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Coherent assessments of Europe’s marine fishes show regional divergence and megafauna loss

Nature Ecology & Evolution volume 1, Article number: 0170 (2017) Cite this article

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A Corrigendum to this article was published on 12 June 2017

This article has been updated

Abstract

Europe has a long tradition of exploiting marine fishes and is promoting marine economic activity through its Blue Growth strategy. This increase in anthropogenic pressure, along with climate change, threatens the biodiversity of fishes and food security. Here, we examine the conservation status of 1,020 species of European marine fishes and identify factors that contribute to their extinction risk. Large fish species (greater than 1.5 m total length) are most at risk; half of these are threatened with extinction, predominantly sharks, rays and sturgeons. This analysis was based on the latest International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) European regional Red List of marine fishes, which was coherent with assessments of the status of fish stocks carried out independently by fisheries management agencies: no species classified by IUCN as threatened were considered sustainable by these agencies. A remarkable geographic divergence in stock status was also evident: in northern Europe, most stocks were not overfished, whereas in the Mediterranean Sea, almost all stocks were overfished. As Europe proceeds with its sustainable Blue Growth agenda, two main issues stand out as needing priority actions in relation to its marine fishes: the conservation of marine fish megafauna and the sustainability of Mediterranean fish stocks.

Marine fishes exhibit high biodiversity1,2 and have been culturally and nutritionally important throughout human history3. Europe, in particular, has a well-documented history of exploiting marine fish populations, written records of which commence in the classical works of ancient Greece. Although this historical exploitation has undoubtedly altered populations4,5 and changed many seascapes6, marine defaunation in the region has not been as great as in terrestrial systems7. However, the use of ocean space and resources is increasing due to Europe’s Blue Growth strategy8, the nutritional requirements of an expanding human population are growing9,10 and marine ecosystems will experience unusually rapid changes in future due to climate change11,12. Consequently there are imminent threats both to European marine biodiversity and fish resources13. It is important, therefore, to assess the threats of extinction to fish species and to ensure consistency in the management approach by the various agencies involved.

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Figure 1: Factors that affect the conservation status of European fishes.
Figure 2: Geographical distribution of the relative exploitation rate for 115 European fish stocks.
Figure 3: Geographical distribution of the relative biomass for 115 European fish stocks.
Figure 4: Performance of the IUCN Red List in relation to stock status.

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Acknowledgements

P.G.F. and R.C. received funding from the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland (MASTS) pooling initiative, funded by the Scottish Funding Council (grant reference HR09011) and contributing institutions. The European Red List of marine fishes was a project funded by the European Commission (Directorate General for the Environment under service contract number 070307/2011/607526/SER/B.3).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK

    Paul G. Fernandes

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, IUCN Marine Biodiversity Unit, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, 23529-0266, Virginia, USA

    Gina M. Ralph, Mia T. Comeros-Raynal, Michael S. Harvey & Kent E. Carpenter

  3. Global Species & Key Biodiversity Areas Programme IUCN, Rue Mauverney 28, Gland, 1196, Switzerland

    Ana Nieto, Mariana García Criado, David J. Allen & Caroline Pollock

  4. Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), 46.7 km Athens-Sounio Avenue, Anavyssos, 19013, Greece

    Paraskevas Vasilakopoulos & Christos D. Maravelias

  5. European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Directorate D - Sustainable Resources, Unit D.02 Water and Marine Resources, Via Enrico Fermi 2749, Ispra (VA), 21027, Italy

    Paraskevas Vasilakopoulos

  6. Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Strathclyde, 26 Richmond Street, Glasgow, G1 1XH, UK

    Robin M. Cook

  7. Department of Biological Sciences, IUCN Shark Specialist Group and Earth to Ocean Research Group, Simon Fraser University, 8888, University Drive, Burnaby, V5A 1S6, British Columbia, Canada

    Riley A. Pollom, Julia M. Lawson, Rachel H. L. Walls & Nicholas K. Dulvy

  8. Natural History Museum Rijeka, Lorenzov prolaz 1, Rijeka, HR-51000, Croatia

    Marcelo Kovačić

  9. Department of Ichthyology, Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Sydney, 2010, New South Wales, Australia

    David Pollard

  10. School of Biology & Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland

    Edward D. Farrell

  11. Department of Aquatic Resources, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skolgatan 6, 742 42, Öregrund, Sweden

