Last week ICES hosted a workshop on Descriptor 3 under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). The aim of the workshop was to clarify each indicator under Descriptor 3 in order to make it easier for Member States to understand. Particular emphasis was made to finalise the advice for indicators under descriptor 3.1 and 3.2 and to establish a roadmap for how to move forward with Descriptor 3.3 which are to be sent to DG Environment by end of March this year.
As in previous meetings, much of the discussions focused on MSY Btrigger, making it evident that there is a need for ICES to give clearer reasoning behind this “new” concept and in particular clarify what the lower boundary of MSY Btrigger lies. This will be one of the issues that will go into ICES benchmark process taking place during the spring.
A working group focusing on the roadmap for D3.3 is to be established during the spring of 2015 to start drafting on indicators under D3.3. With the aim to act as a starting point for discussion for the next meeting on D3.3 planned to take place back-to-back with the WKLIFE taking place in Lisbon, Portugal 8-9 October this year.