Thematic framework
The focus of ‘Sustainable Fisheries from Healthy Seas’ is on sustainable fisheries in the context of climate change and the green transition. The aim of the call is to examine the impact of fishing activities on the marine environment and the options for fisheries to reduce their impact. The research area of this call encompasses the North Atlantic, the North Sea, and the Baltic Sea. Aquaculture and freshwater fisheries are not a focus area of this call.
Marine ecosystems are increasingly under threat from climate change, unsustainable fishing, and other pressures such as pollution. Fishing activities have impacts on marine ecosystems, and these impacts vary widely. Overall, the impacts largely depend on the characteristics of the gear and where, when, and how the gear is used. Furthermore, the extent of fishing and the type of habitat and biota are critical in terms of the level of impact. Knowledge from different disciplines and multidisciplinary research are needed in order to address the challenges. This call will encourage cross-sectoral approaches and co-operation between research communities in the Nordic and Baltic countries.
The research field is particularly relevant in light of the United Nations (UN) Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, UN Agenda 2030, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (in particular SDG 14 – life below water), the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and the EU’s Biodiversity Strategy and action plan for protecting and restoring marine ecosystems for sustainable and resilient fisheries. The 2022 joint declaration by the Nordic prime ministers on a Sustainable Ocean Economy and the Green Transition stands as a key instrument for deepening regional co-operation on sustainable ocean governance.
The call specifies the following themes and perspectives:
Theme 1: Assessment and mitigation of the impacts of fisheries on the marine environment
Theme 2: Evaluation of the effects and feasibility of time-area closures as a fisheries management tool
Perspective 1: Climate change
Perspective 2: Ecosystem services
Background
The Nordic Council of Ministers has commissioned NordForsk to initiate a call on sustainable fisheries from healthy seas. This is a priority topic in efforts to fulfil Vision 2030 from the Nordic Council of Ministers. The Nordic Council of Ministers has allocated DKK 3.5 million to the call. The development and launch of the call are a collaborative venture between six participating and co-funding countries in the region.
Funding
The available budget is NOK 40 million.
Committee
Petri Suuronen, (Chair)
Katrine Boeriis, Innovation Fund Denmark
Katrin Saar, Estonian Research Council
Dagmar Joensen-Næs, Research Council Faroe Islands
Orian Bondestam, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland
Jón Þrándur Stefánsson, Icelandic Ministry of Food, Fisheries and Agriculture
Laura Kostelnickienė, Research Council of Lithuania
Christian Wexels Riser, Research Council of Norway
Katrin Vilhelm Poulsen, Nordic Council of Ministers