    Ann-Britt Florin

  12. School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Arizona State University, Glendale,, 85306, Arizona, USA

    Beth A. Polidoro

  13. Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer (Ifremer), BP 21105, 44311 Nantes cedex 3, France

    Pascal Lorance

  14. Institute of Marine Research, Nordnesgaten 33, PO Box 1870 Nordnes, Bergen, N-5817, Norway

    Franz Uiblein & Kjell Nedreaas

  15. National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, 8901 La Jolla Shores Drive, La Jolla, 92037, California, USA

    Matthew Craig

  16. The Shark Trust, 15 Bakers Place Plymouth, PL1 4LX, UK

    Sarah L. Fowler

  17. American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency, Pago Pago, 96799, American Samoa, USA

    Mia T. Comeros-Raynal

  18. Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada

    Manuel Dureuil

  19. Museu de História Natural do Funchal, Rua da Mouraria, Funchal, 31 9004-546, Madeira, Portugal

    Manuel Biscoito

  20. Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Lowestoft NR33 0HT, UK

    Sophy R. McCully Phillips & Jim R. Ellis

  21. 17 Kolokotroni str., 15236, Penteli, Greece

    Constantinos Papaconstantinou

  22. Department of Marine Studies, University of Split, Livanjska 5, Split, 21000, Croatia

    Alen Soldo

  23. Faculty of Fisheries, University of Istanbul, Ordu St. No: 200, Istanbul, 34134, Fatih, Turkey

    Çetin Keskin

  24. Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, Copenhagen Ø, 2100-DK, Denmark

    Steen Wilhelm Knudsen

  25. Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Centro Costero de Málaga, Fuengirola, 29640, Spain

    Luís Gil de Sola

  26. Institute for the Coastal Marine Environment of the Italian National Research Council (CNR–IAMC), 91026 Mazara Del Vallo, Italy

    Fabrizio Serena

  27. National Marine Fisheries Service Systematics Laboratory, National Museum of Natural History, Washington DC, 20560, USA

    Bruce B. Collette

  28. Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, The University of British Columbia, 2202 Main Mall, V6T 1Z4, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

    Emilie Stump

  29. Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, 0810, Northern Territory, Australia

    Barry C. Russell

  30. Oceana Europe, Gran Via 59, Madrid, 28013, Spain

    Silvia Garcia & Helena Alvarez

  31. Institute of Marine Research/Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre. University of the Azores, 9901-862 Horta, Portugal

    Pedro Afonso

  32. Des Requins et Des Hommes (DRDH), BLP/Brest-Iroise, 15 rue Dumont d’Urville, Plouzané, 29860, France

    Armelle B. J. Jung

  33. Secretaria Regional do Ambiente e Recursos Naturais, Rua Dr. Pestana Júnior, n° 6 - 5° Andar, Funchal, 9064-506, Madeira, Portugal

    João Delgado

Authors
  1. Paul G. Fernandes
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  2. Gina M. Ralph
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  3. Ana Nieto
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  43. Nicholas K. Dulvy
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  44. Kent E. Carpenter
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Contributions

P.G.F. drafted the text, conducted the RF analysis, and produced all the figures and Supplementary Tables 2, 3 and 4. P.G.F., K.E.C., G.M.R., A.N. and M.G.C. were responsible for determining content and discussion of analyses. A.N. coordinated the European Red List of marine fishes project and K.E.C. manages IUCN’s Marine Biodiversity Unit. Red List workshops and assessment reviews were organized and coordinated by K.E.C., N.K.D., J.M.L., R.A.P., G.M.R. and R.W. G.M.R. compiled the variables used in the RF analysis, and drafted components of the main text and methods. A.N. and M.G.C. drafted components of the main text and methods, and together with G.M.R. composed Supplementary Table 1. P.V., C.D.M., R.M.C., N.K.D., R.A.P., M.K., D.P., E.D.F., A.B.F., B.A.P., J.M.L., P.L. and F.U. edited drafts. All authors (except C.D.M. and P.V.) participated in Red List workshops and/or contributed to the IUCN assessments. P.V. and C.D.M. collated the Mediterranean stock assessment data.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paul G. Fernandes.

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Fernandes, P., Ralph, G., Nieto, A. et al. Coherent assessments of Europe’s marine fishes show regional divergence and megafauna loss. Nat Ecol Evol 1, 0170 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0170

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