Total fishing pressure produced by artisanal fisheries, from a Marine Spatial Planning perspective: A case study from the Basque Country (Bay of Biscay)

The increasing human pressures on marine ecosystems and the need for integrating planning tools for managing and protecting the marine environment have pushed towards accurate assessments of the spatial distribution of human activities and impacts. An accurate understanding of the spatial distribution of fisheries will help determine potential conflicts that may arise in coastal regions as these regions are exposed to new types of resource use and development (e.g., renewable energy, aquaculture). This study characterizes the existing artisanal fishing activity along the Bay of Biscay in the Basque Country (Spain) by metier unit, by commercially relevant species biomass, and by trophic level. Total fishing pressure (measured as area covered per sampling effort) was calculated per metier unit by year (2009 and 2010), and aggregated using data collected from 10,185 fishing trip events, questionnaires, and other non-official logbooks. Results revealed that the spatial preferences and fishing intensities of specific metiers were linked to spatial location; water bodies closest to the coastline, especially in the most westerly areas of the Bay of Biscay, were more intensely fished. The integration of total fishing pressure across metiers is an important first step towards assessing the cumulative pressures of fishing, and determining the foundations for an improved ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management in Basque Country waters.