Although the largest commercial stocks are exploited sustainably, some of the smaller stocks are over-fished (chapter Current and expected state of the ecosystem - Overview of state and expected situation). In addition, bottom trawling may have considerable effects on benthic organisms and habitats (chapters General background description of the ecosystem - Biotic components - Benthos; General background description of the ecosystem - Ecosystem interactions - Human impact; Current and expected state of the ecosystem - Overview of state and expected situation and Current and expected state of the ecosystem - Human activities/impact - Oil and gas activities). These conclusions are consistent with those made by the ICES Arctic Fisheries Working Group, which lists the following impact of the Barents Sea fisheries on the ecosystem:
- The demersal fisheries are mixed, and currently have largest effect on coastal cod and redfish due to the poor condition of these stocks
- The pelagic fisheries are less mixed, and are weakly linked to the demersal fisheries (however, by-catches of young pelagic stages of demersal species have been reported in some pelagic fisheries)
- Trawling has largest effect on hard bottom habitats; whereas the effects on other habitats are not clear and consistent
- Fishery induced mortality (lost gillnets, contact with active fishing gears, etc.) on fish is a potential problem, but not quantified at present
In addition, this report has described how information on ecosystem interactions can be important for sustainable fishery management (chapter Current and expected state of the ecosystem - Conclusions about state of the ecosystem). Therefore, the following themes are considered as important for the development of ecosystem based management:
- Mixed fisheries, undersized fish, discard, bycatches and IUU fishing
- Impact of bottom trawling on benthos
- Implementing the ecosystem approach to fisheries
In addition, the fishing fleet represents the largest number of ship movements in the Barents Sea and has a potentially negative impact on the ecosystem through emission of greenhouse gases. However, compared to the general maritime activity, the fishing fleet uses lighter diesel fuel and does not carry oil or hydrocarbons in the hold, thus having less potential for pollution if accidents occur. This aspect of the fisheries is therefore not discussed here.
