Adaptation of the Western
Baltic Coastal Fishery to
Climate Change
NEWS
Stay up to date and follow the activities of balt_ADAPT
ICES ASC Conference September 11-14, 2023
This year, the balt_ADAPT team actively participated in the >ICES ASC conference in Bilbao (Spain). The team not only educated themselves on current topics in marine research, but also shared their own results from three years of research on the topic "Future of Coastal Fisheries" with the scientific community from all over the world. The following contributions were presented (you can find the entire program >here):
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Small-scale fisheries in global change - threats and opportunities - Heike Schwermer, Steffen Funk & Camilla Sgoutti (session chair)
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The role of climate change and socio-economic factors for multiple tipping points in the small-scale herring fishery in the western Baltic Sea, 1200-1600 - Rüdiger Voss (oral presentation)
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How much is the fish? The application of an ego-network lens to reconstruct historical fish trade networks in small-scale fisheries - Rüdiger Voss (poster)
10th Dialogue Coastal Fisheries September 6, 2023
A very special Coastal Fishing Dialogue was held to mark the anniversary: at the fishing cutter "Einigkeit" owned by Thomas Deutsch in Heiligenhafen participants listened to exciting talks over coffee and cookies. This time the topics were: "Baltic Sea fisheries in a changing climate" - Katharina Fietz & Isabel Seeger (DUH), Tobias Reßing (University of Hamburg) and Wolfgang Albrecht (FSV), "Coastal oxygen minimum zones in the Baltic Sea" - Helmke Hepach & Cathleen Schlundt (GEOMAR) and "News on the cormorant" - Bernd Knoop (OAG SH). In addition, Oilver Greve (FG Wismar Bay) and Kai de Graaf (CeOS, University of Kiel) from the SpaCeParti Reallabor Wismar Bay presented news on the pilot training Sea Ranger. Of course, a lot was noted down, discussed and planned for the future. This opportunity for exchange is greatly appreciated by all and strengthens the common vision of contributing to sustainable and adaptable coastal fisheries.
sustainMare Midterm-Conference August 30, 2023
From 30 August to 1 September 2023, the sustainMare Midterm Conference on "Protection and Sustainable Use of Marine Areas" took place at Kiel University. The conference not only offered insights into current research projects in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, but also provided a platform for intensive dialogue. In various workshops, stakeholders and scientists discussed how the different needs can be successfully integrated in the future. The topics included:
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Effects of climate change on marine ecosystems & coastal protection
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Multi-use - perspectives in the context of the North Sea as Europe's green power plant
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Impact of pollution & munitions on marine ecosystems
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Conservation of marine biodiversity and the importance of protected areas
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Future of our Fisheries
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Methods for monitoring and assessment
Retreat balt_ADAPT August 21-24, 2023
Exchange stimulates business? Yes, but for us it's mainly science! At the Sports and Education Centre in Malente, the scientists from balt_ADAPT and SpaCeParti put their heads together intensively to derive possible future scenarios for German coastal fisheries from previous results and to uncover existing knowledge gaps. The interdisciplinary exchange between the various specialisms provided many exciting insights and opened up new perspectives. The findings are to be summarised and published in a results paper. Previous results from the projects can already be viewed here >Results balt_ADAPT and here >Results SpaCeParti.
9th Dialogue Coastal Fisheries May 9, 2023
This time in Neustadt, a diverse exchange with and between our stakeholders took place once again. There were contributions on the main topics: Cod of the western Baltic Sea (>Steffen Funk, University of Hamburg & >Felix Mittermayer, GEOMAR), eutrophication (>Gunnar Gerth-Hansen), EU Water Framework Directive and EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (Franziska Junge, >MEKUN) as well as the planned Baltic Sea National Park (Svaantje Bennecke & Franziska Junge, >MEKUN).
Rügener Fishing Days April 29, 2023
On 29 April, a panel discussion on herring in the western Baltic Sea and the future of German fisheries took place as part of the 8th Rügen Fishing Days in Sassnitz. After a presentation by Patrick Polte (TI-OF) on "Herring in the climate trap", he and Heike Schwermer (CeOS, University of Kiel) from the balt_ADAPT team discussed the herring fishery of the past, the current situation and prospects for the future with fishermen and representatives of the fishery as well as the museum director Markus Röhrbein (Fishery and Harbour Museum Sassnitz).
