fishing  abrasion  pressure  maps  (and  the  underlying  data)  for  2009–2013,  but advises  that  assumptions  have  been  made  in  developing  these  maps  and provides  a  set  of  caveats that must  be  taken  into  account  when  interpreting  the both maps and the underlying data.