54 | <strong>European</strong> <strong>Ocean</strong> <strong>Research</strong> <strong>Fleets</strong>
Appendix 6 – Contribution from EFARO regarding <strong>European</strong> Fisheries <strong>Research</strong> Vessels The present Marine Board report covers the oceanographic RV fleet. Another sector of the seagoing research fleet is related to fisheries research. Both worlds are traditionally segmented; however, few multipurpose vessels are active in both (fundamental) oceanographic and (applied) fisheries research. However, in the future, fisheries research will become more linked with the oceanographic research. The scientific support to fisheries policies requires an ecosystem based approach in the near future. Therefore, the Marine Board invited EFARO to present its views on the fisheries RV fleet, as an appendix to this OFWG report. EFARO organised in January 2004 in Tunis a workshop on the <strong>European</strong> Fisheries RV fl eet. At this workshop, it was stated that 94 RVs are active in the <strong>European</strong> fisheries research. It was estimated that 50% of the cost of fi sheries research is related to the exploitation of the RV fleet. There is scattered un-utilised RV time available (due to lack of funding or inappropriate planning); some countries require more RV time than they have access to. Shared use of RVs is not a common practice; only few countries (e.g. France and Spain) have bilateral agreements. However, most of the fisheries research surveys are internationally coordinated. There is also a common practice of sharing surveying equipment. However, commitments to monitor remote regions result in non productive steaming time. Fleet managers see the possibility to more effi ciently manage their medium size vessels in setting up a regional coordination organisation (Baltic Sea, North Sea/Atlantics, Mediterranean Sea West and Mediterranean Sea East). The largest vessels could best be used at <strong>European</strong> level. The fisheries RV fleet is relatively old. Two third (62 RVs) are more than 20 years old, 25 RVs are even more than 30 years old. Half of the RV fleet is larger than 30 meters (48 RVs). The younger segment ( 50 meters. The renewal of the fleet is stagnating. Fleet managers indicate a need for building approximately 25 new vessels within the next five years. The best utilisation of public funds would be to explore the co-utilisation of modern, multi-purpose vessels specialised in certain sea conditions. Exchanges of experiences and views on designing and building are welcome. ticipate in this process, although most of the institutes do not own their RVs. In the near future, it is recommended to explore the possibility to use fi sheries RVs for oceanographic surveys and vice versa. This can be taken up in the cooperation between EFARO and Marine Board. Several EFARO workshops were set up to assess the status of the fleet: The Baltic Sea (Copenhagen workshop, November 2005) In <strong>European</strong> countries, ship commitments and requirements in internationally coordinated survey activity are about 800-900 days at sea of mid to larger size fi sheries <strong>Research</strong> Vessels (> 35 m). There is enough ship time available in the Baltic region to satisfy the needs for fisheries research. Five vessels are used for standard fi sheries research in the Baltic: – RV Argos (61m, commissioned in 1974), too cost intensive, need replacement – RV Baltic (41 m, 1993), – RV Dana (78m, 1981), too cost intensive, need replacement within a 5-10 year time frame – RV Solea (43m, 2003), – RV Walther Herwig III (64m, 1993). From these, RV Dana and RV Walter Herwig III operate mostly, and RV Solea partly, outside the Baltic. Additionally, RV Argos covers environmental monitoring tasks. Neither the demand calculation nor the available ship time includes university operated ships, which are normally able to conduct fi sheries research: RV Skagerrak (Gøtheborg) and RV Alkor (Kiel, 55m, 1990). The necessity to improve the ship infrastructure for Baltic research has been recognised and resulted in the suggestion to build a new multipurpose <strong>Research</strong> Vessel for the Baltic (ESFRI list of opportunities 2005). Based on the preliminary analysis conducted during the meeting, it was agreed to explore the possibilities to extend the ESFRI suggestion presently focussing on the needs of the Baltic States to the entire marine and fisheries research community in the Baltic. Therefore, the <strong>European</strong> Commission is requested to support an organisation to foster cooperation in <strong>European</strong> RV fleet management. EFARO is willing to par- <strong>European</strong> <strong>Ocean</strong> <strong>Research</strong> <strong>Fleets</strong> | 55
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