Faroe Plateau
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LME 60: Faroe Plateau

Bordering country:

Faroe Islands

LME total area:

151,005 km²

LME overall risk:

This LME falls in the cluster of LMEs that exhibit low to medium levels of economic development (based on the night light development index) and medium levels of collapsed and overexploited fish stocks.
Based on a combined measure of the Human Development Index and the averaged indicators for fish & fisheries and pollution & ecosystem health modules, the overall risk factor is very low.

Productivity

Chlorophyll-A:

The annual Chlorophyll a concentration (CHL) cycle has a maximum peak (0.782 mg.m^-3) in July and a minimum (0.149 mg.m^-3) during February. The average CHL is 0.434 mg.m^-3. Maximum primary productivity (325 g.C.m^-2.y^-1) occurred during 1999 and minimum primary productivity (154 g.C.m^-2.y^-1) during 2007. There is a statistically insignificant decreasing trend in Chlorophyll of -38.3 % from 2003 through 2013. The average primary productivity is 207 g.C.m^-2.y^-1, which places this LME in Group 3 of 5 categories (with 1 = lowest and 5= highest).

Primary productivity:

Sea Surface Temperature:

From 1957 to 2012, the Faroe Plateau LME #60 has warmed by 0.10°C, thus belonging to Category 4 (slow warming LME). There are strong similarities between the climate changes in this LME and around Iceland. SST in both LMEs peaked in 1960 and declined afterward. Yet in the Faroe Plateau LME the SST decline was much more gradual, albeit no less consistent. After >30 years of decline, SST has bottomed out at 8.6°C in 1993 and has risen to nearly 10.0°C in 2003, the same year when SST peaked off Iceland. Thus, SST rose by 1.4°C in 10 years and remained relatively high afterward. The similarity between SST variations around the Faroes and those off Iceland are accounted for by the domineering influence of the North Atlantic Current and its main northwestern branch, the Irminger Current. These currents transport warm and cold anomalies that largely determine SST distribution around these islands.

Fish and Fisheries

Climatic variability has a major impact on fish landings in this LME. The most important species group in terms of shelf catches is pelagic fish, representing on average 52% of the total catch, and cod, saithe and haddock, representing more than 30% of the catch. The long-term average annual landings of cod fluctuate between 20,000 and 40,000 t, while those of haddock fluctuate between 15,000 and 25,000 t per year.

Annual catch:

Total reported landings have been on a rise, recording about 300,000 t in recent years. Blue whiting account for the largest share of the landings since the late 1970s, with 75% of the total landings in 2004.

Catch value:

The value of the reported landings recorded 230 million US$ (in 2005 real US$) in recent years.

Marine Trophic Index and Fishing-in-Balance index:

No clear trend can be observed in the MTI until mid-1990. Since then, however, the MTI levels appear to increase, presumably due to the almost exclusive, and increasing landings of blue whiting, which could be masking any possible ‘fishing down’ effect in the LME. The expansion of the blue whiting fisheries is also evident in the FiB index.

Stock status:

The Stock-Catch Status Plots indicate the high proportion of stocks defined as ‘collapsed’ in the LME. However, overexploited stocks and fully exploited stocks contribute 40% and 30% of the reported landings biomass, respectively, a result of the increase in the blue whiting landings.

Catch from bottom impacting gear:

The percentage of catch from the bottom gear type to the total catch reached its first peak at 62% in 1964 and then have a decreasing trend. Then, the percentage fluctuated around 20% in recent decade.

Fishing effort:

Reliable effort data for this LME could not be obtained.

Primary Production Required:

The primary production required (PPR) to sustain the reported landings in this LME has reached a level that far exceeds the observed primary production of the region. This it is probably due to fish being caught in the LME recruiting from and/or feeding outside the LME, which thus subsidize the productivity of the Faroe Plateau LME.

Catch potential projections (under global warming):

Pollution and Ecosystem Health

Pollution

Nutrient ratio, Nitrogen load and Merged Indicator:

Human activities in watersheds are affecting nutrients transported by rivers into LMEs. Large amounts of nutrients (in particular nitrogen load) entering coastal waters of LMEs can result in high biomass algal blooms, leading to hypoxic or anoxic conditions, increased turbidity and changes in community composition, among other effects. In addition, changes in the ratio of nutrients entering LMEs can result in dominance by algal species that have deleterious effects (toxic, clog gills of shellfish, etc.) on ecosystems and humans.
An overall nutrient indicator (Merged Nutrient Indicator) based on 2 sub-indicators: Nitrogen Load and Nutrient Ratio (ratio of dissolved Silica to Nitrogen or Phosphorus - the Index of Coastal Eutrophication Potential or ICEP) was calculated.

Nitrogen load:

The Nitrogen Load risk level for contemporary (2000) conditions was very low. (level 1 of the five risk categories, where 1 = lowest risk; 5 = highest risk). Based on a “current trends” scenario (Global Orchestration), this remained the same in 2030 and 2050.

Nutrient ratio:

The Nutrient Ratio (ICEP) risk level for contemporary (2000) conditions was very low (1). According to the Global Orchestration scenario, this remained the same in 2030 and 2050.

Merged nutrient indicator:

The risk level for the Merged Nutrient Indicator for contemporary (2000) conditions was very low (1). According to the Global Orchestration scenario, this remained the same in 2030 and 2050.

POPs:

No pellet samples were obtained from this LME.

Plastic debris:

Modelled estimates of floating plastic abundance (items km^-2), for both micro-plastic (<4.75 mm) and macro-plastic (>4.75 mm), indicate that this LME is in the group with relatively low levels of plastic concentration. Estimates are based on three proxy sources of litter: shipping density, coastal population density and the level of urbanisation within major watersheds, with enhanced run-off. The low values are due to the relative remoteness of this LME from significant sources of plastic. The abundance of floating plastic in this category is estimated to be on average over 40 times lower that those LMEs with the highest values. There is good evidence from sea-based direct observations and towed nets to support this conclusion.