Contribution to the fifth ECCWO April 16-21, 2023
Scientists from the balt_ADAPT team (Prof. Dr. Christian Möllmann, Dr. Rüdiger Voss, Dr. Guilherme Pinto, Dr. Heike Schwermer and MSc. Frane Madiraca) presented current research results at the fifth ECCWO conference (Effect of Climate Change on the Worlds Oceans), which took place this year from 16 April to 21 April 2023 in Bergen, Norway. This included modelling work on various fisheries management approaches and an up-to-date presentation of the governance structure of coastal fisheries in the western Baltic Sea. The international conference, which focuses on the effects of climate change on our oceans and their system components, regularly invites scientists from all over the world to discuss global and regional changes in the future. Intensive discussions took place, future collaborations were explored and ideas for new projects were developed.
8th Dialogue Coastal Fisheries December 8, 2022
The 8th dialogue on small-scale coastal fisheries took place on the island of Fehmarn in Burg. Dr. Moll presented the preliminary results of the sensitivity analyses carried out in the balt_ADAPT project for 22 Baltic Sea fish species. According to these analyses, it is to be expected that the critical life stages of herring and cod, for example, will most likely suffer even more from future climatic changes, while the black goby, for example, will mostly benefit. In the second presentation of the day, Mr Brenner (Project CONMAR) impressively demonstrated how another factor negatively affects the ecosystem and thus the basis of coastal fishing: ammunition dumps. Mr Brenner described how and where war ammunition entered the Baltic Sea, the extent of the pollution today and what recovery measures are being sought for the future. After a lunch break, the current EU funding policy and the challenges it poses for small-scale coastal fisheries (boats < 8 metres) were discussed. In addition, the Guiding Principles Commission "The Future of German Baltic Sea Fisheries", which was recently set up by the BMEL, was presented. The aim of the commission is to develop a sustainable and future-proof model for German Baltic Sea fisheries and to provide concrete measures for political implementation. Prof. Riekhof, who is also involved in the balt_ADAPT project, has taken over the chairmanship of the commission.
Symposium "Coast in Transition" November 9-11, 2022
The KüNO symposium "Coast in Transition 2022" (coordinated by the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde) brought together interdisciplinary experts from German marine research to promote a joint exchange on the topics of "Nature-based solutions for coastal protection and CO2 storage in marine ecosystems", "Sustainable coastal fisheries" and "Multiple environmental stress in coastal waters, estuaries and river mouths". The varied programme included the presentation of the latest results from the current funding phase, which were discussed together, as well as workshops, poster presentations and a science slam.
7th Dialogue Coastal Fisheries September 7, 2022
On 7 September 2022, we met with our stakeholders in the beautiful fishing harbour in Niendorf. The meeting began with reports on the current state of flatfish in the Baltic Sea. The fishermen reported that plaice and flounder are currently very small and lean. This led to a discussion about the upcoming quota negotiations. This was followed by an exchange on possible protection measures in the 12 nautical mile zone and a reference to the national implementation of measures to protect flatfish stocks. Other projects that could promote cooperation between fisheries and nature conservation, among other things, were also discussed. Another ongoing topic: the need for Diversification in fisheries was also debated. The 7th Small-scale Coastal Fishing Dialogue was crowned by a cutter trip on the NIE21 - out on the Baltic Sea in sunshine and only a slight wave. In addition to pipefish, flatfish and eel, a few cod were also netted, giving all participants a small insight into the current fishing situation for fishermen. The next meeting is expected to take place in December.
Retreat balt_ADAPT August 22-26, 2022
The balt_ADAPT scientists took a one week "retreat" to discuss the progress of the project, work intensively together on specific project content and develop ideas for the next steps. The green area around the Monastery Damme, where the retreat took place, invited the participants to take a breather and recharge their batteries. The exchange was perceived by all sides as very pleasant and productive and laid an important foundation for future work in the individual work packages.
6th Dialogue Coastal Fisheries May 4, 2022
This time, the balt_ADAPT Coastal Fisheries Dialogue took place in the historic setting of the old fish smokehouse in Eckernförde. The meeting began with an exchange of the latest news from the region relating to fishing and fisheries policy. After a small refreshment and an exciting tour of the building, the second part of the meeting was followed by a creative insight into the resource and land use conflicts on the coast of Schleswig Holstein. More specifically, the participants focussed on the regions of Eckernförde, Stein Wendtorf and Fehmarn. The existing local sectors (e.g. tourism, protected areas, military areas) were graphically depicted on large maps of the respective regions. The relationship between the sectors was also illustrated. Particular attention was paid to identifying potential conflicts in relation to fisheries. The results were then discussed together.
