NAFO WG-EAFFM in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; VMEs reassessment and 2027 bottom-fishing options

com-scdoc26-02 WG-EAFFMRpt Aug2026

Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization

NAFO/COM-SC Doc. 26-02 Report of the NAFO Joint Commission–Scientific Council Working Group on Ecosystem Approach Framework to Fisheries Management (WG-EAFFM) Meeting 03-05 August 2026 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada 1. Opening by the co-Chairs, Mar Sacau Cuadrado (European Union) and Elizabethann Mencher (United States of America) ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2 2. Appointment of Rapporteur ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2 3. Adoption of Agenda …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2 4. Presentation of Scientific Council responses to Commission requests for advice (COM Doc. 25-13) relevant to WG-EAFFM ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2 5. VME and SAI Assessments …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2 a. Update on the centralized data repository (COM Request 6.a) ………………………………………………………………….. 2 b. Update on reassessment of VMEs and impact of bottom fisheries on VMEs for 2027 including potential management options in the reassessment of bottom fisheries (COM Request 6.b) …………….. 3 6. Review of the bottom fishing closure dates…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4 7. Ecosystem Roadmap …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4 a. Ecosystem Roadmap Document (COM Request 5) ………………………………………………………………………………………… 4 b. TCI App…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 5 8. Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) (COM Request 6.c) ………………………………………. 5 9. Scoping document for potential meeting to explore approaches for integrating information related to climate change throughout Scientific Council operations (COM Request 10) ………………………………………………. 5 10. Continued discussions on Greenland shark bycatch …………………………………………………………………………………………… 6 11. Other Business ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6 a. Scientific Council workload ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6 b. Performance Review …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6 12. Recommendations ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 6 13. Adoption of the Report ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 7 14. Adjournment ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7 Annex 1. List of Participants ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 8 Annex 2. Agenda ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 10

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www.nafo.int Report of the NAFO Joint Commission–Scientific Council Working Group on Ecosystem Approach Framework to Fisheries Management (WG-EAFFM) Meeting 03-05 August 2026 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada 1. Opening by the co-Chairs, Mar Sacau Cuadrado (European Union) and Elizabethann Mencher (United States of America) The meeting was opened by the co-Chairs, Mar Sacau Cuadrado (European Union) and Elizabethann Mencher (United States of America), at 09:32 hours (UTC -3 hours) on Monday, 03 August 2026. The co-Chairs welcomed participants attending in-person and virtually from Canada, Denmark (in respect of Faroe Islands and Greenland), European Union, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, and the United States of America, and the Chairs of the Commission and the Scientific Council (Annex 1). 2. Appointment of Rapporteur The NAFO Secretariat was appointed as rapporteur of this meeting. 3. Adoption of Agenda The working group agreed to add one additional item under agenda item 7 to discuss the prototype TCI app developed by the Scientific Council for assessing candidate TAC options in relation to the 2TCI Ecosystem Reference Point. Additionally, two items under “Other Business” were added: an update on the Scientific Council’s workload and an update on the ad hoc virtual working group to consider the initiation of a potential third Performance Review of NAFO (WG-PR). The agenda was adopted following the revisions above and is outlined in Annex 2. 4. Presentation of Scientific Council responses to Commission requests for advice (COM Doc. 25-13) relevant to WG-EAFFM The co-Chair of WG-EAFFM, Mar Sacau Cuadrado (European Union), provided a summary of the Scientific Council advice relevant to the WG-EAFFM (SCS Doc. 26/12). The co-Chair presented a summarized overview of each of the responses, noting that the advice would be discussed in detail in subsequent agenda items. The working group thanked the Scientific Council for their work and the co-Chair for the presentation. 5. VME and SAI Assessments a. Update on the centralized data repository (COM Request 6.a) On behalf of the Scientific Council, Andrew Kenny (United Kingdom) provided an update on the response to Commission request #6.a on the centralized data repository. Andrew Kenny reported on the ongoing work to develop and populate the repository, including plans to incorporate additional data layers (e.g. VME KDE and SDM files, gridded biomass), together with associated metadata and documentation to support traceability and reproducibility and to ensure appropriate recognition of data contributors through a standard acknowledgement statement. The repository was noted as an important tool for the Scientific Council during the upcoming SAI reassessment process. The working group thanked the Scientific Council for the work to date and appreciated the progress.

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www.nafo.int b. Update on reassessment of VMEs and impact of bottom fisheries on VMEs for 2027 including potential management options in the reassessment of bottom fisheries (COM Request 6.b) The working group reviewed the Scientific Council response to Commission request #6.b, which noted that the SC had updated the delineation of VMEs in the NAFO Regulatory Area using data from the research vessel surveys conducted between 1995-2024. The general areas of the updated VMEs are highly consistent with prior analyses. SC notes the estimated areas of most VME functional groups increased relative to the 2019 assessment, with large gorgonian corals and black corals showing comparatively little change. The largest increase was observed for small gorgonian corals, which also identified new polygons on the Flemish Cap, some of which overlap with existing closures and thereby increase their conservation value. Despite these changes in estimated area, there was high spatial congruence between the 2019 and 2025 analyses. Scientific Council agreed to a workplan for the 2027 reassessment of SAI and associated management options for NAFO bottom fisheries (Table 1). The SC also noted that, due to changes in available resources after the 2025 WG-ESA meeting, several of the secondary SAI indicators used in the 2021 SAI assessment cannot be updated for the 2027 assessment. However, the primary SAI indicators (proportion of VME protected, VME at risk and VME impacted) will be recalculated using the newly updated VME and fishery effort data sets, and used in the 2027 assessment of SAI and management options. The 2021 assessment showed that considering secondary SAI metrics did not change the overall outcome of the assessment from when it was conducted solely on the basis of primary SAI metrics, but secondary metrics were useful to further consolidate the assessment results.

Table 1. Timeline of key processes/events to deliver finalised set of management options as part of the next reassessment of bottom fisheries. Stage / Timing Process / Event Key Output / Results Purpose / Outcome By March 2027 (latest) Intersessional online meeting of WG-ESA Maps and tables summarising results of all analytical steps, including draft management options Present and review scientific outputs and supporting evidence for improving VME closures design to minimize the risk of SAI March/ April 2027 Participation of managers in WG-ESA/ WG-EAFFM intersessional meeting Direct engagement and communication of scientific rationale and methodology, including early sharing of draft management options Early involvement of managers to inform and gather initial feedback on draft management options ahead of the SC meeting where the management options will be formalized June 2027 (SC) Scientific Council Proposed management options (e.g. new VME closures and/or boundary adjustments) Scientific review of the SAI- VME assessment and management options, and development of the formal SC advice to COM on these matters July 2027 (WG-EAFFM) Review by WG-EAFFM Further evaluation and potential refinement of proposed management options Potential agreement on a finalised set of management options to be recommended to COM for adoption

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www.nafo.int If required (2027) Additional intersessional WG-EAFFM Further discussion of management options Resolve outstanding issues (if needed) September 2027 Annual Meeting Submission to Commission Final agreed management options Consideration for adoption and implementation

The working group thanked the Scientific Council for the work and supported the updated VME polygons as presented and encouraged the Scientific Council to continue the work as outlined in the workplan (Table 1). WG-EAFFM underscored that this proposed timeline is contingent on WG-ESA being able to complete its work at its November 2026 meeting and flagged that the Commission should be made aware that WG-ESA may not be able to meet this timeline due to meeting logistic