Integrating across ecosystem, environment and economics in provision of scientific advice to fisheries management.

Wild fish catches in European waters accounted for about 8.3 million tonnes in 2016.

In 2018, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) provided advice on fishing opportunities for 224 stocks representing 7.7 million tonnes.

Of the stocks for which stock status is known, about 40% were overfished and 35% outside safe biological limits in 2018. Mis-management costs in the North East Atlantic may be on the range of several billions. The world bank estimates point to approx. 12.5 billion dollars in Europe in 2012.

Despite this situation, scientists showed that fisheries management works, although a fast changing environment due to climate change together with constant shifts in policy, largely triggered by a growing diversity in the political spectrum, require more than ever scientific advice for natural resource management to be robust, accountable and flexible.

The fellowship will focus on understanding and challenging the current landscape of scientific advice products being produced or under development within the ICES, and explore methods to streamline those products into scientific advice relevant to fisheries management.

The final outcome of the fellowship will propose methods to enhance the advice framework in relation to both the science developments in the EU and the need to improve the applicability of evidence based decision making.

In detail the fellowship aims to: (i) explore and develop methods that integrate across ecosystem, environment and economic aspects of fisheries science (EEE), leveraging in products produced across the network of expert groups and EU funded projects; (ii) explore new advisory products and/or extend/limitations the current advice; (iii) link all products with automation and quality assurance processes.

Research will be carried out in a cycle of dialogue with relevant actors (scientists, policy makers, stakeholders), simulation testing and real case applications.