KüNO Young Scientist Workshop April 27, 2022
On 27 April, the KüNO network invited its young scientists to a joint exchange at the Hamburg Chamber of Crafts. Our balt_ADAPT junior researchers also responded to this call. Work from the KüNO consortia MuSSeL, balt_ADAPT, BluEs, ECAS-Baltic and the DAM consortium CoastalFutures was presented. In addition to scientific discussions, there was also feedback on the presentations and valuable tips. There was also plenty of time to engage in intensive discussions in a pleasant atmosphere and to gather ideas for your own work or even for joint co-operations.
Fifth Dialogue Coastal Fisheries March 1, 2022
We are continuing our stakeholder dialogue in 2022. The kick-off took place online on 29 February 2022. The three-year SpaCeParti project, which is part of the DAM research mission sustainMare and aims to identify options for action to conserve biodiversity and fisheries, was presented at the beginning. The project coordinator is Prof. Marie-Catherine Riekhof (Centre for Ocean & Society). The project aims to work closely with balt_ADAPT, both on a scientific and participatory level. Another item on the agenda was the continuation of the mental models on the topic of coastal fisheries in Schleswig-Holstein. In the ensuing discussion, it was clearly emphasised that self-marketing is essential for the preservation of small-scale coastal fisheries in the western Baltic Sea. In order to convince customers of the high quality of fishery products, it is particularly important to raise awareness of the sustainability of the products. Targeted campaigns can help to realise this project. Katja Hockun (DUH) then presented the Future Commission for Fisheries described in the new coalition agreement and suggested collecting ideas on what such a commission could look like in order to achieve a balanced composition.
Fourth Dialogue Coastal Fisheries December 7, 2021
The 4th Coastal Fisheries Dialogue took place virtually on 7 December. Once again, we were able to attract a committed speaker, this time on the topic of "Eel - planned fishing ban". In addition to this exciting presentation, this meeting was entirely focussed on interactive exchange. For the first time, the stakeholders and scientists of the balt_ADAPT team tried their hand at participatory modelling. On the one hand, this form of modelling makes it possible to uncover and recognise different types of knowledge (e.g. fishermen's knowledge, experiential knowledge, local knowledge) of the various user and interest groups. Furthermore, this approach promotes a common understanding of a system. Divided into two groups, the social-ecological network around the topic of "coastal fishing in Schleswig-Holstein" was to be developed jointly. Ecological, economic and social components of the system were taken into account. The joint modelling was supported by an online programme and the results were then discussed.
Project meeting balt_ADAPT November 23, 2021
The current internal balt_ADAPT meeting took place virtually again. We started with a positive review of the first project year, in which some exciting findings have already been achieved (see our Results). Next year also promises to build on the successes of the past. For example, the first results of the threat analysis (AP 1) are expected at the beginning of the year and the assessment of the ecosystem status (AP 2) and the evaluation of management strategies (AP 3) are gathering pace. The current meeting has already been used to identify the indicators required for WP 2 and to check their suitability. In this regard, a pre-selection of indicators was made that reflect the ecological and socio-economic system of the Baltic Sea and have a sufficient data basis. Furthermore, the conceptual modelling approach was used to create an initial overview of the indicator links. Further workshops on this topic are to follow.
Workshop balt_ADAPT November 22, 2021
On 22 November, the balt_ADAPT team invited external experts to Rostock to present the planned vulnerability assessment (AP 2) of fish stocks to climate change. The aim was to incorporate additional expertise into the assessment material. The risk assessment, which forms the basis for the analysis, is to be carried out by internal and external experts at the end of this year and at the beginning of 2022. A special online questionnaire was designed for this purpose, which contains all the important information on the species to be assessed in order to be able to assess their vulnerability to climate change. Finally, final improvements to the approach were discussed in Rostock and a trial run of the questionnaire was carried out. The first results of the vulnerability analysis are expected at the end of February 2022.
Third Dialogue Coastal Fisheries September 8, 2021
The third stakeholder meeting took place in the Baltic Sea Info Center in Eckernförde. This was the first in person meeting since the start of the balt_ADAPT project. The invited experts provided exciting insights about the role of harbor porpoises (Prof. Prof. hc Dr. Ursula Siebert - University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover) and cormorants (Bernd Koop - Ornithological Working Group for SH & HH) in the western Baltic Sea. The speakers also provided current information on population size of the respective species and on existing conflicts with inshore fisheries as well as successful measures to minimize conflict. Till Holsten (Baltic Sea Info Center) presented the voluntary agreement for the protection of harbor porpoises and diving sea ducks, which is well received by the coastal fisheries and constructively supported by nature conservation associations. During this exchange of interests, we again experienced a variety of questions and a lively discussion. The next meeting will be held in December.
