MSC Fisheries Standard Toolbox

Description of impact

Refers to the Benthic Impact Tool, which was developed by and based on research of BU.

Bottom trawl fisheries impact sedimentary habitats to various degrees. It is difficult to determine whether a fishery is causing serious or irreversible harm to a habitat objectively. Marine protected areas are areas that protect a range of nationally important, rare or threatened habitats and species.
The Benthic Impacts Tool is a decision support tool and aims to aid the user (typically a regulator) in quantifying the impact of bottom towed fishing activity on sedimentary habitats. The BIT has also been designed to inform adaptive marine protected area management and therefore allows the user to consider various scenarios and their potential impacts on the Relative Benthic Status (from spatial closures, to modified gear types).

Impact status	Ongoing
Impact date	Feb 2020
Category of impact	Environmental