Rowden et al (2024) Determination of optimal move-on distance for trawl encounters with vulnerable marine ecosystems ICES Journal of Marine Science
This study examines the effectiveness of “move-on” rules, which require vessels to relocate after encountering vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) such as deep-sea coral habitats. The authors found that VME habitat patches are typically small, clustered, and rarely encountered by trawling activity. Simulations indicate that the current 1 nautical mile move-on distance already avoids about 73% of potential additional encounters, while increasing the distance to 5 nm would raise avoidance to around 80%. However, it would also potentially result in significant socio-economic impacts. Overall, the authors conclude that increasing the move-on distance from 1 to 5 nm would provide only limited additional ecological benefit while potentially more than doubling the impact on the fishery, suggesting that the current 1 nm rule already avoids most interactions with VMEs without placing undue burden on fishing operators.
