Seas - the future

The seas around the Faroe Islands are amongst the cleanest in the world, providing the Faroese fisheries and aquaculture industries with a valuable basis for the production and export of high quality fish products, which represent 95% of all merchandise exports and 20% of total Faroese GDP.

The Faroese fishing day system
The challenge of ensuring sustainable fishing has been taken head on in the Faroe Islands. One important tool is the fishing day system for the management of ground fish stocks (cod, haddock & saithe) on the Faroe Plateau. The fishing day system manages fishing capacity and effort rather than allocating specific quotas for species and stocks. Developed in close cooperation between the authorities and fisheries organisations, the aim of the system is to provide a flexible and responsive management tool.

The effort-based system was designed to take account of the fact that fishing for ground fish species in Faroese waters very often results in a mixed catch, thus basing management on a multi-species approach and the realities of the ecosystem in which fishing takes place. Under this system, the entire catch is legitimate and therefore has an economic value. This also has the clear benefit of removing incentives to discard non-targeted fish or misreport catches, which is often a serious problem in species-specific, quota based fisheries management. Since the introduction of the fishing day system in 1996 the total number of days has been gradually reduced by over 20%, in order to adjust for likely increases in fishing efficiency.

For the Faroe Islands, ensuring sustainable fisheries and keeping the marine environment clean and productive is more than a major responsibility - it is an absolute necessity.


Focus on environmentally-friendly fishing gear
In addition to limits on fishing effort, an integral part of Faroese fisheries management are measures which aim to balance fishing in relation to the ecosystem in which it takes place. These include seasonal fisheries closures, the separation of different fishing methods between areas, minimum fish and mesh sizes to prevent catches of immature and young fish, and sorting grids to minimise unwanted by-catch.

Closed areas have been used in a targeted way in Faroese waters for many years. At certain times of the year, defined areas, in particular spawning areas, are closed to fisheries either partly or entirely. In addition, 60% of the Faroe Plateau at depths of less than 200 m is closed to trawling for most of the year. Most of the Faroe Bank is permanently closed to trawling. The waters within the entire 12 nautical mile zone on the Faroe Plateau are also closed to all trawling, except for a period in summer when limited trawling for flat fish by smaller vessels is permitted.

A priority in both fisheries research and management in the Faroe Islands is the development of fishing gear that minimises the impact of fisheries on other components of the marine ecosystem. To reduce the impact of trawls on the seabed, as well as to reduce energy consumption of vessels, environmentally-friendly alternatives have been developed, such as new designs for trawl doors and trawls with rollers that minimise damage to the seabed, as well as sorting grids and other technical adaptations to minimise by-catch in trawling.


Ideal conditions for sustainable aquaculture
The marine ecosystems around the Faroe Islands are highly productive with a diversity and abundance of marine species. The dynamic system of ocean currents in the area, in particular the inflow of warm Atlantic waters to the northern seas with the Gulf Stream, is one of the most important factors for the ecosystem in the region, also providing ideal conditions for fish farming.
The Faroese fish farming industry, primarily Atlantic salmon and large rainbow trout, has become an important and growing part of total Faroese fish production.

In Faroese aquaculture policy, safeguarding the environment in which fish farming takes place is fundamental to ensuring an economically self-sufficient and competitive fish farming industry. Measures to minimise the impact of rearing and production methods on the local coastal environment and stringent regimes for veterinary monitoring have been a major factor in the success of Faroese fish farming in recent years.


Climate change and marine productivity
The effects of climate change on marine ecosystems around the Faroe Islands are not only of vital concern in the daily lives of the Faroese people, they are also of international scientific interest. Research in the Faroe Islands indicates a close relationship between changing weather patterns and the productivity of marine ecosystems. Global warming may lead to significant changes in the dynamics of the system of currents which regulates and determines sea temperatures and the productivity of marine ecosystems.

On-going monitoring and modelling of the effects of area and seasonal closures on fish stocks and their habitats is a priority for science-based fisheries management in the Faroes. Work is underway to develop an ecosystem model for the Faroe Plateau, which would be capable of providing comprehensive information on optimum and sustainable use of the marine ecosystem.

The pelagic complex
Beyond the Faroe Plateau, the Faroe Islands are in a central position when it comes to fisheries for the large pelagic stocks of blue whiting, Atlanto-Scandian herring and mackerel which range across the Northeast Atlantic. The distribution of these pelagic stocks in the Northeast Atlantic has always been dynamic in time and place, but it is becoming increasingly apparent that climate change can have enormous impacts on these dynamics. The Faroe Islands are taking the initiative through the Nordic cooperation over the coming year to generate a better understanding of this “pelagic complex”. The aim is to provide a broader perspective on both the biological, economic and political factors relevant for effective cooperation between the coastal states in region on the management of these highly valuable fish stocks.

International cooperation
Faroese fishermen have a long tradition of fishing in foreign and international waters and they have contributed to the development of many fisheries across the North Atlantic over the years. Active participation in the broad North Atlantic network of cooperation is a major priority in Faroese marine resource management policies today.

In addition, the Faroe Islands have recently become Associate Member of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, where the priority is to contribute actively to the work of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI) and all relevant FAO initiatives related to the implementation of the Code of Conduct on Responsible Fishing, responsible fish trade and sustainable aquaculture.

The Faroe Islands at the helm in 2010
In 2010, the Faroe Islands will be taking the lead to promote an integrated Nordic focus on the sea and marine-related issues during Denmark’s chairmanship of the Nordic Council. This focus will culminate with the High Level Conference – Seas the Future - to be held in Tórshavn from 5 to 7 October 2010.

In addition to identifying key areas for further joint action in integrated approaches to marine issues, the conference will aim to build on existing political and cultural connections while seeking to explore new opportunities for marine-based economic cooperation and development, both across the Nordic region, with the Nordic Region’s neighbours and with relevant global partners.

Key issues to be addressed, include: 

• the contribution of fisheries to global food security 
• integrated management of marine resources and the marine environment 
• marine-based solutions to climate and energy challenges 
• trends & future prospects for safe and sustainable international maritime transport