Activities exerting pressures on marine fish

Human activities are distributed widely across the North-East Atlantic, but the intensity of activities and of the pressures they impose on the marine environment vary greatly between OSPAR Regions and sub-divisions. Some sea areas are affected by multiple activities; in others, only a few may be significant. The table below, taken from the Human Activities Thematic Assessment, gives a high-level summary of the intensity and trends of selected activities across the OSPAR Regions, based on analysis in the feeder reports.

Activities like aquaculture, the renewable energy sector and tourism have increased in intensity since the QSR 2010, and are projected to further increase by 2030 (Table A.1). Other activities, like fisheries, have increased in the Celtic Seas and North Sea areas but have remained stable in recent years in the Bay of Biscay and Iberian Coast, and Wider Atlantic.

Overall, fisheries are the activity that has the highest direct impact on marine fish, through the removal of wild organisms which can be an exploited target species or through by-catch. Transport and shipping is the second most significant activity, impacting marine fish in several ways through the input of litter, pollution and pathogens.

Human activities that interact with fish are:

Fish and shellfish harvesting (professional, recreational) [Extraction of living resources]: 
Society’s need for food is a driver for fishing activity. Gears used to extract living resources may directly / indirectly interact with fish species, altering fish populations. (OSPAR Feeder Report 2021 - Fisheries).

Renewable energy generation (wind, wave and tidal power), including infrastructure, Nuclear energy and Transmission of electricity and communications (cables) [Production of energy]: 
Renewable energy is the only activity driven by society’s need to mitigate the effects of climate change, while society’s needs and its appreciation of nature and biodiversity drive both renewable energy and nuclear energy. Fish are mostly impacted by the construction of renewable energy infrastructure, namely dredging of the seabed (physical loss or disturbance of the seabed) and underwater noise. The input of other forms of energy is also associated with this activity, mostly in relation to the electromagnetic fields originating from the cables and lighting. Nuclear energy is often located on the coast. Some form of cooling water intake/outfall is usually present, often with pipes running into sub-tidal areas. This directly interacts with fish habitat and fish can become caught in the water intake/outfall. 

Extraction of oil and gas, including infrastructure and Extraction of minerals [Extraction of non-living resources]:
Society’s needs for energy and stable economies are both drivers for the extraction of oil and gas. Society’s need for materials drives the extraction of minerals. Oil and gas exploration, operation and decommissioning, and the associated infrastructure (pipeline and cables), directly interact with fish habitat through anthropogenic sound input and seabed loss/disturbance. Mining can affect fish and aquatic resources through mine tailing depositions into the sea, bottom erosion and sedimentation, the de-watering of wetlands, the diversion, channelling and flow alteration of streams, and the contamination of surface water and aquifers with toxic chemicals; all of these can alter fish habitat. Marine aggregate extraction can similarly impact fish spawning grounds.

Coastal defence and flood protection, Land claim, Canalisation and other water course modifications and Restructuring of seabed morphology, including dredging and depositing of materials. [Physical]:
Coastal and flood defences are driven by society’s needs for and appreciation of nature and biodiversity and its need to adapt to the effects of climate change. Land claim and watercourse modifications are driven by society’s need for stable economies. The dredging and deposition of materials are driven by society’s need for trade and the movement of goods. All these activities directly alter fish habitat. They can also impact migratory paths, particularly those of diadromous fish.

Transport shipping and Transport infrastructure [Transport]:
Society’s need for trade and the movement of goods drives transport, based on the need for stable economies and the supply and demands of goods and services. Transport directly interacts with fish habitat.

Marine aquaculture, Freshwater aquaculture, Agriculture and Forestry [Cultivation of living resources]:
Society’s need for food drives marine aquaculture, freshwater aquaculture and agriculture. Society’s need for materials drives forestry. The cultivation of living resources contaminates the water with extra nutrient input and toxic chemicals, which can alter fish habitat. Aquaculture can also introduce diseases and parasites that may impact wild fish.

Tourism and leisure infrastructure and Tourism and leisure activities [Tourism and leisure]:
Society’s need for health and wellbeing drives tourism and leisure. Tourism and leisure structures and activities can be located in, on or adjacent to fish habitat.

Industrial uses [Urban and industrial uses]:
Society’s need for materials drives industrial uses. Sewage outflows into rivers cause eutrophication, impacting fish populations.