The main aim of the project is to develop a first conceptual balancing model 'Sustainable Management of the North Sea' for sea fisheries, for sand and gravel extraction and for related shipping activities. In its operational phase, the policy model had to support arguments and directions for policy makers in order to reach a sustainable management of the North Sea. The research on sea fisheries and sand and gravel extraction is very complex due to the interactions between the social, economical and ecological indicators. The research project can be divided into three main steps: (1) the making of a scientific flow chart for sea fisheries, and sand and gravel extraction; (2) the making of an overview of the relevant data that is available within the different disciplines; and (3) the development of a first conceptual balancing model.
1. The making of a scientific flow chart for sea fisheries and for sand and gravel extraction.
This embraces all the factors (driving forces) that contribute to the fisheries effort (resp. sand and gravel effort) and the aspects on which a change of that effort will have an impact. These factors encompass:
- availability of the rescources
- costs/driving forces of the exploitation
- ecological impact of the exploitation
- social impact of the exploitation
The flow charts are composed through a dynamic discussion/debate between the various research disciplines.
2. The making of an overview of the relevant data that are available.
This overview needed to give an indication of the availability and non-availability of data within different research disciplines to indicate the different 'black boxes' and uncertainties whithin the various indicators (economical, ecological and social).
3. The development of a first conceptual balancing model.
The model has been built using the STELLA-programme.