Ecosystem Health

Mangrove and coral cover:

Not applicable

Reefs at risk:

Not applicable

Marine Protected Area change:

No change

Cumulative Human Impact:

The Faroe Plateau LME experiences one of the highest overall cumulative human impact (score 4.79; maximum LME score 5.22),. It falls in risk category 5 of the five risk categories (1 = lowest risk; 5 = highest risk). This LME is most vulnerable to climate change. Of the 19 individual stressors, three connected to climate change have the highest average impact on the LME: ocean acidification (1.07; maximum in other LMEs was 1.20), UV radiation (0.56; maximum in other LMEs was 0.76), and sea surface temperature (2.16, the maximum value for any LME). Other key stressors include commercial shipping, ocean based pollution, and demersal destructive commercial fishing.

Ocean Health Index:

The Faroe Plateau LME scores below average on the Ocean Health Index compared to other LMEs (score 67 out of 100; range for other LMEs was 57 to 82). This score indicates that the LME is well below its optimal level of ocean health, although there are some aspects that are doing well. Its score in 2013 increased 3 points compared to the previous year, due in large part to changes in the scores for natural products and coastal protection. This LME scores lowest on coastal protection, carbon storage, tourism & recreation, and lasting special places goals and highest on mariculture, artisanal fishing opportunities, coastal economies, and habitat biodiversity goals. It falls in risk category 5 of the five risk categories, which is the highest level of risk (1 = lowest risk; 5 = highest risk).

Socio-economics

Indicators of demographic trends, economic dependence on ecosystem services, human wellbeing and vulnerability to present-day extreme climate events and projected sea level rise, are assessed for this LME. To compare and rank LMEs, they were classified into five categories of risk (from 1 to 5, corresponding to lowest, low, medium, high and highest risk, respectively) based on the values of the individual indicators. In the case of economic revenues, the LMEs were grouped to 5 classes of revenues from lowest, low, medium, high and highest, as revenues did not translate to risk.

Population:

The coastal area stretches over 1 408 km². A current population of 49 thousand in 2010 is projected to decrease to 44 thousand in 2100, with a density of 35 persons per km² in 2010 decreasing to 31 per km² by 2100. About 54% of coastal population lives in rural areas, and is projected to be decrease in share to 46% in 2100.

Coastal poor:

There are no poverty statistics for this LME.

Revenues and Spatial Wealth Distribution:

Fishing and tourism depend on ecosystem services provided by LMEs. This LME ranks in the low-revenue category in fishing revenues based on yearly average total ex-vessel price of US 2013 $228 million for the period 2001-2010. Fish protein accounts for 43% of the total animal protein consumption of the coastal population. Its yearly average tourism revenue for 2004-2013 of US 2013 $264 million places it in the very low-revenue category. On average, LME-based tourism income contributes 0.1% to the national GDPs of the LME coastal states. Spatial distribution of economic activity (e.g. spatial wealth distribution) measured by night-light and population distribution as coarse proxies can range from 0.0000 (totally equal distribution and lowest risk) to 1.0000 (concentrated in 1 place and most inequitable and highest risk). The Night Light Development Index (NLDI) thus indicates the level of spatial economic development, and that for this LME falls in the category with high risk.

Human Development Index:

Using the Human Development Index (HDI) that integrates measures of health, education and income, the present-day LME HDI belongs to the very high HDI and very low-risk category. Based on an HDI of 0.950, this LME has an HDI Gap of 0.050, the difference between present and highest possible HDI (1.000). The HDI Gap measures an overall vulnerability to external events such as disease or extreme climate related events, due to less than perfect health, education, and income levels, and is independent of the harshness of and exposure to specific external shocks.
There are no projected HDI values for this LME using the Shared Socioeconomic Development Scenarios.

Climate-Related Threat Indices:

The Climate-Related Threat Indices utilize the HDI Gaps for present-day and projected 2100 scenarios. The contemporary climate index accounts for deaths and property losses due to storms, flooding and extreme temperatures incurred by coastal states during a 20-year period from 1994 to 2013 as hazard measures, the 2010 coastal population as proxy for exposure, and the present day HDI Gap as vulnerability measure.
The Contemporary Threat Index incorporates a Dependence Factor based on the fish protein contribution to dietary animal protein, and on the mean contribution of LME tourism to the national GDPs of LME coastal states. The HDI Gap and the degree of dependence on LME ecosystem services define the vulnerability of a coastal population. It also includes the average of risk related to extreme climate events, and the risk based on the degrading system states of an LME (e.g. overexploited fisheries, pollution levels, decrease in coastal ecosystem areas).
The 2100 sea level rise threat indices, each computed for the sustainable world and fragmented world development pathways, use the maximum projected sea level rise at the highest level of warming of 8.5 W/m² in 2100 as hazard measure, development pathway-specific 2100 populations in the 10 m × 10 km coast as exposure metrics, and development pathway-specific 2100 HDI Gaps as vulnerability estimates.
There are no data available to compute the Climate-Related Threat Indices for this LME.

Governance

Governance architecture:

In this LME, the policy cycles relating to the key issues of fisheries and pollution are associated with well-established transboundary arrangements that are among the strongest globally. However, there does not appear to be much integration among these processes. Since the LME is largely a single country one and Denmark has a focus on EBM, the integration may be taking place at the national level. Nevertheless, this LME has been assigned an overall integration score of 1.0 due to the European Union Maritime Policy which can function as an overall policy coordinating mechanism for the key transboundary issues within the LME.
The overall scores for the ranking of risk were: