Report of the Study Group on ecosystem effects of fishing activities

Ecosystem effects of fishing activities may occur at all scales of space and time. Although a clear distinction between local, regional, and North Sea-wide effects cannot always be made, the global approach taken in this report is inappropriate for consideration of some more local ecosystem effects, both of fishing and other human activities, which will be considered in regional reports. Fisheries exploit species against the background of a variable environment which is a major source of perturbation to the system. The effects fisheries cause should thus be viewed as one of several anthropogenic interactions in a non-equilibrium system.