Project meeting balt_ADAPT September 7-8, 2021
For the first time since the start of the project, the balt_ADAPT team was able to meet in person. The beautiful Eckernförde was chosen as the conference venue. One of the items on the agenda was the discussion of the results of the CVA (Climate Vulnerability Analysis) carried out internally in June to assess the risk of fish stocks from climate change. In addition, it was discussed how this analysis should be adapted with regard to the expert workshop planned by the project. The workshop is scheduled for November 22nd. Vanessa Steinweg also presented the results of her master's thesis: a risk index for coastal fishermen in Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. From this, regions can be identified which are particularly prone or particularly adaptable to ecological (e.g. climate change), economic (e.g. market prices for fish) and social factors (e.g. unemployment rate). Vanessa Steinweg is also going to present her results at this year's ICYMARE conference (September 21-24, 2021).
Second Dialogue Coastal Fisheries July 1, 2021
At the second exchange of interests within balt_ADAPT, representatives from fisheries, nature conversation and science met again. This time on the agenda were questions about the determination of the catch quotas and the condition of the western Baltic cod. A representative of the Federal Agency for Food and Agriculture (BLE) demonstrated how the catch quotas for the Baltic Sea are distributed among the various fishing sectors (organized and non-organized fishermen). A lively discussion followed, in which, for example, ambiguities regarding the quotas for part-time jobs could be cleared up. Afterwards Christian Möllmann presented current stock estimates of the western cod stock. In addition to fishing and climate change, the participants also pointed out the influence of the growing cormorant and gray seal population, which could possibly have a negative impact on the fish stocks in the Baltic Sea. Current research results on this topic will be presented, among other things, at the next meeting, probably on September 8th. We hope again for lively discussions between all participants.
Workshop balt_ADAPT June 16-18, 2021
In June 2021, a first workshop took place as part of >work package 1 (WP 1 - Risk Analysis). Scientists from the various balt_ADAPT partner institutes jointly used a method to carry out an initial, internal project assessment of the endangerment of the fish species in the western Baltic Sea from climate change. The basis for the analysis were detailed species profiles on the current state of knowledge about essential ecological requirements of the fish species, which were prepared by scientists from the Thünen Institute of Baltic Sea Fisheries and University Hamburg. The participating scientists were able to evaluate the endangerment of the individual species on the basis of the species profiles and their own knowledge. The results of this so-called CVA (Climate Vulnerability Analysis) allow conclusions to be drawn about future changes in the local range of species due to climate change. Further risk analyzes are planned to be carried out at subsequent workshops with a group of external experts.
First Dialogue Coastal Fisheries April 29, 2021
The balt_ADAPT team strives for close cooperation with various interest groups (stakeholders) and invited to a first meeting as soon as the project started. Due to the ongoing restrictions caused by Corona, the first exchange of interests took place online. Representatives from the fields of fisheries, science and nature conservation spoke in a pleasant atmosphere about the current situation of small coastal fisheries in the western Baltic Sea and their future prospects, taking into account climate change and the market economy situation caused by Corona. In addition, the strategic direction of the cooperation in the project was outlined and the first focal points defined. The next meeting is expected to take place at the end of June.
Kick-off event KüNO March 15-16, 2021
The KüNO-Verbund ("Coastal Research North and Baltic Sea") started its third funding phase in November 2020 with seven new projects, including balt_ADAPT. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has been funding research in this network since 2013 as part of the research strategy "Research for Sustainability" (FONA). This resulted in several tools that authorities are already using to plan measures for sea and coastal protection. The kick-off event enabled a first exchange between the new projects in order to also discuss possibilities of cooperation. An overview of the seven projects of the third KüNO funding phase as well as further information can be found on the KÜNO website.
Kick-off event balt_ADAPT December 9, 2020
Corona-compliant, the Institute for Marine Ecosystem and Fisheries Sciences (University of Hamburg) invited to the kick-off event of balt_ADAPT via online meeting on December 9, 2020.
The scientists, as well as representatives of the project sponsor Jülich and the KüNO III association introduced themselves and talked about the possibilities and goals which should be pursued in the context of the project "balt_ADAPT" in order to offer the coastal fisheries of the western Baltic Sea a perspective in the face of climate change.
Project start balt_ADAPT November 1st, 2020
