Standing NEAFC request on vulnerable deep-water habitats in the NEAFC Regulatory Area

ICES has updated its vulnerable marine ecosystem (VME) database and distribution maps for the North Atlantic. This includes  several  areas  within  the  NEAFC  Regulatory  Area  (RA)  as  well  as  several new  areas  outside  the  NEAFC  Regulatory Area, including Greenland, Norwegian, and EC waters.  Based on VME indicator records alone ICES advises the following measures within the NEAFC RA: 

•Revised boundaries for the Northwest Rockall, the Southwest Rockall, and the Hatton Bank closures

•A new closed area for Edora’s Bank

•Support for an marine protected area (MPA) boundary proposed by OSPAR for the Josephine Seamount area

•Further VME surveys in the area between the recent observations of Lophelia in the NW Rockall closure are recommended.

ICES  underlines  the  need  for  updated  information  on  fishing  activity  (vessel monitoring  systems  (VMS)  data)  in  the  NEAFC RA