Management plans for Natura 2000 sites - an area for combined ecological/economic advice?

1. Management plans for Natura 2000 sites - an area for combined ecological/economic advice? Ralf Döring University of Greifswald

2. FAME Workshop June 6-8 2007 550 Years 1456-2006 Ralf Döring, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald Overview • Natura 2000 – New tool for nature conservation • Economic perspective • Network in Germany’s coastal waters and EEZ • Fisheries economics and the ecosystem approach • Background • Experiences • Management plans in Natura 2000 sites • Conclusions/Outlook

3. FAME Workshop June 6-8 2007 550 Years 1456-2006 Ralf Döring, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald Natura 2000 – New tool for nature conservation • EU Bird- and Flora Fauna Habitat-Directive defines species and habitats which are to preserve • Obligation of member states to designate areas • Six years after designation the status of species and habitats must be reviewed • If some degradation happend further restrictions on activities

4. FAME Workshop June 6-8 2007 550 Years 1456-2006 Ralf Döring, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald Natura 2000 – Economic perspective • Weak Sustainability • Overall capital stock, Measuring benefits and costs of individual projects (sand and gravel removal, fishing, wind parks) => ‚relative scarcity‘, ‚efficient investments‘ • Strong Sustainability • Preservation of a certain amount of ‚natural capital‘ to preserve ecological services, long-term resource use ‚absolut scarcity‘, efficient resource use‘

5. FAME Workshop June 6-8 2007 550 Years 1456-2006 Ralf Döring, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald Natura 2000 – Economic perspective • Switch from the ‚normal‘ case of Cost-Benefit-Analysis to setting of limits to the use of resources/areas/ species etc. • Natura 2000 sites: minimum level necessary to preserve ‚unsubstitutable‘ ecological services • Role of Economics • Limits set target reference points (standards) • Economists shall calculate efficient ways to hold the limits • Fisheries will phase restrictions on fishing practice in Natura 2000 sites => opportunity costs?

6. SPA (Birds) Natura 2000 sites – North Sea FFH-Directive Source: www.habitatmarenatura2000.de

7. SPA (Birds) FFH-Directive Natura 2000 sites – Baltic Sea Source: www.habitatmarenatura2000.de

8. FAME Workshop June 6-8 2007 550 Years 1456-2006 Ralf Döring, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald Fisheries economics and the ecosystem-based-approach - Background • Multi-species-models • Optimisation models (long-term yields) • Interactions between fish stocks and the environment (pollution?)

9. Fisheries economics and the ecosystem-based-approach - Background Human Seals Cod Salmon Herring Sprat Other fish species feeding plankton Juvenile Cod Mysidaceen Mysidaceen 0 0 - - Group 0 0 - - Group 0 0 - - Group Big zooplankton Herring Sprat Cod Small zooplankton Cod eggs Phytoplankton Phytoplankton & Bacteria Nutrients Source: Döring et al. 2005

10. FAME Workshop June 6-8 2007 550 Years 1456-2006 Ralf Döring, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald Fisheries economics and the ecosystem-based-approach - Background • Multi-species-models • Optimisation models (long-term yields) • Interactions between fish stocks and the environment (pollution?) • Sustainable fisheries

11. Stock perspective Precautionary approach (Bpa, Blim, minimum stock size) Long-term management plans Recovery of overused stocks Ecosystem perspective External Effects – Measurement Opportunity costs of fishing methods Preserving ecosystem services FAME Workshop June 6-8 2007 550 Years 1456-2006 Ralf Döring, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald Sustainable Fisheries Combined ecological/economic research!

12. FAME Workshop June 6-8 2007 550 Years 1456-2006 Ralf Döring, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald Fisheries economics and the ecosystem-based-approach - Experiences Typical Quote - Economist „Why we should care about the environment? We care about the fishing sector, the fishermen, human activities and nothing else.“

13. FAME Workshop June 6-8 2007 550 Years 1456-2006 Ralf Döring, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald Fisheries economics and the ecosystem-based-approach - Experiences Typical Quote - Ecologist „Why should we care about fishermen? We care about the fish stocks, the environment. Fisheries ruin the ecosystems.“

14. FAME Workshop June 6-8 2007 550 Years 1456-2006 Ralf Döring, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald Fisheries economics and the ecosystem-based-approach - Experiences • Problem: How to reach a sustainable Baltic Cod fishery (overused stock, many external effects (esp. bird bycatch)? • Two phase strategy developed in a paper: • recover the cod stock as most necessary action for Baltic Cod, • afterwards switch to longlines as fishing method with few negative ecological consequences (then economically possible) • Result: Sustainable Fishery (healthy stock, few negative externalities)? • Reviewer: I‘m deeply worried about using a single-species approach when you want to describe an ecosystem-based-approach – you need a multi-species-model!

15. Human Seals Cod Salmon Herring Sprat Other fish species feeding plankton Juvenile Cod Mysidaceen Mysidaceen 0 0 - - Group 0 0 - - Group 0 0 - - Group Big zooplankton Herring Sprat Cod Small zooplankton Cod eggs Phytoplankton Phytoplankton & Bacteria Nutrients Fisheries economics and the ecosystem-based-approach - Experiences Remember!

16. FAME Workshop June 6-8 2007 550 Years 1456-2006 Ralf Döring, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald Management plans in Natura 2000 sites • Natura 2000 sites in German waters need management plans in a few years • Debate started what and how to manage • Lack of data on many ecological conse-quences of fishing • Bird bycatch • Marine Mammal bycatch • Exact fishing grounds of fishing with trawls • Etc.

17. Fishing effort and bird densities Clangula hyemalis density and gill nets Source: Döring et al. 2005

18. Trawling in sensitive habitats Sensitive habitats at Kriegers Flak Sand and gravel areas Trawling tracks Source: Döring et al. 2005

19. Fishing effort by German vessels in the ICES rectangles 38G3 Trawling in sensitive habitats Source: Döring et al. 2005

20. FAME Workshop June 6-8 2007 550 Years 1456-2006 Ralf Döring, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald Management plans in Natura 2000 sites • Suggestion: Few negative impacts of trawling in 38 G3 and Kriegers Flak but some change in fishing practice seems necessary to reach the goals => Opportunity Costs! Example: Cod fishery again – fishing methods and costs

21. Fishing methods and external effects

22. Fishing methods – Longlines vs. Trawls* *Estimation of costs compared to allowed landings (row 1 and 2: recovery phase, row 3 + 4: after recovery, stock above Bpa

23. FAME Workshop June 6-8 2007 550 Years 1456-2006 Ralf Döring, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald Management plans in Natura 2000 sites • Problem: Some change in fishing practice seems necessary to reach the goals • > Opportunity Costs! • Solutions: • 1. Calculation of these opportunity costs (research planned with commercial fishing vessels) • 2. If Opportunity Costs are severe payments for fishermen who avoid external effects (like agri-environmental schemes) – Impossible at the moment • 3. Certification possible? Selling of fish from these areas under a certain label.

24. FAME Workshop June 6-8 2007 550 Years 1456-2006 Ralf Döring, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald Conclusions/Outlook • Impact assessments are the first joint efforts in STECF – problems on both sites • Work ont joined environmental and economic goals (stock levels, less negative impacts, etc.) with an idea about the future of fishing fleets • Natura 2000 managment plans will be a field of joint advice • It takes some time to learn at least the basics of biology/ecology as economists • More complex models may not be the solution!

25. Thank you very much!