Jörg Berkenhagen’s research while affiliated with Thünen Institute and other places

Considering the critical issue of overexploited stocks due to overfishing, the EU's Data Collection Framework (DCF) was established. Within the DCF, member states collect and analyze data relevant to sustainable fisheries management. To evaluate the status of fisheries, it is necessary to categorize fishing fleets into fleet segments. However, the current DCF segmentation is primarily based on technical vessel parameters, such as vessel length and predominant fishing gear, which often do not accurately represent the fishing activities of the vessels. To address this, we developed an alternative fleet segmentation approach that provides a more realistic overview of fishing activities. This approach utilizes multivariate statistics and is coupled with machine learning techniques for automatization. Applying this approach to two decades of German fisheries data resulted in a data set with fewer segments compared to the DCF approach, which represented the actual fishing strategies more closely. The comparison of biological stock health indicators calculated for both the current and the novel segmentation schemes revealed that the current scheme often misses signs of segments relying on overexploited stocks. The machine learning technique applied showed high classification accuracy, with misclassifications being rare and only occurring in segments with overlapping catch composition. Since machine learning enables almost perfect allocation to the revised segments, we expect a successful implementation of this protocol for future fleet seg-mentation. This approach is highly suitable for data collection and analysis procedures and can serve as a standard tool. Therefore, this novel approach can contribute to the improvement of fishing fleet analyses and policy advice for better fisheries management.

A new approach to the segmentation of fishing fleets was developed in a DCF pilot project at the Thünen Institute of Sea Fisheries and transferred to an R package, referred to as "FS-package" in the following. In March 2021, the first workshop on the novel approach was held, and major progress in improving the package was made. After implementing the suggestions made by the attendants of the first workshop a second workshop was organized, aiming at harmonization of the data preparation and development of a standardized protocol, evaluation of the new elements, and definition of regionally consistent fleet segments over multiple member states operating in the same fishing regions. The third workshop mainly dealt with suggestions for improvement developed during the 2nd workshop. In particular, the suggestion of pre-segmentation was pursued.

Current expansion in offshore wind farm (OWF) development is resulting in increased spatial conflicts with other uses. In the North Sea, marine spatial planning (MSP) processes include coexistence strategies, with co-location between fisheries and offshore wind farms often discussed. However, current legal regulations and the lack of adequate scientific evidence to document economic viability of proposed passive gears, coupled with uncertainties regarding the implementation approach, continue to limit progress in developing co-location solutions. We synthesized current regulations and practices relevant to offshore wind farms and fisheries and conducted spatial-temporal overlap analysis of pot and trap fisheries targeting crustaceans in offshore wind farms to understand their potential for co-location. Our results showed the largest potential for co-location of pot and trap fisheries targeting crustaceans is located in OWFs that already exist or will be constructed until 2030. We also identified 1) gaps in fisheries and (OWF) regulations and 2) sector challenges that hindered the successful implementation of fisheries and offshore wind farm co-location. We discuss and recommend enabling conditions, including more science-based evidence on socioeconomic and ecological viability of passive fisheries in offshore areas. Experiments on pot and trap gear safety and spillover evidence of artificial reef effects (AREs) are needed to inform the implementation of new safety distances and economically beneficial passive fisheries. Finally, we highlight needs for new insurance regimes and straightforward funding provision to support transitions to co-location and absorb the shocks from mobile fisheries displacement.

The COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent public health interventions have depressed demand and disrupted supply chains for many fishing businesses. This paper provides an analysis of the COVID-19 impacts on the profitability of the EU fishing fleets. Nowcasting techniques were used to estimate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economic performance for the EU fishing fleet in 2020 and 2021. Our results show that the economic impact of COVID-19 on this sector was smaller than initially expected and overall profits remained positive. This was in part due to low fuel prices that reduced operating costs of fishing, and the early response from governments to support the sector. The results vary by fishing fleet, revealing that small-scale fleets and the fleets in the Mediterranean and Black seas have been more impacted than large-scale fleets and the fleets in the Northeast Atlantic.

Our second workshop on a newly developed, alternative approach to the segmentation of fishing fleets was held from 28th to 30th of March 2022. Due to travel restrictions caused by the global Covid-19 pandemic, the workshop took place online. Cisco Webex provided the online platform. The workshop was hosted by the Thünen Institute for Sea, Fisheries, part of the Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute, Germany's Federal Research Insitute for rural areas, forestry, and fisheries. Thirty-seven experts representing 16 nations, the ICES, and DG MARE, participated in the workshop. Fifteen national fisheries data sets were analyzed. A new approach to the segmentation of fishing fleets was developed in a DCF pilot project at the Thünen Institute of Sea Fisheries and transferred to an R package, referred to as "FS-package" in the following. In March 2021, the first workshop on the novel approach and the FS-package was held with 34 experts representing 15 nations, and major progress in improving the package was made. After implementing the suggestions made by the attendants of the first workshop and identifying the next urgent steps for further developing the novel approach, the creators of the approach organized a second workshop.

