Skagerrak is the scene of a rich and vulnerable biodiversity as well as intense fishery – it calls for action

The report is a collaboration between Institute of Marine Research at Gothenburg University, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and DTU Aqua at the Technical University of Denmark. The report is funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers.

Unique populations

One of the reasons why Skagerrak is calling for action is that in these waters between Sweden, Norway and Denmark, the researchers have found populations to be unique because they are genetically and/or morphologically distinct from surrounding populations in the North Sea, Kattegat, and Baltic Sea. Sixty percent of species studied had local/distinct populations within Skagerrak.

Also, the deepest parts of the Skagerrak, in the Norwegian Trench, is home to vulnerable marine ecosystems, and is functioning as the most important carbon storage in the North Sea. An area which is not protected and in urgent need of attention.

The need for fisheries management

The review study tells the story of a productive Skagerrak ecosystem that some 100 years ago was home to diverse small- and medium-scale fisheries, and since then has developed into being one of the most intensively trawled areas in Europe.

Earlier, the smaller fisheries were important to food security in the local coastal communities. Today, modern fisheries of mixed vessel scale in the Skagerrak are still economically important, and are now primarily based on bottom-contacting fisheries. Also, fisheries regulations in Skagerak is different from traditional EU regulations as you can go closer to the coast.

When it comes to regulation of mobile bottom-contacting fishing gear, the preliminary analyses in the study say that marine protection in Skagerrak is weak overall.
Another rising risk to biodiversity in the Skagerrak, is the emerging new fisheries of non-managed species like for instance cephalopods. These new targets for fisheries present both opportunities and challenges as it is said in the report. 

The offshore challenge

The Skagerrak is not only an attractive place to fisheries – also emerging ocean industries are fixing their eyes on the waters not too far away from the coasts of three different Nordic countries – and so constituting another potential disturbance to ocean life in Skagerrak.

Among these are offshore wind farms supposed to expand in the coming years and take over energy production in a sustainable way. But the positive climate mitigation effects of wind farms should be weighed against the impact on marine ecosystems. 
These impacts include introducing new habitats in offshore wind farms that may have both positive and negative effects. Understanding these impacts is key to balancing wind energy benefits with biodiversity risks.

What to do – advice and policy briefs 

The researchers behind the new report, stress that the review study is a significant step towards addressing the gaps in knowledge about the ‘forgotten’ species of the Skagerrak, as they put it.

While explaining the vulnerable dynamics and needs of ‘the forgotten species’, the report also discusses tools for biodiversity conservation like designation of Marine protected areas (MPAs), and what it takes to succeed. 

A major challenge remains the governance complexities of the region. This calls for enhanced international collaboration, harmonization of policies, and finally the report suggests that Norway, Sweden and Denmark consider developing a unified local management plan to support a sustainable utilization of Skagerrak's ressources, and to preserve and restore Skagerrak’s rich and productive habitats.

The knowledge and advice in the new report is meant to support exactly that path towards unified regional conservation planning, ecosystem-based fisheries management and sustainable establishment of offshore wind farm in Skagerrak. For that purpose the report is also available in three public policy briefs.