Fishing fleets and targeted stocks are the basis for the design of multiannual management plans at European or Mediterranean levels. Management Strategy Evaluation and bioeconomic modeling need data at a specific level of resolution in terms of time, area and type of fishing activity for analyzing measures for management procedures using simulations. Within the Data Collection Framework, data are to be aggregated at different levels, e.g.: fleet segment and métier, the former linked to the predominant gear and the size of the vessel and the latter to the activity itself. Fishing costs are collected by fleet segment, effort and landings by fleet segment and métier. Bioeconomic modeling for management purposes requires data at the same resolution. The aim of this paper is to describe a methodology, implemented in SECFISH R package, to disaggregate variable cost data from the fleet segment to the métier level. The presented tool allows to determine the correlation between the variable costs of a vessel and its activities to estimate costs at the activity level (e.g. métiers). The tool is applied to selected Italian fleet segments characterized by a variety of métiers and high dynamicity.

In 2019, the EU fishing fleet numbered 73 983 vessels with a combined gross tonnage of 1.33 million tonnes and engine power of 5.3 million kilowatts. Based on data submitted by Member States under the EU MAP, there were 57 236 active vessels in 2019 offering direct employment to 129 540 fishers, corresponding to 92 298 FTEs; on average earning EUR 23 620 in wages, annually. The EU fleet spent 6.0 million days-at-sea and consumed 2.0 billion litres of fuel to land 4.05 million tonnes of seafood with a reported value of EUR 6.3 billion. The Gross Value Added (GVA) and gross profit (all excl. subsidies and fishing rights) were estimated at EUR 3.4 billion and EUR 1.25 billion, respectively. GVA as a proportion of revenue was estimated at 53% and gross profit margin at 20%. With a total net profit of almost EUR 0.6 billion in 2019, 9.0% of the revenue was retained as profit. These results indicate a deterioration compared to 2018 while nowcast estimates suggest that the performance of the EU fishing fleet will be moderately (if compared to 2019) and heavily (if compared to 2018) deteriorated in 2020 and 2021, although partially outweighed by the reduction in fuel costs in 2020. This publication includes: 1) a structural and economic overview of the EU fishing fleet in 2018 and trend analyses for the years 2008-2021 where possible (nowcasts for 2020 and 2021); a regional analysis of the EU fishing fleet by major sea basin, as well as, fleets operating in the EU Outermost Regions and in Other Fishing Regions; 3) a detailed structural and economic overview of each Member State fishing fleet, including qualitative economic performance assessments for 2019 and nowcasts for 2020 and 2021.

In times of world crisis such as climate change and the COVID pandemic much has been said about the need for resilience. However, in scenarios of less concern about crisis the leading paradigm is often that of efficiency. The current study shows how efficiency might have got on the way of achieving the necessary resilience to face the COVID 19. With the example of the German brown shrimp fishery in the North Sea the interaction between those two paradigms – efficiency and resilience – is shown in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic. For instance, the quest of efficiency for rationalisation may reduce the resources available to set aside buffers to resist shocks, and the standardisation key to efficiency may also hinder more diversity and hence open innovation for solutions to the crisis, all characteristics of resilient organisations. By making use of a literature review including peer reviewed, grey literature and web media as well as of interviews with experts and quantitative data the value chain of the German brown shrimp fishery is analysed under the conceptual framework of organisational resilience. Results show that, despite being more oriented towards efficiency, the German fleets does not show particularly good results in selected efficiency indicators. Additionally, key stages of the value chain as processing and commercialisation together with the investment strategy fail to present some commonly accepted components of resilient organisations, such as redundancy, flexibility, adaptability, diversity, prudence and embeddedness. Despite developments in the direction of sustainability with the MSC certification, the German fleet should pay attention to its capacity to face disturbances, which should be supported by a more long-term, targeted, resilience-oriented policy support.

Nephrops (Nephrops norvegicus) is an economically valuable target species in the North Sea. Although individual Nephrops populations are scattered, the crustacean is managed regionally by the European Union (EU). The spatial competition for fisheries in the North Sea is growing especially due to expanding offshore wind farms (OWF) and newly implemented marine protected areas (MPA). Moreover, the Brexit affects the availability of EU fishing quotas and adds to the overall uncertainty EU fishers face. We compare landings and catches to scientifically advised quantities and perform an overlap analysis of fishing grounds with current and future OWFs and MPAs. Furthermore, we explore the German Nephrops fleet using high-resolution spatial fishing effort and catch data. Our results confirm earlier studies showing that Nephrops stocks have been fished above scientific advice. Present OWFs and MPAs marginally overlap with Nephrops fishing grounds, whereas German fishing grounds are covered up to 45% in future scenarios. Co-use strategies with OWFs could mitigate the loss of fishing opportunities. Decreased cod quotas due to Brexit and worse stock conditions, lowers Germany's capability to swap Nephrops quotas with the UK. We support the call for a new management strategy of individual Nephrops populations and the promotion of selective fishing gears.